“Yeah, I’m just grateful.”
“For what?”
“I’m grateful the team is behind us. Grateful The Sage gave me the book of fairytales so I could read about Isis and Demetri. And I’m grateful you’re in my arms. When we come back, we have to go put my Rah in the mountains.”
“But I don’t have a Rah to place alongside yours.”
“Its okay, we’ll put an item that really matters to you.”
“Okay. The Sage, he said you had a question you wanted to ask me.”
“Figures he’d bring it up.”
“What is it?”
“I wanted to know if you ever felt…sorry that I entered your life.”
“No.”
“I mean—”
“I know what you mean. The answer is no. You asked me once before and the answer is the same.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that,” I repeat, leaning in for a soft, sweet kiss.
Then Ms. Charlotte slides between our feet and meows loudly.
“I see you, girl. Give me one minute.” She meows as if to say, “Hurry up!”
“Can you feed her? I need to go into…”
“Sure.”
He takes Ms. Charlotte into the kitchen.
I walk up to my mom’s room, take a deep breath and open the door slowly.
It’s exactly the way she left it. There’s a book laying face down her nightstand. Her robe is thrown carelessly across the bed; the result of being late for work. Her flowery scent lingers in the room. And in my mind, I hear her voice.
“Piglet, have you seen the TV remote? I swear, this time I didn’t walk off with it…You found it where…in the freezer? Guess I did walk off with it!”
Then she would laugh. Her laugh had a melody to it. I look around the room as if she’ll enter at any moment. She doesn’t.
I sob loudly and sit down on her bed. I pull her robe up to my face. I smell her lilac soap in the fabric. I cry for a few moments and then make myself to pull it together.
“Mom, I’m going away for awhile. I will do everything I can to come back to you. But if I don’t, I just want you to know that no girl ever had a better Mom. You loved me and never once regretted having me. I will hold onto that with my dying breath. Thank you.”
I can feel myself about to seriously breakdown now. So I head out the door to avoid falling completely apart. But before I go, I turn around and tell her one more thing.
“He loves me,
Mom. He really loves
me. Can you believe it?” I laugh. And she “laughs.” Slowly I exit but decide to leave the door open.
“Where you laughing?” he asks.
“Yeah, it’s…nothing,” I say, shaking my head. I pick up Ms. Charlotte. We leave her with Ben and his mom. Before we go, I hug Ben extra tight. His mom looks on.
“Em, you’re gonna see him in a few days when you get back from your uncle’s,” she says, laughing.
“Yeah, I know. I just can’t get over how big he’s gotten.”
“Kids do that. When you have your own in a few years, you’ll see what I mean.”
Yeah, in a few years…
As we head out of my building I tell Marcus how surprised I am he didn’t try to get me to stay behind.
“Has that ever worked?” he asks.
“Nope.”
“Well, I’m learning.”
Once outside, we find Isabelle, Tony-Tone, Wolf and the team all waiting on us.
Jay looks disgruntled.
“What’s wrong?” I ask him.
“He’s all out of black stones,” Isabelle volunteers. I cover my giggle with a fake cough.
Marcus brings us out of our jovial mood with a warning:
“The Sage has predicted that at least one of us won’t make it back. So now is the time if any of you want to stay behind,” Marcus offers.
Everyone looks at each other. Some were worried, some excited (Isabelle), but most of us were focused. Marcus takes that as a sign that everyone is ready and willing. He looks at me as if he needs to be assured. That almost never happens. I flash him my biggest smile.
“We’re ready,” I assure him. It works. When he speaks again, the First Guardian is confident and in charge.
“Pyron is just outside of Germany. It’s not a long trip but with the wings, it can be tricky, so be careful. Rio take Tony. I’ll take Emmy. Let’s go.”
We take to the air and head to the place that, for at least one of us, will be our doom.
CHAPTER NINE: GOOD FOR THE SOUL
Marcus makes us land in a clearing a few miles into a forest. Once on the ground, I ask where we are and, as usual, “Wiki” Jay fills in the blanks.
“We’re in the Black Forest in Southwest Germany. Pyron is up ahead.”