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1086 Words
"This mark will tie you to Lunatera, so you may return any time you desire," Celeste said. "You are one of us now, and you will always be welcome here."
The other Moon Witches looked on as she unfolded some cloth in the same purple shade as their robes. As the heavy fabric settled around my shoulders, my throat tightened with emotion. I'd been reaching for this goal the whole time I'd been in Lunatera, and this was the final hill to crest.
"Thank you," I said, as she pulled the hood up over my hair.
Celeste patted my cheek, her love shining from her eyes. "I'm so very proud of you, Ayla. I'm going to miss you so much, but I will pray to Selene every night for your safe return."
“I promise I'll be back." We hadn't had nearly enough time together, and I still had so much I wanted to learn about my mother. Only the knowledge that Celeste would always be here in Lunatera waiting for me allowed me to leave this place. Still, a tiny part of me wanted to stay by her side for the rest of my life, to be a child again with a mother who actually cared, but her path had diverged from mine long ago. We led different destinies now, and it was time for me to return to my other family.
Just as my eyes began to fill with tears, she released me. The other Moon Witches each came up to grasp my hands in theirs, to welcome me to their coven, and to say small prayers for my safety and strength. One by one, until only Larkin remained, her eyes wide with the same mix of fear and excitement twisting in my gut now.
"The robes look good on you," she said.
"I wouldn't be wearing them if not for you," I said, my throat tightening with emotion. "You stuck with me, making sure I learned everything I needed in record time."
"Of course I did. You're family." She threw her arms around me and squeezed me tight, and I hugged back her small frame. As I did, I noticed she was trembling a little.
"You ready for this?" I asked her as we pulled apart.
She swallowed hard. "As ready as I'll ever be."
When the other witches stepped back, I realized this was it. I'd been waiting for this moment ever since Celeste had told me I could travel back and save Kaden, and my stomach was a swirling mess of sadness, excitement, and fear. Would I be able to save him? Or would I have to face my grief all over again?
"It's time." Celeste gazed between the two of us with a sad smile. "Take care of each other. You both mean the world to me, and I want to see you again soon. With Kaden, I hope."
I laced Larkin's fingers through mine as I faced my mother. "We'll all come see you soon, I promise."
"I'll hold her to that," Larkin said.
Celeste nodded and blinked back tears, before stepping back, closing the circle of witches around us. She began muttering something different in ancient Greek, something I didn't quite understand, and moonlight filled the circle around me and Larkin. The other witches joined in, voicing a steady, solemn chant, one that was very different from the initiation spell.
"Picture the moment when we took you," Celeste said, while the others kept chanting around us. "Form it in your mind."
I closed my eyes and conjured the image immediately. Kaden in my arms, his skin burned and blackened. Jordan was only a few steps away, and Zodiac Wolves and Sun Witches fought a deadly battle all around us in the woods outside my father's cabin. The smell of blood and sweat had choked the air, while the sound of snarls, shouts, and cries of despair had filled my ears.
With the moment solidified in my mind, I opened my eyes and nodded to my mother. Larkin squeezed my hand and tilted her head back to let the moon casts its light down on her face, as Celeste's chanting got louder and louder, the words crackling with power. The moon seemed brighter all of a sudden, nearly blinding me, bathing us in Selene's light. Then there was a loud crack, as if time itself was splitting apart
And then I was back on Earth.
I stood over Kaden's body with Larkin at my side and the battle raging on around us. Daylight, bright and hot, shone down on me instead of moonlight, and at first, I was too stunned by it all to move. Even my sharpest memories hadn't captured the sheer pandemonium at the moment I'd left, but worst of all was Kaden, lying there on the forest floor. My mind had dulled the pain of this moment to keep me sane, but now I faced the reality of it again, and doubt and horror crept back in. How could I possibly save him?
I quickly threw up a shield and Larkin did the same, right as a sunbeam flashed toward us. It hit my shield and fizzled out, just as I dropped to my knees beside Kaden.
"I'll cover you!" Larkin said as she conjured her own moonbeam.
I gave her a quick nod, then gathered Kaden in my arms. His burnt body was so much worse off than I'd remembered, and there was no heartbeat, no breath, no life left in him. What if this didn't work and I'd trained for nothing? My hands shook as I cradled his face in my palms, trying to find some sign he was still in there. Kaden, I'm here. I've returned. Come back for me too.
I reached out to the moon and drew power from it, though it felt sluggish here compared to in Lunatera, especially with the sun still out. With the magic bursting inside of me, I used my Ophiuchus healing powers and ran my tongue along Kaden's cheek. Celeste had told me that my moon magic could boost my wolf abilities, and that's what I was hoping for now.
The magic poured into Kaden until we were both glowing softly, and slowly his skin began to heal, his burns fading away until his tanned skin remained. My breath caught as hope fluttered inside me at the sight, but when it was done, he still didn't move. His body was healed...but he was still gone.
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