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She smiled and I stared wide-eyed as her form blurred, morphing into the shape of a beautiful young woman. With vividly red hair tumbling over her shoulders, bright green eyes, and regal features, the woman now sat before me threw down her thick cape and stood tall. Her body was curvaceous and strong, her skin pale and flawless, and I felt my mouth fall open in awed surprise as she smiled down at me.
“I am the Mother of all witches, child,” she replied, her voice musical and light. “And I owe you a great debt.”
She laughed delicately as I failed to find a single word to answer her, coming forward to crouch down before me.
“For countless years, I have watched this realm fall into chaos. I have watched my children become corrupt as the true meaning of their power was ignored.” She reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind my ear. “Because of your actions, things can begin to heal. The balance will be restored and my children will remember what it means to be a wielder of magic.”
I nodded, though I still wasn’t sure what to say. “Uh… it was nothing?”
She gave me an exasperated look. “No, Cordelia, it was not. It was everything, and I intend to ensure that my children remember that.”
“So… you’re a god,” I said, trying to get my head around what she was saying.
“One of them, yes,” she answered, standing and moving back to her seat. “We are never far away.”
I scoffed then, not considering how dangerous it might be to anger her. “Right, because you’ve been a great help in my life so far.”
“None of us are allowed to meddle with the balance of the cosmos,” she replied patiently. “The Wolf played a very dangerous hand by interfering in the ways that he did. His own losses were great, though not as great as yours.”
“Where is he now?” I wondered.
She shrugged. “Recovering, I’m sure. He has no reason to interfere anymore, and we will not have to watch him quite so closely.”
I chewed on my lip thoughtfully as I glanced around at the wrecked throne room. “So, what now?”
My eyes settled back on her as she smiled knowingly at me and brushed some unseen dust from her skirts.
“Where are my mates? We should be together.” My voice got stronger as my need for them heightened. I was so ready for this all to be over, to just be with them however I was able. “I want to be with them.”
She waved a vague hand to where their bodies lay. “You are. They are still here, as you are.”
I turned to look at them before rounding back on the Mother. “Explain.”
“Manners, child, seeing as I hold your lives in my hands,” she warned, her voice steely.
I dropped my head defeatedly. “I’m sorry, I’m just… done with all of this.”
I jerked in surprise as her finger curled under my chin, realising that she had moved in an instant. Tipping my face up to hers, she smiled softly again.
“I froze each of you in the moment that the last thread of your life was cut. You are all dead, but at the same time, not quite.”
I blinked at her, refusing to let the spark of hope in my chest become a flame.
“Why?” I rasped, my throat constricting with emotion.
She hummed delicately. “Your sacrifice was selfless. It restored enough balance that your lives could be given back to you without risk, if you want them.”
“If I…” I stammered, overwhelmed by the chance she was offering us.
“If you want them,” she repeated softly, stroking my cheek even though it was as numb as the rest of me. “I have given you this moment to decide what it is that you want. If you wish to move on, to leave this world and discover what comes next together, then I will respect that wish.”
“And if I want to stay?”
She sat in the chair and steepled her fingers thoughtfully. “Then I will revive you and your mates. You will be renewed and allowed to live out your remaining years in this realm before moving on.”
My eyes fell closed as hope flared hot in my chest, possible futures dancing through my thoughts. The prospect of living with our pack in a peaceful world where the four of us could be together wholly and completely. A world that could now promise us happiness, love, family. Freedom.
I knew tears were running down my cheeks, even as I couldn’t feel them and wasn’t certain how my body could even cry in this moment. Opening my eyes, I tipped my head back up to meet the Mother’s discerning gaze.
