Page 118 of Cursed Evermore
I slipped beneath the blankets and put out the candles, allowing the fire to light the room.
Thankfully, the moment my head touched my pillow sleep took me.
It seemed that only moments passed before someone was shaking my arm to wake me.
“Elariya, wake up,” said a soft female voice in a hurried tone.
I stirred, rolling my head from side to side.
The grip on my arm tightened. “Elariya, my dear child,pleasewake up.”
My eyes snapped open, shock slamming into my chest as I met Grandmother’s gaze.
Grandmother.
She was standing over me.
I blinked once. Then again. She didn’t disappear.
She was reallyhere.
Chapter 22
Elariya
“The Damning Escape”
My heart thundered against my ribs, echoing throughout my body with sharp-edged hope.
Grandmother's familiar face loomed over me. A face I never thought I’d see again. I blinked rapidly, my eyes adjusting to the light from the fireplace as I tried to process what I was truly seeing.
Silver hair gleamed against the warm glow. Vibrant hazel eyes stared back at me with urgent concern, her thin lips pursed with silent worry.
I had to be dreaming. Or maybe the tonic Arielle gave me was scrambling my mind.
But those dimples, those wrinkles, those loving eyes. They were real.
Warm hands rested on my arm, solid and familiar. The scent of lavender and roses drifted around me like a comforting embrace, just like it always had.
“Grandmother?” My voice cracked, desperation weighing on every syllable.
“Yes, it’s me, child.”
Blessed Mother. Itwasher.
My grandmother was truly here. She'd found me. After everything, she'd actually found me.
Joy crashed over me and I bolted upright, throwing my arms around her. “How is this possible?” I gasped, holding her tightly.
“I went through all the hells to find a way to get you back.” She held me closer, her heart beating as vibrantly as mine.
“I can’t believe you found me.” A sob caught in my throat.
My brilliant, powerful grandmother. Of course, she would have found a way through Wolfe's defenses. I knew she wouldn't have left me to face this nightmare alone.
Tears burned my eyes as the weight of everything I’d been through crashed over me. The feeling was so fierce it felt like it might rip me apart.
“We need to leave now. Your mother and Emabelle are waiting outside for us,” she whispered against my ear, then pulled back to meet my eyes.
