She looks up at me and nods, almost smiling. I kiss her softly, savoring the feel of her lips.
I take another deep breath, taking in the moment, and then let go.
I will fight, and I will win. For her, for Thea and Wren, for Tirin. My mother. My sisters. My father’s legacy.
“Let us go and get the girls.”
The walk to Griselda's house is filled with the bustle of people scavenging, tearing, and moving. A lump forms in my throat when we reach that small house on the corner next to the elm.
It unexpectedly reminds me of the day we left Ruhsavida.
Melisa notices and looks up at me. "What is it?"
I take a deep breath. “I was alive the day the volcano started to smoke. My father worked for the king; he told us to leave. My mother, brother, and I ran, and we survived. But… I do not know if I can see Thea and Wren and then stay behind to help the humans.”
Melisa holds my hand. "This isn't goodbye."
I nod, eyes burning. "I will make sure it is not."
She smiles, kissing my hand before she pushes open the door.
Chapter 38
MELISA
The small, two-room den is dark, but I can see the girls huddled around Coco in the corner. What surprises me is seeing Griselda sitting behind them, holding them close. No sooner than Ra’Sa casting a spell light into the air that I see my mother’s face, haunted with worry and fear.
She looks so frail, so fragile. But then, Griselda looks up at us, and her gaze heats.
"You have brought death, outsider," she spits out as Coco and the girls head straight to their mother.
"I have come to help you find freedom," Ra’Sa retorts.
Griselda says nothing for a long minute. "You speak of freedom, but you know little about being enslaved. I see you are not one of us. You are a monster."
"Quiet,"I cut out.
Griselda bites her tongue, but lets out an indignant huff.
“We need to leave the pens,” Ra’Sa continues. "You can go with Melisa and the girls, or stay here. But be warned, the dawn heralds a new day, and it will be a bloody, harsh day indeed."
I look up at my Enduar, feeling the tension thicken in the room. Every second that my mother doesn’t respond makes my hands grow more clammy.
“Griselda, you can't stay here," I plead, voice cracking on the last word.
A part of me is surprised at my reaction. My mind was firmly against her… but my heart? Some part of my heart still belongs to the young girl who wanted a mother and prayed that one day, Griselda would wake up and change.
But watching her not choose meagainmakes my skin crawl.
"I will do whatever I want," Griselda responds, chin high.
It’s like a punch to my gut.
I step forward. "You hate me so much that you don't even wish to come to a new life? A better life?"
Griselda tracks my movements carefully but doesn’t speak.
Silence.