Page 68 of Bewicched

Osso continued to glare, but Sam was nothing but delighted.

“Just a little hug?” she wheedled.

Osso’s growl shook the room.

“Okay, okay, jeez,” she mumbled. “Try to get a little bear hug…”

“You can hug me,” Clive said.

She sighed dramatically, resting her head on her husband’s shoulder. “It’s just not the same.”

“I know.”

“What information do you have?” I asked.

“Oh, so I was talking with your aunt—Wait. Shouldn’t we do something? It feels disrespectful to just leave them lying here while we chat, especially Marcy, the nurse on the floor.”

Sam moved to the bed and patted Aunt Sylvia’s arm. “She wants to make sure her body is released to her husband so he can prepare her properly for burial.”

“She’s with us now?” Mom asked. She moved to her sister’s other side and clutched her hand.

Sam nodded. “Marcy’s with us too,” she added. “Unfortunately, she’s terrified and confused, so she’s crying. Right in my face.” She tipped her head back. “I’m worried I’m going to accidentally inhale her. Marcy, come on. You have family waiting to see you. Let me help.”

Sam sighed. “Damn. She’s seen herself and is now freaking the heck out.” She squinted at Osso. “I sure could use a hug.”

“No.”

“Oh, all right.” She focused again three feet to her left. “Sylvia, your family’s here. Is there something you’d like me to tell them?” She was silent for a few moments. “She’s moving on, which is good, but she’s flickering. Something about the ring you wanted…Take it…Her daughters…protect th—no her. Protect her…something about—It’s all Abigail’s fault. She taught her—something…She loves you both…John…forever…she’ll wait.”

Sam blinked. “She’s passed on now.”

I went to Mom and we joined hands, singing the song of death, our magic carrying Sylvia off this plane and on to the next. Tears streamed down our faces. It was hard to breathe, the pain in my chest overwhelming. The world was a colder, lonelier place without her.

“Detectives,” Clive said, “the rest of the family is arriving. I think it would be best if this poor nurse didn’t remain on the floor.”

Detective Osso nodded and left the room. A few minutes later, a gurney was rolled in. The attendants put Marcy on a stretcher and then lifted her to the gurney and wheeled her out.

John and Calliope rushed in. He went to Sylvia and pulled her into his arms. Cal was distracted by all of us.

“Oh, you got here first.” She dabbed at the wetness under her eyes. “That’s so good of you. Mom loved you both so much. I don’t know if you knew this, Aunt Sybil, but Mom looked up to you her whole life. She used to joke that whenever she was faced with a difficult situation, she’d ask herself,What would Sybil do?and then she’d do that.”

She took my mom’s hand before turning to me, adding, “And she’s always considered you one of her daughters.”

I nodded, throat too tight to speak.

She laughed, eyes sparkling with tears. “It made me so jealous when I was little because, I mean, look at you. You already had all this power and beauty and my mom thought of you as one of hers too?” She shook her head, eyes wide, tears dripping prettily from her long eyelashes. “And then I grew up and understood my mom’s heart was just too big to limit herself to a few. She loved without measure, without bounds.” Covering her mouth with a trembling hand, she asked, “How will we go on without her?”

Mom pulled her into a hug. I turned to the side to wipe my face and caught Declan’s scowl. Sam and Clive slipped out of the room, giving us privacy, but Sam wore an expression matching Declan’s.

What had I missed?

29

Thanks, Dad!

When Serena, Sylvia’s oldest, arrived, I went for a walk. My own grief was already overwhelming. Standing in that room, though, I was drowning under the combined mourning. I was halfway down the corridor when I realized Declan had followed me.

“Okay if I come with you?” he asked.

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