Page 58 of The Silent Mountain
“Maggie,” I say gently while sitting down at the edge of the bed, carefully taking her bony hand into mine.
She stirs slightly. “Favian,” she mutters. “My king. Is he happy?”
“He is,” I say.
“He is lying,” she says quietly. “Don’t lie to an old woman.”
“He is on his way to becoming happy,” I tell her. “He has his beautiful mate with him, always, and he will make sure to protect the clan together with her.”
“He shouldn’t forget to look after himself while he does that,” she says. “Don’t forget yourself, please.”
“I won’t.”
She opens her heavy-lidded eyes to gaze at Alana. “You are the fire this land needed so badly,” she whispers. “Do you love it?”
“Yes,” Alana says without hesitation. “I love the Silent Mountain, and the clan.”
“Do you love the king?” she asks.
Alana’s face flushes, but to my surprise, she doesn’t evade the question. She steps closer to look Maggie directly in the eyes and nods. Maggie’s eyes light up for a second. “My king got an honest woman. Her heart might be more difficult to conquer, but she will not stray from the path she has chosen for herself.”
“You don’t need to worry for me,” I reassure her gently.
“Can I leave?” she asks tiredly. “Can I truly leave, Favian? I am so tired. My body can’t anymore, my mind can’t.”
“You can leave,” I tell her sadly, my eyes filling with tears.
I sense my brother coming closer. “Elio is coming to say his goodbye,” I say before taking a step back. At that moment, the door opens, and Elio rushes inside. He is only half-dressed and clearly distraught. He doesn’t waste any time and rushes to Maggie’s bed, throwing himself onto it to wrap Maggie in his arms.
“Mom,” he cries. “Don’t leave me.”
My heart breaks at his words. She was the only mother he truly knew. The one who protected him against all odds. Her health deteriorated because she was hell-bent on protecting this child, who wasn’t even hers. Some people in this world are truly magnificent beings; they give more than others, and their kindness is true and real.
Maggie moves her arms around Elio’s frame. “My sweet boy,” she whispers. “I am so happy I could see you grow up, and I know you will grow into a commendable young man.”
Alana, Frederick and I take a step back to give these two the privacy they deserve, not wanting to listen in on what Maggie is telling him. Her heart belongs to Elio, and so do her last moments.
There is a crack in my heart, watching my little brother hovering over this gentle, elderly woman’s frame and crying in her arms. Another crack that will remain with me until I die. I wanted to protect Elio from all evil and couldn’t do it. War struck us, and he was forced to live his life in hiding. Then we reclaimed our lands, and I promised myself that he would not shed another tear. And here we are, his heart broken once more.
You can’t do that. It’s a promise you can’t make and won’t ever be able to live up to, and that’s okay. That’s how the world and the circle of life is.I hear Favia’s voice in my mind.
She barely interacts with me when I am in my human form. She is her own entity after all, her power is a gift that resides within me, but she is her own person. Most of the time, I don’t know where she is or what she is doing. It gives us both some privacy.
But now, she is here as we are dealing with the death of a clan member. She will send Maggie’s soul off. In the years of imprisonment, a lot of dragon souls were lost in limbo, but she has tracked down each and everyone by now and made sure they received their peace.
I am not sure what to do, but my instinct tells me to just be there for Elio. He is sobbing over Maggie’s lifeless form. Her hand has dropped off his head and rests next to her now. She looks so peaceful, as if she is sleeping. I gently put my hand on Elio’s shoulder before pulling him into a hug. “Let’s send her off like she deserves it,” I whisper. “Favia will make sure to lead her soul to Aengus personally.”
Elio is too stricken with grief to answer, but he nods. His eyes never leave Maggie, while I take a step back and hand my mortal form to Favia. She changes effortlessly, turning into her regal human form that’s so similar to mine. She once told me she uses my features and characteristics to form a body for herself, the female version of me. That’s the only way she can keep her human form; that’s why she needs me.
My clothes hang loosely off her body now, but it doesn’t take away from the grace she emits. She takes a moment to reach out her hand to touch Alana’s cheek, smiling at her, before gently squeezing Elio’s shoulder. Then, she steps forward to Maggie’s bed, resting her hand on her heart. There are small dots of light circling around her heart now. My mortal mind can’t quite grasp what she is doing, but she once told me the dots are a dragon shifter’s soul, the many pieces of a puzzle that make a person what they are. In her palm, the dots form into a dragon, an indication that the dragon spirit has separated from its human shell now and can be brought to Aengus.
In a flash, it’s over. Favia hands my body back to me and disappears together with the light.
Silence engulfs us as we just stand around Maggie’s bed, watching the body of the person we love so much. At the door frame, I notice Theodor now. I didn’t even realize he had entered the room. He looks sad while his stare is pinned to Maggie’s now-still form.
I am sorry for your loss, Theodor,I link him.I know she was your guidance too.
Thank you, Your Highness,he says.
