Timeless(36)

"This is a mistake," Alexandria protested, shouting over the whirling sound of the orb. "You need to think about what you're doing. And what about school, your education?" she said, in a last ditch effort to try and change Kat's mind.

Kat shrugged. "Love is my teacher now."

Alexandria rolled her eyes. "You're not thinking straight, Kat. Aunt Mindy, will you please say something ... do something?"

Mindy took hold of Alexandria's hand, pulling her away from the whipping air current coming off the orb. "Don't you worry, Alexandria. Your cousin is about to learn a very important lesson that can't be learned in the confines of a classroom."

"I love you both," Kat called, blowing them both a kiss, then stepping into the orb with D'Artagnan.

"This is complete madness," Alexandria said, shaking her head.

Mindy waved at the disappearing Kat and D'Artagnan. "Have a little faith in your aunt," Mindy said, squeezing Alexandria's hand and smiling. "Come on. Let's go help Nina. She should be ready to begin the summoning spell. Hopefully, we will be able to contact Matilda's people before she passes; that's the least we can do for her. She deserves the traditional passing over celebrations and rituals of the Rivenfell Clan, even though she never knew anything about them," She put her arm tightly around Alexandria's waist and led her towards the house.

The orb fell suddenly silent, turning back into the gazebo, glittering brightly with fairy lights. They walked in silence for a moment, lost in their own thoughts.

Mindy was the first to break the silence between them. "I hope you're hungry."

"Hungry?" Alexandria asked, a blank look spreading across her face. "After everything that's happened, I've completely lost what appetite I had."

"Let's just say, you’d better get it back awfully fast."





Chapter 16 – Life's For The Living.





After a quick refresher course in the traditions of the Rivenfell Clan, Mindy had made a new shopping list and had driven back into town by herself, insisting that Andrew stay and start preparing the food they had already purchased on their earlier trip.

"I'm back," she called, struggling through the front door with a box laden with an assortment of meats, fish, poultry, and game in one arm and a box of flowers in the other. She dumped both boxes on the kitchen counter. "That smells nice, and very familiar. What is it?" she asked, peering through the glass window on the oven. "Is that what I think it is?"

"I found this," Andrew said, pushing a hand-written recipe across the counter towards her.

Mindy shook her head. "I can't remember the last time I ate Grandma Savannah's potato and rosemary bread. It was always one of my favorites. Where did you find this?"

Andrew went into the pantry and pulled out a crafted box with brass hinges and sat it on the counter. "I found it up in the attic when I was up there looking around this morning."

"Oh, my goodness. These are all Grandma's handwritten recipes. There are some real treasures in here," she said, flipping through the ivory colored pages. "I'll have to go through these later, but for now, can you grab the rest of the groceries out of the car for me while I start on this lot?" She took a leg of lamb out of the box on the counter.

"Sure. How many people are you expecting to turn up?" Andrew asked.

"At least twenty of her ancestors," Mindy said, tying an apron around her waist. "It is an insult to the dead to have less than that attend the passing over celebrations, according to Rivenfell tradtions."

"How did you even manage to track down these ancestors in this short amount of time?"

"We witches have our talents when it comes to these particular matters."

"And where exactly are all these ancestors coming from?"

"Oh, that is the most amazing part, but you will just have to wait and see."





Nina bathed and clothed Matilda in one of Alexandria's plain white dresses, which was the custom of the Rivenfell Clan. With her hair washed and brushed, and the scars on her face, throat and arms healed, Matilda looked as though she were just sleeping on Alexandria's bed, and would wake at any moment.

"Is she..." Alexandria began, not wanting to say the word.

"Yes," Nina answered. "She isn't in pain anymore."

Alexandria took a few long breaths and let them out slowly. "She looks beautiful, Nina. You did a great job," she said, holding back a fresh wave of tears. She sat down on the bed and held Matilda's cold hand. "You know, I think, had I known her, if this had never happened, and we had met, I think we would have been friends."