Page 154 of A Blightress of Wrath
Mymother leaned against the newel of the stairs, her cheek resting on her hands placed over the stone.Atear fell to her chin and she smiled, the faintest flicker of green lighting her eyes as she watched littleSaelynplaying in carefree laugher.
“Whatis this?” theBlightresssnarled. “Yousaid we were done.”
Istepped toward my mother, reaching out to touch the sorrow-filled faceIhad seen many times before.Myfingers slipped through her, and she shivered, straightening her back and turning away from her child no older than three years of age. “Idon’t know,”Ianswered. “Idon’t remember this.”
Mymother made the movementsIhad mimicked before.Aglowing portal opened and in the flash of light, my younger self pointed, shouting, “Mama!Green!”
Mylittle legs ran, my black hair flying behind me, but she pulled me up into her arms, holding onto me asIreached for the portal.
“It’snot for you,LittleLove.”Shekissed my chubby fingers asIreached harder, repeating softly, “It’snot for you.”
IheardPah-Pah’svoice beforeInoticed him coming down the stairs. “Youcannot go,” he murmured.
Mymother turned with me in her arms, and my little face lit in joy. “Pah-Pah!”Iscreeched, reaching for him.
Hetook me, bouncing me up on his hip and continuing his warning. “Youleave and this leaves with you.”Hepointed to the dome of green that had shieldedFelgrensince the dayIwas born.
“Ijust thought you could?—”
“No.No,Icannot,Karus.Icannot protect her as you can.”Heset me down on the stairs, pulling my wooden lumen from his pocket.Isqueaked in joy, taking my favorite toy and running off to play.
“IfI’mgone for only a few minutes, theBlightresswill not know.”
“Shemay, she may not.Youcannot risk the former.”
“It’sbeenthreeyears,” my mother’s voice cracked. “Wehave more forces.Thearmies are growing quickly.”Shewiped the tears from her cheeks. “Hedeserves to come home.”
Pah-Pahshook his head. “Theyall deserve to come home.”
Thewords visibly stung my mother.Sheshuddered, her face breaking as a sob left her lips.Sheturned again to the portal. “I’llonly be a minute,” she bargained.Shepushed her hand through and stopped. “No,” she whimpered.Shetried again, this time pounding hard through the green surface, only to be met with a wall of blue light. “No!” she screamed and littleSaelyncame running, crying and tugging on her mother’s black skirts.
Mymother fell to her knees in a puff of leaves, weeping into her hands. “Hewon’t let me in,” she cried.
Pah-Pahreached down to pick me up, andIfought him, kicking and screaming for my mother.
Herportal flickered out and she roared into the earth, her fingers scraping across the soil ofFelgren.
Inthe midst of my mother’s anguish, theBlightressyanked me to her side and called my name.
Aflash of white and we appeared in my mother’s rooms.
Shewas propped up against the headboard of her bed, staring at the empty fireplace.Shestroked the messy black curls of a baby, no older than a year, sleeping against her chest.
Thesame tearsI’dseen many times rolled down her face, pooling at her chin as she gazed off into nothing, softly singing the same song she’d sung to me for as long asIcould remember.
“Softlydoes hum,
Thebee to the sun,
Flyinginto the summer breeze.
Shylydoes bloom,
Thebabe in the womb,
Arrivinginto the summer breeze.”
Hervoice broke on the last line and she bit her lips inward, her body shaking, holding in the cries of pain, doing her best to not wake her daughter.
