ONE
Hannah Carson stood beside her boyfriend, Peter, in front of the huge fountain in the middle of the catacombs as Hendrix spoke to everyone.
“Today we leave the catacombs and travel to the Eternal World Ocean,” he said. “We cannot delay a moment longer. Those who chose to stay, please remain safely hidden. Those who will join us, pack your essentials and prepare to leave in an hour.”
With that, the group dispersed.
I will be with you, Hannah heard Bianca’s voice whisper in her mind.
Hannah paused and reached out in her mind, hoping to hear more from the spirit that had been helping them. Bianca?
No response.
“You okay?” Peter asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
She spotted Laura and Ruben walking back to their rooms. She and Laura made eye contact for a brief second. Laura gave her a small smile and waved and Hannah returned the gesture, forcing a smile on her face that she hoped didn’t look forced. Guilt once again crashed over her in a crushing wave and she felt tears burn her eyes.
Peter took her hand and whispered, “Don’t look at them. Come on, it’ll be okay.”
He led her to their room and she forced herself not to look at them again.
Laura Harper-Erikson and her husband, Ruben, headed toward their room. She held Ruben’s arm as he held his wooden crutch in the other, trying to keep his weight off his injured leg. They spoke slowly, for Ruben’s leg and she still had an injured mid-section that was still excruciating. She wished Hendrix would’ve given them at least one more day to rest but he was right, they couldn’t waste any more time.
“Laura!” a familiar voice called out to her.
Her heart stuttered as she registered who that voice belonged to. She tried to quicken her pace but the voice owner caught up to them instantly.
Eve and Dante Lions appeared in front of them and Laura wished that she could disappear with every fiber of her being.
“Laura!” Eve cried and pulled her into a hug. Laura hesitantly returned the gesture, trying to keep herself together as tears filled her eyes.
“Mrs. Lions,” Ruben said. “I -”
“It’s good to see you as well, Ruben,” said Dante who hugged Ruben. “I hope your leg heals up nicely.”
Eve stepped back and cupped her hands on Laura’s cheeks. “I’m so happy to see you. I’ve been worried sick.”
She had to tell them. She had to.
“Mrs. Lions, about Larissa -”
“Laura,” Ruben said and gave her a warning look.
She had to.
Eve’s face fell and she dropped her hands from Laura’s face. “We know.”
Her breath caught in her throat. They did? “Know what?”
Tears started to stream down Eve’s face. “Our baby girl walked out the door and chose to side with Kane Moonblood.”
“Oh. . .”
“She said she would join him since we couldn’t defeat him. I have no idea why she did this. Hendrix told us she had been there when your campgrounds had been attacked.”
Her heart started to race so hard she thought it would burst out of her chest.
“He told us you ended her.”
Oh, Fates. . .
“Thank you.”
She could only stare at the woman who’d been her second mother, trying to make sense of what she just heard. She was sure her mind was playing tricks on her. “W-what?”
Eve smiled and hugged her again. “You freed our daughter from his influence, from whatever spell he cast on her. I truly believe he was controlling her and you saved her from her prison and gave her a second chance in the River of Peace. You saved our daughter, Laura Paige Harper. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Laura sobbed as she hugged Eve. She felt the weight that had plagued her life be released from her and she knew, knew, everything would be okay, that her second mother didn’t hate her, that she wasn’t the monster she believed she had become.
She felt free.
