Page 96 of The Child of Rue Royale
I nod as Aven looks around, the green glow still luminous in his eyes. I hold my hand up to grab Chantal’s, squeezing it once I feel her warm skin against mine.
“You put a protection spell on Bastian?”
She nods, tears thick in her eyes, and they’re pouring out of me now. I pull her down to me. My head pounds, my back feels like it’s being sawed in half, and my legs feel like train tracks. But I just hold Chantal and marvel at my son and what he just did. He saved my life, and he doesn’t even know it.
Cassius and Nicola hobble toward us, my eyes taking in their beaten bodies, their torn clothes, and Bastian rises, arms wide, taking them both in his arms.
“You guys,” I sob, unable to get the words out, the gratitude in my body more than I could ever possibly express.
“It’s okay.” Nicola nods, looking fondly upon her grandson like it was all worth it.
“How long ago did you take the potion?” I ask, fear slicing through me.
Cassius looks to his watch, his hair still wet, though his leg must be healing a little every second, as he can fully stand upon it now. “About an hour and a half ago.”
Nicola looks like she’s missing patches of blonde hair, and her eyebrows have been singed off. The hole in her shoulder is still visible.All things that will regenerate with time, but I’m reminded of what they both risked for me.
“You only have another hour and thirty minutes to get out of daylight. You should go, get home quickly.” I attempt the task to rise slowly, but Bastian grabs my hand and finishes the job.
Bastian looks toward the stage where Rosemary’s corpse lies then off to the grass where Violetta’s is. “What now?” he asks, looking between us.
“The coven will be here any minute, and we don’t need them seeing the aunts dead upon arrival,” I say, the idea of the coven showing up now reminding me that the battle isn’t over, and I’m so exhausted.
“Should we run?” Chantal asks, but I look at Bastian and shake my head.
“No more running,” I say, and Bastian nods, eyes glued to mine.
“No more running,” he repeats, and Mother and Chantal nod, the need to live freely steeling us to keep going.
Bastian looks to his brother. “Can you move the bodies?”
“Put them in the shed,” Mother delegates, her mind already creating a task list.
“Is your leg okay?” Bastian asks Cassius, looking at the rip in his slacks.
“The bone has rejuvenated. The skin will take an hour at least. I’ll be fine. Thank you, Chantal,” he says, placing a hand over his heart. “For pulling me out.”
Chantal nods. “You’re welcome. You guys should get out of here.” She looks at her watch. “Before any other witches see you.” Her eyes look tortured—the knowledge that our battle isn’t completely over seems daunting.
I look around at my gang of misfits. All beaten, none broken.
“Thank you,” I say, voice quivering, the sob escaping my mouth. “All of you.” Bastian’s eyes are full of tears, his face torn in relief and pain. He pulls me against him then places his arm around Cassius’s shoulders. Nicola wraps her arm around Cassius’s waist, and we’re in a circle. Mother and Nicola nod to each other as Chantal wipes tears from her eyes.
“Family,” Cassius says, the new level-headed one, and who would have thought he would be the one to bring us together? “Connected by the child of Rue Royale.”
We look at Aven, who hasn’t thrown a fit, hasn’t been swayed by the madness that’s engulfed him. The Child of Rue Royale. His normal green eyes blink, and then he smiles, and it’s like honey in my veins, that smile, this boy I never thought I wanted is everything I needed. He evokes smiles from all of us, yet we remain quiet for a moment, taking in that we’re all alive and our enemies aren’t. The battle is over, but there’s still the coven to deal with.
“All of this blood,” Nicola warns, her nostrils flaring, fangs elongating, and I look at Chantal and Mother, whose blood coats their faces, arms, and legs. “We need to go.” Bastian pulls her against him tightly. He knows it wasn’t easy for her to come here, but she did it, and it’s not lost on us.
“You don’t think we should stay? In case the coven revolts?” Cassius asks Mother but she shakes her head.
“We can handle them. Get home safely,” she says, lips trembling.
“See you back home,” Cassius says, looking between Bastian and me. With an inhuman swiftness, they move the bodies of Rosemary and Violetta and run to their car.
I look at the sun and then at my mom, knowing I have to fill her in. “I had a vision that took me back to what Grandma said in the alley. I heard the rest of the spell and I said the words, and Aven’s eyes started glowing. Green eyes of a Visionary.”
“He’s a Visionary,” Mother says softly, her finger gently running along Aven’s cheek.
