Page 57 of Earth Dragon
In the memory, her mother was holding one hand out, and Shannon suddenly realized why. It was so that Shannon would stay behind her. “She protected me,” Shannon said. “All this time… my father has said that she… He said that she regretted having me. He said that she was deeply troubled. He said that she took her own life. How could I believe him?”
“Because he is your father,” Ewan said gently. “And because you were a child.”
She was calming, but her eyes were still glazed with tears as she thought about how her mother had put herself between her child and her husband.
Your mother was weak, her father’s voice echoed in her head.
“My mother was strong,” she said out loud.
“You’re strong,” Ewan said, pulling away from her.
She bit her lower lip, knowing that he would think that, but also knowing that he was wrong.
“I’m not,” she said. “If I were then… then I would have stood up to him. I wouldn’t… have let it get that far. I betrayed Mal. Our whole friendship. He couldn’t even… look at me anymore. I hurt him. If I was strong, then why didn’t I save my mother?”
“Hey,” Ewan said, catching her face between his hands. “You were a child. You are not to blame for her death—your father is.”
“I don’t know if he can be stopped,” she said. “He’s had magic for centuries and no one has even known.”
“No one but you,” Ewan remarked. “You, if anyone, can stop him. You, who know him for who he truly is.”
She knew then that he was right. The fear remained, like an animal trapped in a cage, quivering and seeking release. But it was contained by her slowly growing determination. She would grieve at some point for all the years she had wasted, but not now. They had more important things at hand.
She rested her eyes in Ewan’s, his hands still cradling her face, and craved his kiss. It could be feather light, she just wanted to know that it wasn’t all ruined.
Only, he slowly let her go, growing self-conscious and taking a step away from her.
“I’m ready,” she said and the door to the house opened, Lady Marigold appearing in the doorway with a knowing smile on her mouth.
She opened up her hand, letting the rainbows of the crystal scatter across the square. They reflected off each house front and caught in the silver of the well’s thatched roof.
“Then let’s begin,” she said.
***
“Focus,” Lady Marigold instructed.
“I am,” Shannon insisted, fist closed around the tiny crystal.
She was concentrating her entire being on reaching into the magic of the item to allow the access it needed to her blood. It had to flow through her, use her as its vessel, to mimic the movements of the elemental magics once the entrapment spell began. It would be based on the moment of transference so even if no such moment was to occur, it was a safe bet to assume the spell would still drag the elemental magics from the air in the same manner.
Shannon released her clutch with a frustrated exhale.
“Why is it not working?” she demanded.
“It has been no more than ten minutes,” Ewan remarked. “Perhaps give it a little more time than that?”
She glared at him, but he looked away from her with the hint of a smile on his mouth that made her skin heat up.
“He’s not wrong,” Lady Marigold said. “Sit with it for a while,” she added. “Bring it with you and sit by the fire.”
“Fire is not my element,” Shannon remarked. “I am a water dragon.”
“I’m aware, dear,” Lady Marigold replied drily. “But this is not about any one element. It is about all of them. You have stood close to water, now go sit next to the fire and see if that opens up any new possibilities for you. Listen to the crystal. The flow of its energy will tell you when it’s time to move.”
“Move where?” Shannon asked, watching as the old woman shuffled back to the door.
“Listen,” she merely said, wagging a finger meaningfully in the air.
