by Lenore Wolfe
THRITY-EIGHT
SOPHIA
Sophia walked alongside Thorick toward the Land of the Fae. While she walked, she breathed deep the smell of the forest, as they crossed through into the magickal land where all living things seemed somehow brighter—and smelled fresher. She just wanted to absorb the quiet of the woods around them—let herself enjoy the small things—like having her old friend walking by her side.
Today, she headed home to see her mother—to hold her daughter. They’d survived their first battle. She knew they likely hadn’t destroyed him. She wasn’t that optimistic to think they had. But perhaps they had wounded him enough to give them more time to prepare. And they may have lost someone they loved in the process.
The danger and her terror for Jacelyn reminded Sophia to do the things she’d promised her daughter. She intended to keep her a promise to spend more time in her motherland, with her people now.
Stepping around a dip in the path, she glanced up at Thorick. He’d been quiet the entire way.
“You seem more at peace,” Thorick said.
She sighed, gazing up at him. “I fear for their aunt,” she said. “But I have returned to my family.” She took a deep breath. “Actually, I have you to thank for that,” she answered. “You never gave up on me.”
He frowned at her. “You are like my family,” he said. “I don’t know how to give up.”
She looked back at him as they walked single file now down the path toward her mother’s cottage. “Thorick, will you bring Jake to see me?” she asked.
He grinned at her. “I knew something went on between you two.”
She laughed, suddenly feeling a bit shy, as she turned back to watch where she walked.
“You sure you want that human?” he said.
She spun around, intent on giving him a piece of her mind, but then saw the sparkle in his eyes. Swatting at him, she said, “Thank you, Thorick.”
He smiled, and she turned back to face the trail, this time with a little skip in her step.
When they got to Shantra’s cottage, her mother came out to hug her, cradling her daughter close to her. She hugged her back, fiercely.
“Mommy,” Kira said, wrapping her small arms around her neck. She kissed her daughter’s happy cheeks.
Sophia beamed, turning to thank Thorick for bringing her back to her motherland. He gave her a hug, then turning, he disappeared in a flash.
Sophia glanced back at her mother.
“Daughter,” Shantra said to her. “I’m so happy you’ve decided to come home,” she said, quietly. “I can’t begin to tell you how much it means to me to have you with me—even for a little while.”
Sophia’s felt something melt within her chest. She could see her mom had feared she might change her mind about coming back more often. “Mom,” she said and saw the tears spring to Shantra’s eyes. “I’m so sorry I let dad poison my mind against you—against my own people.” She hugged her close until Kira protested at being caught between them.
Mother and daughter parted, laughing and kissing Kira’s sweet cheeks.
Sophia looked across her daughters’ blond curls at Shantra. “I will never let anyone keep me from my home—or my people—again,” Sophia said to her.
Her mom’s face fill with joy.
“You will still need to practice working with the sisters, and Tara, often,” her mother reminded her. “Your problems have only just begun,” she said firmly, “not ended.”
Sophia nodded. “I understand that,” she said. “We’ve attracted a lot of attention, and we’d be foolish to forget that—especially now.”
Shantra nodded, taking Kira and sitting her on the couch. Kira sat quietly playing with a doll, and Sophia sat at the tiny kitchen table, while Shantra fixed them a plate of fruit and cheese, and poured them both a glass of tea.
As she worked, Sophia went over the way the sisters had tapped into their power, and how Tara had channeled it. More familiar with Sophia’s power, Shantra didn’t need an explanation for what happened.
“The sisters took in more power than they were ready for,” Shantra said. “We must work on that, too.”
Sophia nodded.
Shantra sat with her cup of tea, cradled in her hands. “We’ll get a couple of the old witches from town to work with them,” she said thoughtfully, and Tara too. She’ll need to work on becoming a clear channel.”
“If we practice, mom, will we continue to run any more danger in calling in that much power again?” Sophia asked the question that had her the most concerned.
Shantra’s lips thinned into a line for a long moment. “Maybe not, if we help them to get it under control,” she said, “If not, then the four of you will run a real danger of that happening again.” She reached out and squeezed her daughter’s hand. “Don’t worry, Sophia. We’ll work with them, show them how to control it,” she said with a calmness that helped Sophia to relax.
Sophia nodded, then giggled. “Good, because I don’t want us to keep nearly dying, every time we have to fight something off.”
Shantra made a face that told her daughter she didn’t find that funny.
Sophia grinned. “We’ll work hard, mama,” she said. “I promise.”
She saw her mother light up at her use of the word ‘mama’ and blushed.
They chatted for a bit longer. Then Sophia gathered her daughter to go.
As always, now, her mother walked her to where they parted the veil. Sophia knew her mother would be there to greet them when they returned.
The two hugged, her mom gently kissed Kira’s cheek, and then she turned and parted the veil.
Thorick waited on the other side to pick her up. On their way back, this time he actually chatted. In fact, he surprised the heck out of her with it.
First, he talked to Kira about the Land of the Fae, though he mostly got one-word answers from her that didn’t go with anything he said.
What did he expect from a toddler? Sophia thought, laughing.
Then, he started talking to Sophia about the battle with Dante. He seemed impressed with the power the four of them had either channeled or called—though he also seemed concerned about what had happened to her and Tara because of it.
Still, he’d chased Dante across the land for several hundred years. She realized he was a bit thrown that he no longer needed to do so—at least so far. Since he seemed concerned, Sophia found herself going over all the details with him in the same way she did with her mother—then listening to his insights into their dilemma on controlling such immeasurable power.
After a while, they both fell silent. Finally, Sophia asked the question foremost in her mind, both on her way to the Land of the Fae—and on their way back.
“Do you love, Claire?” she asked him.
She eyed him, as she asked it, surprised to see she took him off guard.
He glanced away.
He went quiet so long she didn’t think he’d answer. Finally, he nodded. “It seems as though I’ve loved her forever,” he said.
She knew surprise must have shown in her eyes since he again looked away.
“So, what do you intend to do about it?” she teased, lightly.
He shrugged. “She’s mortal—and I’m not,” he said. “That could get difficult for both of us.”
Sophia couldn’t argue there. What could she say? He would always be Thorick—at least for several hundred more years. And Claire—well Claire would grow old.
What could she possibly say to that? Nothing. And so, she fell silent as they continued along the trail leading them out of the woods, and along the pasture until it deposited them on the back porch of the manor where Tara awaited them.
Thorick went around the front—and she knew he would guard over them the same way he’d been doing since they were children.
She turned and stared off across the field. Suddenly, she grasped how much things had changed. Because now the same stuff which had bothered her as a child—brought her a strange sense of comfort.
And—they had guardians who watched over them.
Sophia looked down at her beautiful little daughter, who stood there gazing up at her with a bright, cheery smile on her face.
Her father had been wrong. It felt wonderful to know she came from such amazing people. She would go and do the ceremonies that were her right-of-passage. And she’d bring Kira there to do the same when she came of age for them.
Sophia smiled. No. They were not alone.
And that—well that just felt amazing.
