I kicked extra hard, splashing both of us, and smiled when she arched an eyebrow.
I’m glad I can talk to you like this, mom.
It is nice, isn’t it?
Where you are… is it nice?
She turned her head to study the shoreline, the pine trees marching up a hill. Her hair was black and luxurious. It’s beautiful, peaceful, like this place.
Is Bron with you?
He was waiting when I crossed.
A bird dove from high above the lake, skimming the clear water and rising with a fish in its talons. Will he ever come visit me?
When you’re ready.
Tell him I forgive him for dying.
A soft laugh. Angel hasn’t.
I wish she had a way to talk to him. She still grieves.
He talks to her, my mother said. And she answers back. But she’s not ready to believe he’s actually there and not a fever dream. Belief is everything, my darling.
I stared at my kicking feet, the beads of water that caught the sunlight. Do you have a wolf… where you are?
Yes.
What does it feel like?
Like something huge gets stuffed up inside you.
I choked at the image. Gods, mom. Aren’t you mixing it up with sex?
That, too. I felt her cup my cheek. I’ve missed your laugh.
I hadn’t laughed in a long time.
Do you remember that book? I asked. The one you hid? You asked me to read it with you and then slammed it closed and told me never to touch it.
You want to know what it said.
It must seem pointless now.
Amal inscribed a message on the first page. It said, “The daughter who finds this, reads and understands the words, opens the door for the daughter’s daughter. And the daughter’s daughter will destroy me.”
What did you think?
The sentence had too many daughters.
A laugh bubbled up. Is that why you hid it?
I didn’t want to believe, my mother said. But in case it was true, I needed you to find her book. No one else. She detailed how you’d kill her and said she’d be insane by that time. Death would be a blessing.
She foresaw her future?
Or a witch foresaw it for her.
