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“Wait.” Aunt Melaina grabbed her arm.
Aunt Taiki paused and turned back.
“Be careful,” Aunt Melaina ordered. “I’ll see you in a minute.”
Aunt Taiki smiled at her. “I love you, you crazy heifer.” She leaned forward and pressed her mouth to Aunt Melaina’s.
Aunt Melaina kissed her back before she pulled away, whispering, “I love you, too. You’ll be a better mother to them than I ever was.”
Aunt Taiki’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What—?” she started, but she didn’t get a chance to finish the question.
Aunt Melaina slipped the amulet back into the pocket of Aunt Taiki’s cloak and shoved her through the portal.
“Mom!” Questa gasped, rushing forward. “What have you done?”
Aunt Melaina merely shrugged. “What needed to be done. She’ll take care of you and your brother much better than I ever could. After I’m forced back here, she’ll be your new mother. Got it? And she’ll love you just as much as I do.”
“But—”
“Just go!” Aunt Melaina shoved her through the doorway as well. “You’re insane if you think I’m leaving this world without securing the safety of the people who mean the most to me.”
Then she grabbed Quailen and pushed him into the glowing, crackling portal as well.
After all three were gone, she blew out a long breath and slowly turned to glare at me.
I shrank a step back.
“I guess that leaves just you and me now, brat.”
I gulped. “You’re going to make me stay behind, aren’t you?”
With an amused smirk, she sniffed. “I wish.” Then she took my arm roughly. “But Taiki would murder me if I showed up without you in tow, so you better come with me, huh?”
I nodded, feeling stupid and scared. Stalling, though I wasn’t sure why—I guess because I still had no idea where we were going—I peered up at her.
“Did—was Qualmer not immune, then?” I asked of her middle son that I hadn’t seen since the reaping had begun.
Her eyes narrowed before she smirked. “Of course not. Who do you think killed your mother?”
My skin went cold.
Qualmer had murdered Mama?
Aunt Melaina stepped toward me, looming darkly. “Let’s get one thing straight, kid. Don?
??t cause problems for Taiki or either of my children, or I’ll end you, just like my son ended your dear, sweet mama. Got it?”
I nodded, suddenly unsure if I should go with her or not. “G-got it.”
“Great.” She tightened her grip on my arm. “Then let’s go.”
Behind us, a voice roared, “There you are!”
I glanced back to find Qualmer peering over the door of the stall.
“Trying to leave without me, Mother?” He struggled with the latch. “That just earned you a death sentence right there. You too, cousin. I’m going to gut you both and then bathe in your blood before going through that portal and taking out Questa and Quailen and that fucking lover of yours.”
He finally flung the door open and stalked into the stall with us.
