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Theodore looped an arm around my waist. "Do you want to scare her off before she makes her choice?" He side eyed Bael as he ushered me up the mossy pathway.
Bael chuckled behind us before appearing on my other side, also sliding his arm around me. I was trapped between the two towering men, and oddly enough, even though I was dead, I'd never felt more safe.
I sucked in a deep breath as we paused in front of Grandma Anne's house. It was a tiny house on the bank of the Bayou that had been passed down through generations of Laveaus. It was supposed to be mine someday, and then I'd have passed it to Gracie.
A pang of longing pulsed through me, but I forced it down. I didn't want to let my sadness overtake me again, not after the progress I'd made.
"What do we do now?" I asked both of them. We couldn't just knock, right? We weren't even in the same realm as Grandma.
"Hold tight," Theo said, and I did, even holding my breath, placing my face into the crook of Bael's arm.
That familiar tingling sensation traveled through my limbs. I realized now that it was some kind of magic. The same magic that allowed them to travel places in the blink of an eye.
In seconds we were standing in Grandma Anne's living room. Everything looked just as it had that night I'd come here in some kind of spectral form. I'd been dreaming then, and everything had been hazy and confusing, as if I was watching from outside a foggy window.
My breath caught as I spotted Grandma sitting in her usual chair, frozen in place. She was utterly unmoving, just like looking through one of the mirrors. I was reminded that time in the waking world was still waiting for me to make a choice.
Theo and Bael released their hold on me, and I walked towards Grandma slowly, unsure if she would even acknowledge my presence. As I got closer, her eyes flickered slightly but remained fixed straight ahead.
"Grandma?" I whispered tentatively. "It's me..."
No response.
I reached out to touch her arm but drew back at the last minute. What if I hurt her somehow? I looked over my shoulder, peering up at Theo. He nodded at me, and I took that as a sign that it would be okay. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to her.
With a deep breath, I pushed my will towards her, beckoning her to see me, to hear me. A current shot through my veins so strongly that for a moment everything went black. When I opened my eyes, Grandma was staring into them, her wide eyes roving over my face, in confusion.
"Bluebell?" she asked, her voice croaked and whispery. She reached for me, her hand coming to cup my cheek, but it only passed right through me. A shiver went through my whole body. Her eyes widened even further, this time in horror. "What has he done?" She cupped her palm over her mouth, a sob escaping as a tear dripped down her cheek. I knelt in front of her, trying not to cry too.
"I'm right here, Grandma. I'm so sorry. I should have stayed with you instead of going back to him. I'm so, so sorry."
Grandma shook her head slowly, her eyes still fixed on mine. Her lips trembled as she spoke softly, "It's not your fault, dear. You couldn't have known what he was capable of."
I shook my head, casting my eyes to the floor. "I wish that was true. I think I just didn't want to face it. I thought there was still time to change him back."
"Baby girl, you had so much left to accomplish." More tears spilled over her cheeks. Her eyes, as dark as my one brown eye, glistened in the still frozen firelight from her small hearth. "How is this possible? How are you here, honey?"
I wished so badly that I could reach out and hug her. I knew her heart was breaking all over again. She already lost my dad, and I was all she had left. The last of the Laveau bloodline.
"It's hard to explain, and I'm not sure how much time I have with you, but I'm okay, I promise. I've been offered a place to rest with Met Kalfou, and he's going to keep me safe."
The mere fact that she hadn't glanced their way once told me that they were invisible to her, and I appreciated that. I didn't want to giver her a heart attack when she was already distressed enough.
"Kalfou?" she gasped, clutching her chest. "You must be careful, Bluebell. The spirits are unpredictable, and you haven't completed your training."
I reached out as if to take her hand, but paused, remembering that it was impossible, so I settled for a thin smile. "Don't you worry about him. He's not as scary as they say." My eyes flitted to the side where he stood, and I couldn't help but notice Bael elbowing Theodore in the ribs. Theo rolled his eyes.
Grandma followed my gaze, frowning in confusion, that is, until realization dawned. "He's here now, isn't he?"
I nodded. "Always. He's always with me, and he keeps me safe. I promise I'll be alright. You don't ever have to worry about someone hurting me again. Austin can't reach me anymore."
My grandma let out a long, shaky sigh, her shoulders visibly relaxing as she heard my truth. Then, her eyes darkened with a sudden rage and she looked off to the side. "Austin," she spat out his name like it was poison on her tongue. "That boy is going to regret the day he laid eyes on my grandbaby."
Warmth bloomed inside of me. Grandma Anne was a fierce protector of those she loved, and I knew that the second we left this place, she's make Austin regret breathing, much less laying eyes on me.
I looked at Theodore and nodded. Grandma had thicker skin than anyone realized. She was amambo,and nothing spooked her. Without fanfare, they allowed themselves to appear in front of Grandma. Her eyes momentarily widened at the sight of them before her mouth flattened into to thin line
She narrowed her eyes at Theodore. "Kalfou,” she said sternly, as if speaking to a stubborn grandson and not a timeless deity. "So it wasyouwho took my Bluebell from me. When I asked theLwato keep her safe, this is not what I meant. I did not agree to this, and I think you know that."
