The End of Magic (The Witches of Echo Park #3)(78)

"Let her be," Daniela said, smiling over at Lyse-and Daniela was happy to realize her little crush on Lyse had dissipated, replaced now by familial love.

"Okay," Lyse said, smiling back at Daniela. "And I'm going to hold on to these guys just in case."

She picked up the leather gloves, folded them, and stuck them in her back pocket.

"You don't have to do that," Daniela said, but Lyse wouldn't argue with her, just stood up and offered Daniela her hand.

"Take it," she said-and for the first time, the two women touched. It was a strange sensation, like when you touched your own face and were surprised by the softness of the skin covering your cheek. There was an immediate familiarity and the awareness that Lyse was a part of who she was . . . the same blood flowed in her veins that flowed in Daniela's own.



       
         
       
        

"I always wanted a sister."

"Me, too," Lyse said. "Funny how you sometimes get what you wish for, but it comes at you in the strangest of packages and long after you'd forgotten you'd ever asked for it."

Daniela laughed. It was true. They weren't really sisters, not by birth, but they were sisters in all the ways that counted. Even if it had taken over two decades for them to connect.

"I'm better now," Niamh said, looking up at them. "Can we go inside?"

"Of course," Lyse said, helping Niamh climb to her feet.

The three of them headed to the front door of the wooden building, Hessika following behind them, but Daniela noticed that the Dream Walker was distracted. She kept glancing back, eyes narrowed, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Don't worry," Hessika said to Daniela as the others crossed the threshold and disappeared inside. "It's coming, but not as quick as it could be. But don't let them dawdle too long. Only so much a lady can do to distract."

"You're not coming in?" Daniela asked.

Hessika shook her head.

"My time is near," she said, her Southern drawl more noticeable than before. "Eleanora will look after you all from here on in, ma belle. But I'll be thinking of you."

There was an ominous sound to Hessika's words that Daniela didn't like.

"You're speaking around your meaning," she said, frowning at Hessika as the larger woman began to meander away from the door.

"No riddles, dear heart. Only what is supposed to be. It's long past my time."

"I-" Daniela began, starting to become alarmed by their conversation. But Hessika waved her away.

"Now you go on in before the door closes on you," Hessika said, gesturing at the entrance to the Red Chapel. "It'll be too late then for even me to help you if that happens."

Daniela didn't like being told what to do, but something in Hessika's tone frightened her.

"Come in with me," she implored, but Hessika shook her head.

"Keep them safe inside," Hessika said, smiling sadly. "Keep the ones you love close to your heart, ma belle. What's written can be unwritten. Don't forget. Promise me that."

Daniela didn't understand, but she could see it was important for Hessika to hear her say it. 

"I promise."

The sadness left the giantess then, and she giggled like a little girl.

"What a pleasure to know you. To know you all."

She blew Daniela a kiss, and then she began to slowly walk away from the Red Chapel, taking her time as she went, her long body swaying with every step. Daniela stood in the doorway for a few moments, watching her go. Then she turned around and went inside, the door gently closing behind her.

As soon as she was inside, she knew she'd made a grave mistake. She whirled back around, not wanting to leave Hessika alone outside-but what she found instead of a door . . . was a blank white wall.





Hessika





Hessika had known her time in the dreamlands would not last forever. Nor would she want it to-a lady got tired, wanted to ease her weary bones, take the weight of responsibility she'd been carrying and set it down for a while. It had been a long road, full of waiting . . . and her patience was just about done.

She knew the dreamlands well enough now that there were no worries. The young ones would not find their way out to see her go. The dreamlands would protect them from that sight. Only Eleanora . . . and Temistocles . . . would know what she was intending. The three of them, all Dream Walkers, drew their energy from this place, and thus they were in tune with everything that happened here. Eleanora and Temistocles would feel her go, and only they would understand her reasoning.

The darkness was coming. She still called it The Flood in her head because the phrase was so ingrained after all these years. It had stolen one of them and it wanted the rest. If Hessika could slow it down by sacrificing herself . . . give the others a little time to get away . . . she would.