I folded my arms over my chest and turned my face away from her, tears burning my eyes. I knew what she meant.
My grandmother had bound her. My own grandmother had used her abilities to silence Magda and withhold more secrets from me. My life was actively being unravelled right before my eyes. I felt like I no longer knew the people who had been closest to me my entire life. I barely knew myself anymore.
“I am so sorry, child. I do wish the circumstances were different and I could have shared this with you in a much gentler way, but unfortunately, we are quite pressed for time.” Magda reached into her pocket and pulled out another item. “I have something else to give you.”
I raised my hand in protest. “I’m not interested in any more gifts from you.”
She took a step toward me, ignoring my words. In her palm was a delicate gold chain with three phases of the moon made out of moonstone on it.
“This is a gift from me to you. It is a moon charm that the goddess Hecate herself has blessed. It will provide you with protection and comfort when needed.” Magda held up the chain. “May I?”
“Anything I should know about this?” I replied sarcastically.
She shook her head slowly. “No. It is simply a gift of love. No matter where you go from here, you will always have a piece of my heart with you.”
I closed my eyes tightly, willing away the onslaught of tears coming at Magda’s moving words. I nodded at her silently in acquiescence. I turned my back to her and knelt down so she could put the necklace on me.
As the moonstone pendant settled at the centre of my chest, faint vibrations resonated throughout my body. I grabbed the pendant, holding it tight.
“Who is Hecate? You mentioned the name earlier, but I’ve never heard of her,” I said as I stood up to face Magda.
“Hecate is an old-realm goddess. She is considered the mother of the witches, the mother of my people from the Southern Isles. I know you have no use for anything pertaining to belief in a higher power, but it will help me sleep better at night knowing you have this.”
I leaned in and gave Magda a firm hug. It must not have been easy for her to come here tonight and share everything she had. I was sure she would much rather we stayed close, but that was a luxury neither of us could now afford.
Magda pulled away from me, tears streaming down her tired, weathered face. “Please, you must go now. Do not give them any chance to catch you.”
I stared at Magda, unable to form words. We had failed. And we had done so in such a spectacularly bad fashion. Behind me I heard Forrest spring into action, grabbing our emergency packs from the trunk and some items from the kitchen. Moments later he was standing beside me in the living room, ready to go. Grabbing my shoulders, he pulled me in close.
“Aurelia, you need to get dressed now,” he said before planting a firm kiss on my lips.
I returned to the living room a few minutes later, dressed in my best outdoor attire—pants, a long-sleeved tunic, boots, and a thick cloak. Just as I was about to get my things together, Nocturna and Astra started pacing and growling at the front door. I ran over to the living room window to see what the matter was, but I could see nothing but the pitch black of night.
Forrest came over beside me, craning his neck to listen. “I hear something. It sounds like a group of people. They’re angry and shouting.” He turned to look at me, shock and rage written all over his face.
“It’s them! They’ve come early!” Magda cried behind us.
I looked over at Magda, tears clouding my vision, my voice cracking. “What’s going to happen to you now? Won’t they know someone helped me?”
Magda grabbed me with her tiny, wrinkled hands. “I am more than able to take care of myself, so please do not worry about me. The only thing that matters right now is keeping my promise to your grandmother and making sure that you are safe.” She planted tiny kisses on the back of my hands. “You were meant for far greater things than this life, Aurelia. Leave this place, and become who you were truly meant to be.”
I wrapped the small woman in a fierce hug. No matter how long we stood here, it wouldn’t be enough time to say goodbye. Magda had been there for me throughout my entire life. She was the personI had gone to when I had needed to talk about things I had been too scared to confide in my grandmother about. She had become a second mother to me after my grandmother had died, making sure I was always provided for and wanting for nothing. It felt impossible to let go and say goodbye. She had risked her life to save mine. I could not linger here any longer and let all her sacrifice be in vain.
I grabbed my pack and tossed it on my back. I leaned down and gave Magda one last kiss goodbye. “Thank you for everything. I love you.”
Chapter 12
Nocturna, Astra, Forrest, and I took off out of the back door of the cottage at a steady pace, heading toward the Nightwood, as Magda had instructed. It was a clear fall night. The moon above was full, bathing the way to the forest in a bright luminescence. A lazy wind blew, stirring the fallen leaves on the cold, hard ground. An eerie calm came over me as we neared the trees.
Before we crossed the boundary, I paused to look back at the cottage, at my old life. Everything was going to change for me the moment I passed into the woods. Forrest’s hand slid into mine, our fingers entwining, as we looked back together, saying our final, silent goodbye.
“Come on. We have to go,” Forrest said, and we walked hand in hand into the Nightwood.
“Do you know how to get to the clearing Magda mentioned?” Forrest asked as we made our way carefully through the hemlocks.
“I’m not very familiar with the deeper parts of the forest. I have only really been there the one time, and that was the night when Nocturna and Astra found you. I didn’t notice if the clearing was shaped a certain way, but if we’re lucky and it’s the same one, it’s not too far from here.” I kept my gaze directed at the ground, doing my best to make my way through the tree roots and undergrowth without tripping.
In hindsight, lanterns might have been a good idea. Although it was a full moon, the tree cover was so dense that onlysparse rays of moonlight were able to penetrate the canopy and shed light on the forest floor.
