No More Home

I was worried. I glanced at my mother; Anna, she appeared paler than usual. But other than that I couldn't detect anything wrong with her. Yet worry gnawed at the back of my mind. I glanced around at the city streets and the garbage that clogged the gutters of the road. Wrinkling my nose in distaste of the smell before I stole another look at Anna. My mother smiled, this time catching my regard.

"What's wrong Arie?"

I opened my mouth and closed it. Then I tried again, "Are, are you alright?"

Anna looked confused for a moment. "Why do you ask?"

I paused mid step, then squared my shoulders and continued on. "You don't seem well, mom. You are very pale."

A grin split Anna's features. "You are so grown up Arie." She reached out and patted my head. "Thank you for looking out for me, but I think our work has been hard on me, with winter coming. There has also been a lot more sick people to look after."

"I can do more rounds. Then you can rest-"

Anna threw her arm around my shoulders and pulled me close as we walked down the cramped streets. "No, I can't just leave everything to you. Besides, that would be no fun." She looked around at the beginnings of the stalls. The market was just about to start for the day. "Now, what should we have for dinner?"

A big man with scars down his arms and hands was just finishing up laying out fish in his stall made from driftwood. He noticed us and waved. "Anna, I've your payment." He had a small reed basket beside his stall filled with ten fish. He handed this to Anna when she approached.

"How is your wife and the twins," mother asked.

"Ah, thanks to you they are well. They sleep through the night and their fevers went down. I'm sorry we couldn't pay you more." He glanced at me and looked away quickly, as if he was worried I curse him for staring at me. I drop my own eyes and resist the urge to pull my cloak's hood over my head.

"Nonsense, this will last us a few days. Twitchy will know how to prepare them proper-."

There was a series of crashes farther down into the market. This was followed by a chorus of shrieks and wails. I felt a physical punch to the gut, despite no one touching me. It took all of my strength not to double over right in the middle of the road, and I knew somewhere farther down the way, something or someone had just died. The soul fled quickly and didn't linger long enough for me to get more than a fleeting feeling of what it was. I drew in a sharp breath.

"Mom." I didn't need to say anything else. Mother quickly steered me away from the fisherman and towards the racket. With all the noise and panic, no one would hear us.

"How many," she whispered to me.

"Only one dead." I let the unsaid 'for now' hang in the air between us.

Mother straightened up and I could see her mentally preparing herself for the work ahead of us. She looked to me and something shimmered in her eyes before vanishing. "Do you need to go back to the house?"

I squared my shoulders and shook my head no, indignant that she would try to send me away now.

She smiled at me. "I suppose it is a good thing we brought our kits." Her mother patted the pouch that hung from her belt under her cloak. She never left home without it. A thoughtful look crossed her face before she dug around inside the pouch. Once she found what she was looking for, she passed it to me. A piece of twine lay in her hand. "Tie up your hair now."

I breathed a sigh of relief, then balled up my hair, folding the brightly colored ends under my more natural black hair color. Then I tied it in place. Hopefully, I thought, people wouldn't recognize me. A part of me suspected it was a vain hope.

The commotion around us grew. People pushed and shoved to get past us as we came closer to the wreckage. It looked like a team of horses had stampeded through the market. Stalls were shattered, goods were strewn under foot, and people laid huddled on the fringes of the destruction. The smell of fish and bread mingled with the coppery scent of blood.

"Someone help! Please!" The male voice called from farther down the way, and he sounded desperate and strained.

We rushed around a corner to find two men using a pole to try and leverage a piece of crumbling wall up. Most of the building they were straining against had collapsed. Under some of the rubble close to me was a tanned hand. My magic flared to life under my skin, pulsing in time to several heartbeats. Six, I counted, no eight.

"Arie, your magic, can you get all of it?"

I swallowed nervously. "Yeah, but we risk knocking the rest of the wall over." I pointed to the large slab of crumbling wall still standing. It was tilted at a steep angle. Only some of the roof that had fallen was keeping it upright. Not only that, but I was nervous using my magic for anything other than healing. People around here were too afraid of my magic for me to go flaunting it. To make matters worse I was pretty sure I recognized the bigger man as someone from the crowd that attacked me years ago. I certainly didn't want to repeat that experience. A shudder ran down my spine.

Mother stepped around me. "We can help. My daughter can use her magic to get rid of the rubble and I have healing magic." She glanced at the rest of the wall. "Use that pole to keep the remaining wall up." I'm always amazed by how efficient she is.

The men exchanged looks, and I felt a stab of frustration. I wanted to scream at them that these people were dying. Finally, the younger man with tussled brown hair moved to do as Anna bid. But the older man glared at me. His meaty arms crossed in a moment of defiance.

"Simon, c'mon, my pa's under there," the younger man sounded desperate.

The bigger man grunted and followed after his peer. "Watch yerself, witch," his voice pitched just low enough that only I could hear him as he stepped around me to help the younger man.

I swallowed her anger and fear, and she settled down by the rubble. Others needed me help now, I reminded myself. Then I placed both palms on the shattered wood and crumbled stone. I took a calming breath before I reached for my magic. It reacted like a big cat, eager and twining around my. Blue-green fire rushed from my hands, devouring the wood as it went. The stone took only moments longer to reduce to dust, but I had to rein in that power when it flowed over the bodies. Otherwise my magic might devour those people who were trapped as well.

After what could have been minutes or hours, a pain started to grow behind my eyes. I knew I needed to draw back my magic into my body or I'd lose complete control.

"Deep breaths, hun," Mother's unruffled voice soothed the pounding in my head, even while a pain twisted in my chest.

"I can't." Panic started to creep into my mind. What if I killed them? My magic twitched toward those people who had been trapped. Please, I prayed, don't let me hurt them. Desperate tears welled in my eyes.

"You can." My mother assured. "Breath in, and with that breath draw it back in. Trust me."

I shoved my panic aside and focused solely on mother's voice.

"Breath in and pull it in. Breath out and hold it in."

I followed my mother as she coached. With each breath I dragged the magic back into my own body. I kept pulling until all of it had returned to me. With my magic came the energy from all the things I had decayed. It flooded my body until I felt like an overripe fruit about to burst. Looking out over the space that had been a warehouse, I saw the eyes of several people fixed on me with sheer terror. So, I stayed where I was and kept my gaze down so as not to spook anyone. All the while I breathed through the extra pressure of all the energy from the wood, until I was used to it.

"Mom, go check the woman by the wall."

Anna looked at me with a frown then glanced at the woman in question. She was pale and breathing too quickly. My mother went over to the woman and spoke softly, like I would have if the woman had been a wounded animal. The woman's labored breathing eased under my mother's green magic, and I watched the fear ease from her eyes under my mother's reassuring presence. My gaze lingered on my mother, and a small smile pulled at my lips.

"Papa! Wake up!" The young man from earlier was shaking one of the downed men. There were tears in his eyes as he pleaded, "Please papa, you hafta wake up!"

"Please don't shake him like that." I moved to stand beside him, but kept far enough back that he couldn't strike me if I startled him. I was surprised when he looked over to me. Instead suspicion or the fanatic fear and hatred that some people had allowed to fester for me, there was trust. He was much younger than I had previously thought. Only a couple years older than my own fifteen years. "If you'll let me, I'll see if I can help."

"Please!" There was hope in his eyes.

I put my hands and over the man's chest and called to my magic again. This time I pulled only a small tendril of blue-green fire so as not to overwhelm myself again.

"What will that do?" The younger man asked while eyeing my magic. Not quite fear, but he was nervous.

"It will hopefully tell me if there is anything wrong that we can't see." My magic moved through the man's body. Dust clogged his lungs, but otherwise none of his organs were damaged. At my direction, my magic ate up the dust, allowing the man to breathe easy. However, as I moved my inspection downward to his legs, I had to fight not to wince at his mangled limb. There were several breaks from where he had gotten his right leg pinched between two objects, as well as a shard of wood about two fingers long jammed into the soft flesh of his calf muscles. No wonder he's out cold, I thought, the pain alone must have pushed him over.

As I worked on the man I asked, "What happened that the whole building fell on them?"

The young man snorted. "A few bulls, meant fer slaughter got spooked." He pointed to a mass of crumpled crates. "The big-un rammed head on through the door and clipped the wall we was workin on. Storms of late made it weak. But he broke his neck."

So that was the death I had felt. There was a rush of relief and then I felt a instant stab of regret. I was grateful no one else died, but I hated that the poor beast was dead.

"Simon yanked me outta the way, but Pa and the others got caught. Will they be alright?"

I turned and looked over my shoulder. Three other men had either been healed or managed to leave on their own strength. My mother had finished with the woman, and she had moved onto two men that were still unconscious. Anna's green magic fizzled and sputtered like a flame on wet wood. My concern came back as I watched my mother. I know my magical well was much deeper than my mother's, but she shouldn't have struggled this much, I reasoned. Maybe mom was sick.

"Miss?"

My head snapped back toward the young man and I mumbled, "Sorry, lost in thought."

"Will they be alright?"

I nodded. "Some rest and food, and I think they will all be fine."

He practically slumped backwards from relief then he straightened. "And my pa?"

"He'll been fine." My magic had already devoured the splinter of wood in his father's leg. I turned my attention on knitting the flesh and bones back together. After a short time there was only an angry red mark in place of the gaping hole.

"That's amazing."

I shrugged off the praise suddenly uncomfortable. "I can help you carry him home."

The father groaned and blinked up at his son and me. "I feel like I was trampled."

His son laughed and helped him to sitting position. "Sorta. This healer fixed ya up, papa."

Brown eyes looked me over. "We thanks you stranger, but we don't have much coin fer your services."

I tried hard not to look at the patched clothes both of them wore, and I tried not to notice that the father was underweight. He was probably giving half his portions to his son. "We don't really charge coin. Especially not from those who don't have it."

The son's dark eyes shot up to meet my own gray eyes, pride mixed with helpless fury. "We'll not take charity."

I snorted. Before I could hold my tongue and respond as my mother taught me, words tumbled from my lips, "Save your pride. My mom doesn't usually accept coin. Anyone around will tell you that. Repay us with food, clothes, or work."

He looked like he didn't understand.

I sighed rubbing me head against the beginnings of a headache before I explained, "The blacksmith shods our horse's shoes. A few fisherman gives us a small portions of their catch. While the tailor a few streets down patches our clothes. And the apothecary down on the wharf gives us some of what she's got extra of."

The father put a hand on his son. "My boy can work, he's worked fields, an' fixed what needed fixin."

"Talk to my mom, she'll know what needs to be done." Then to the father I asked, "Will you need help getting home?"

"Nah." The man staggered to his feet and dusted himself off before he looked at where the warehouse had been. "By the Gods," he breathed when he realized the entire building and its contents were just gone.

"She magicked it all gone," the son whispered to his father.

I looked around to find my mother speaking to an angry man who looked like a drowned rat stuffed in silks. Even from across the way, I could smell the perfume he had used, and it was enough to make my stomach churn. The man growled something, spun away from my mother, and then stomped away.

"Everything alright, mom?"

Anna turned and forced a smile, "Yes, unfortunately that man was distressed about his silks that were stored in that building."

I winced. All of that silk was now dust just like the walls and roof, destroyed by my magic. "Will there be trouble?" I knew there was no way we could ever afford to pay back all of that.

"If it comes to it, we will figure it out." This time when she smiled it was genuine. "Don't worry too much."

"Ma'am, you'll wanting to be watchin that one. He's mean as a snake." The young man whose father I had just healed stood beside us. He watched the silk merchant go warily. "I can see ya both home."

"What about your father," I asked. Most people could be a little wobbly after a healing.

He straightened up. "That's what my father wanted me to do. We looks after folks who looks after us."

I opened my mouth to reject the idea, but my mother intervened before I could say anything. "That would be lovely, thank you. Umm, oh my, I don't know your name, sir."

I rolled my eyes, and just barely managed to resisted the urge to smile. The young man's face was a deep red and he stuttered out an answer.

"No, I'm- Well I'm not- Caleb, not sir."

"Thank you Caleb. I'm Anna, and this," she pulled me to her. "Is my daughter Arie."

"Mom," I groaned, blush crept across my cheeks. I certainly did not like the gleam in her eyes when she looked at me.

"Right, right, sorry. Shall we go?" Anna started off at a fast pace.

"Wait, mom, what about the others?"

She waved off my concern. "Minor injuries all around. Most were just shook up, so their families came and took them home."

I watched my mother's back with suspicion, but it wasn't like mother wouldn't help people if they needed it. Now that I thought of it I looked closer at Anna. She was paler than before, and her hair seemed a little damp. Sweat, I wondered. I was forced to put aside these thoughts as mother was already trudging back up through the streets. I looked at our mostly empty basket and regretted that I'd probably have to be back tomorrow to finish up the shopping while mother slept.

Caleb walked beside us, and Anna asked him all sorts of questions. All of which the poor boy answered. I sighed, there was another one wrapped around mother's finger. I actually pitied him. He'd probably tell her his deepest darkest secret if she asked, I thought with no small amount of amusement.

We were just exiting the main gate when Anna cleared her throat.

"Are you alright My Lady?" Caleb asked.

Anna dissolved into giggles at being addressed so formally. "My Lady, Arie did you hear that?"

"Yes I-." I was cut off as mother's laughter changed to a cough that had an unusual amount of force. "Mom?" Without thought my magic welled up in my hands as I touched mom's back. Instantly the magic soothed the coughs that shook Anna's delicate frame. Then I saw my mother's hands.

Dark blood splattered Anna's hand.

"Mom!"

"It's not-." She coughed and hacked some more before sinking to the ground with her hand clapped against her mouth.

"Mom," I snapped. Anger and fear churned in my gut. "How long have you been coughing blood?" How had I not noticed this about my own mother, I kicked myself mentally. I needed to think fast. If I wasn't careful my mom-. No I couldn't panic. Panic undermined any treatment, I reminded myself. "I need to get you home, now." If I had been a little stronger I'd would have carried mom, but even with all the energy I had stolen from the wood of the building, it wouldn't be enough.

"Arie-" Another coughing fit.

"Do you need me to carry her?" Caleb bent down beside them. There was clear concern on his face.

I hesitated for a moment. I was very nervous about trusting my mother to a boy I barely knew, but mom started coughing again, forcing my hand. "If you carry her I can try and sooth the coughing while you walk."

It took only a few moments to get Anna on Caleb's back, and with I pouring my magic into my mother's body, she soon fell asleep. We moved as swiftly as the steep path allowed, and soon our cottage came into view. Twitchy was waiting by the door. He took one look at my mother and was instantly alert.

"Kiddo, what happened?"

"Not sure," I admitted. To Caleb I said, "Bring her in and lay her on the cot."

Twitchy held the door open for us. In a flurry of movement, Caleb and I got Anna inside and onto the cot. Her breathing was shallow and erratic. I put my ear to mother's chest and listened to her breath. It sounded like air bubbles in water. Horror choked me as I realized my mom was drowning in her own blood. My magic answered my' unsaid call and I directed it into Anna. The magic ate up the fluid that filled her mother's chest. The more I destroyed, the more I came to realize there was something malignant in my mother. It was Anna, but not.

"Arie?" Twitchy was hovering behind me. "Can ya fix er?" There was a lot of emotion in his voice that I didn't want to look too closely at.

I bit my lip and didn't answer at first, but then I pulled my magic back. "I don't know if I can fix this."

"But you 'ave fixed worse 'fore."

"This is not the same." I ran my hand through my hair and ripped out the tie. Nervous energy thrummed in my bones. "What's wrong is her body. It's not a wound, or like the air sickness. For those I mend damaged flesh or kill the dust that fills the lungs. Here her body has twisted itself."

Anna's breathing eased. Then she opened her eyes and watched me.

"How long," I demanded quietly.

"Couple of months," Anna admitted. "Some pain here and there. Then the coughing started usually after a healing. My mother had the same thing before," She seemed to think better of finishing that sentence and shrugged. "I recognized it and used my magic to ease it, but there's not much else to be-."

"No," I snapped.

"Arie-"

"No," I snarled even as tears burned my eyes. "Don't you dare give up! People here need you. I need you! I won't let you die." I wouldn't let my mom die, I swore to myself.

"Even with your power and my skill this is beyond us. It was the same for my mother as well."

"Then I'll find someone else," I snapped. My mind was a whirlwind of possibilities, most of which I had to discard because of my lack of funds.

Anna glanced at Twitchy with imploring eyes, and the old thief nodded. Twitchy gently pried me away from mom and whispered, "Let's go outside. You says too much 'motion 'fects healin."

Once we were outside and the door was shut behind us, I opened my mouth to babble possible solutions. Twitchy stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. I was struck by the fear in my mentor's eyes. Part of me had always known he had loved Anna, but it was strange to see he plainly loved her as much as I did.

"I've a friend in the capital. He owes me, and I've never seena man better with magic. He just croaks and mountins move." There was a plea in his eyes. He would go to a place that scared him and cash in the favor for mother. "Will she last," he choked the words out.

There was a long pause before I admitted, "I don't know." My gut twisted and squirmed like it was full of eels. I didn't know what I would do without my mom. I didn't even want to consider what would happen.

"It's a week's journey one way by horse. A couple days rest and ta find him, can you keep er alive till then?" His words dragged me from my panicked thoughts.

I shrugged helplessly. "I can try," the words cracked in my throat.

Twitchy seemed to let that sink in, then hesitantly asked, "What bout yer pa?"

I bit back bitter words until I thought I tasted blood. "They shared one night and a promise to love each other. He won't stay his hand, when mother's time comes he will collect her soul. You should know as well as me Gods aren't supposed to meddle too much in our lives like that. Especially the one who made vows to love and accept all equally."

Twitchy nodded solemnly. After a moment he whispered, "What 'bout er folks?"

I bit my lip. He had stepped close to a secret that mother had guarded almost as fiercely as my own parentage. Neither of us liked keeping it from Twitchy, but that had always been our way.

After a moment of silence Twitchy asked, "Yer ma's a blue-blood ain't she?"

"What makes-"

He cut me off before I could even finish the lie. "Arie, you aren't a good liar, and I've had my queries fer a'while. Her proper manners, teachin me my letters, an' how ta write." I looked at the ground, feeling the sting of guilt. "That's what I thought."

"Twitchy-"

"No worries kiddo. It wasn't bad ya hid it. Otherwise you'd be facin' worse from gutter rats like me." He patted my shoulder again and asked. "So you think they'll help?"

"They have to, don't they? She's their daughter." My mind was careening with the possibilities.

I saw something close to fear in my mentor's eyes. Finally, Twitchy looked like he had come to a decision. He pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the horse that grazed around the house. "Will he let me ride 'im?"

"Explain to him why you need his help. He'll help, and you'll not need to worry about thieves or tying him up."

"He understands our Common speak?" Twitchy asked with raised eyebrows.

Arie nodded, and he muttered under his breath about unnatural animals speaking back next. It almost managed to wring a smile out of me.

"Will you be alright in the city?" I knew that he still couldn't stand crowds. I could even see the tell-tale shake to my mentor's hands. He shoved his hands in his pockets when he saw where my gaze was.

"Fine," he grunted. "Go be with yer ma, an' watch that boy. Seems like a good sort, but he's got an eye on ya, kiddo."

I snorted, I had too much to do to be interested in a boy's affections, but I nodded to Twitchy as went back inside. When I closed the door behind me and turned to my mother, I found Caleb sitting on the floor talking and gesturing while mom listened and smiled. He paused mid sentence and looked to me.

"Everythin' alright?"

"Twitchy is going to the capital to try and find help." I wet my lips and forced myself to remain calm. "Mom, would grandpa help?" I kept Caleb in the corner of her vision to gage what he took away from the conversation. Twitchy's advice made me extra careful to avoid mentioning my grandfather's social standing. No need to paint a target on our backs while mom is ill, I thought.

"Arie-"

"Mom," I mimicked the tone she always used on me when I was being stubborn.

Anna opened her mouth to answer and started to cough and wheeze again. I winced at the sound. Then I drew my magic out again and let it flow through mother's chest. The cough eased and color returned to mother's cheeks, but she slid into sleep before I could get answer to my question. Arie sighed and thought, I'll just have to go a see if grandfather would help. After a moment of silence Caleb shifted off the floor to sit at the table. I glanced at him.

"I'm sorry to spring this on you. Thank you for helping carry Mom. That can be your payment, you don't hafta stay." I didn't want him to wonder about where I was going tomorrow, but I couldn't think of a way to kick him out without mother being angry.

He studied my face for a moment, long enough that had to I fight the urge to drop my eyes, even as blush crossed my cheeks. Then Caleb glanced at my mother behind me. I was certain I saw something close to reverences in his eyes, but it was gone after a blink.

"I'll stay. Yur pa ain't here to protect ya. It's the least I can do."

I didn't refute that Twitchy was my father. Instead I pointed to the mantel where our bread from yesterday was wrapped up. "Food is there. Eat it." I made sure to put enough force behind the words that he didn't argue with me. Men got weird about woman making demands of them, I remembered with a faint smile. Caleb meekly did as I asked and was eating I pointed to the ladder. "You can sleep in the loft."

"What're you gonna do?"

"Watch for any changes in her health." Then I knelt down next to my mother and began my vigil.

The next morning I slipped out of the house with my mother's old pendant tucked under my tunic. I had my hair tied up in a bun to hide the strange color and threw my old cloak around my shoulders for good measure. Then I moved quickly down the cliff side path to the east side gate. The guards there let me pass without incident, easily mistaking me for a boy. Once I had moved onto the main street, I followed it up to the castle. Its massive brick walls rose like stone giants. I was so busy gawking at them that I hadn't realized I had come to the gate until a sharp voice cracked, "Halt! State your business."

I looked at the two guards. Each one was armed with a spear of some kind, as well as a sword. Both men were well groomed and their uniforms of gold and blue were neat and tidy. In contrast my clothes were worn almost thread barren, and there were stains covering my pants and shirt. I felt my cheeks color with shame as I fumbled with the tie of my cloak.

"I'm here to speak with the Lord. It's about his daughter, she's sick." I finally managed to pull mother's pendant out and show the guards. The pendant was a personal crest Anna's father had made for her, or at least that's what mother had always said. The guards looked at the charm and I saw a spark of recognition in their eyes. They started to step aside and say,

"Right th-"

"If Anna wants help, she can come home and ask for it," a sharp female voice said.

The guards and Arie turned to see a noble woman riding up to them on a timid tan and white mare. The woman was dressed in beautifully crafted lady's riding leathers that would have cost three years worth of food for my family. All of the leathers including the soft riding gloves had patterns of flowers or horses stitched into them. This noble woman wore face paint, lip rogue, and her soft brown hair was tied up in a massive pile of curls, in what I could only assume was the latest court fashion. But none of her finery hid the cold look of distain as she looked down her nose at me.

"Anna was repeatedly told to come home, and she spurned her father's attempts to call her back. So if she now has a cold, she can come home and give up this farce she has been playing at. I'll not allow her to swindle her father for that low-born man she's been taking up with." She sniffed in disgust. "Tell Anna if she is done with her tantrum she can come home. If not, then keep to her chosen class." With a kick of her heel the noble woman urged her horse past the guards and me. "Send the urchin away. If she refuses to leave, have her arrested." Then she was off, the horse clomping down the street.

I clenched my fist in pure rage. My mother didn't have a cold, I wanted to scream at this stupid woman's back, she was dying. Blue green fire colored the air around me and just before I could hurtle my magic at the retreating woman one of the guards tapped me on the back. I spun around intent on fighting; on reducing these people to dust, but the look on the man's face stopped me. There was pity in his gaze.

"I will let my Lord know what you have said." He glanced at his partner who shook his head no, but he didn't try and stop the other man when he said, "The Lady and Lady Anna didn't get along, but the Lord wouldn't agree with what she said, I'm sure of it." He swallowed. "Lady Anna treated my son." He said this as if it were some kind of consolation prize to me. "You should probably leave or we will have to arrest you."

I blinked at the two of them. They knew my mother, knew she was a gifted healer. Yet they wouldn't stand up for her to the Lady. Then there was my step-grandmother, the Lady, I thought her title with such venomous rage. That woman would condemn my mother to die because she had consorted with those of a lower class. The fire of my anger was suddenly doused like a bucket of cold water had been thrown over me. Numbness replaced my anger as I turned and left them. I trudged down the road, her feet dragging the entire way.

All I could think about was these people had turned out their own daughter because she helped people of a lower class. Not only that, but they thought Anna was playing at being a doctor. I wanted to scream and rail against the helpless fury I felt surge anew. I stomped my way through the gates and didn't look up until I heard someone thundering my way. I raised my head and prepared to say something scathing to the person.

Caleb was sprinting at me from the cliff side path. A panic-stricken expression was etched on his face. Even before he skidded to a complete stop in front of me, I felt trepidation bubble up.

"Your ma," he panted. "Coughin and wheezin. She can't catch er breath. Ya need ta get home n-"

I didn't even wait for him to finish, I just bolted past him. The entire way up the path, I prayed to any and all Gods who might be listening, please let her be okay, please. My stomach churned uneasily and my legs burned with effort as I made it up the last few feet before the house came into view. I took a few steps before I felt the lingering effects of someone's death as if it had clubbed me in the gut. In my mind's eye I saw my mother, perfectly healthy with a shy smile on her face. My father reached out and took her by the hand. Then they were gone.

I felt a yawning hole open inside me. I doubled over on the ground and bit back a screaming sob as my magic roiled inside of me. The pain of the final breath and the ecstasy of the soul's freedom from flesh rolled through my very being. Too late, I thought. Tears spilled over and burned my cheeks. I'm too late, there is no more home to return to. I sobbed helplessly into the ground and beat my fist against the dirt as I let the weight of my mother's death crash through me.