The Twisted Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 3)

Chapter 27.3

Sabrina and Tassan walked to the hospital in silence, not touching but acutely aware of each other. In the private ward where Tirqwin was, they found Scotty at the observation window, pacing wearily.

"How's it going?" Sabrina asked anxiously.

"I don't know. Not well, I think. It's taking so long," he answered.

Sabrina looked past him into Tirqwin's room. Mara perched on the edge of Tirqwin's bed, her hands on his face, her eyes closed in concentration. She was immobile, but Tirqwin's face twitched as though he were dreaming.

Scotty continued, "Mara was already tired when she started. And if this goes on too long, somebody at Dansestari'll miss her, and the Council of Trême—"

"Scotty, relax," Sabrina said. "Nobody will miss Mara. She'll blip herself back right after she left. And she's tired, yes, but she's strong, and she looks fine."

"Rina," Scotty said, "it's almost been an hour. If she could've fixed him, she'd've done it by now."

"Scotty, you don't know that. Try to stay calm," she urged.

He turned away, his arms tightly folded. Sabrina looked at him in concern. He had been the strong, calm one throughout everything, but evidently he had expected Mara to come in and magically put Tirqwin to rights, and his creeping doubt about her ability to do so was the final straw. She stifled a sigh, glancing at Tassan. He looked back at her, understanding, and moved to the opposite wall, watching Mara through the window.

"Scotty," Sabrina said, going over to him and laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't you understand," he said, "if she can't fix him, if they can't be happy, it didn't mean a damn! None of it! Not Rayland, not any of it!"

"I do understand," she said, gently turning him around to face her. "And it did mean something, Scotty. It does. We gave them more than they ever would have had without us."

"This can't be it! It was supposed to be different! It was all supposed to be okay!" he choked.

"Scotty—" she began sadly. Life isn't fair. Sometimes it doesn't make any sense. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. All the tired truths ran through her head, but somehow she couldn't say any of them. Instead, she put her arms around her brother and hugged, hard.

He held onto her as if he were young and afraid of the dark. "It's not supposed to be this way," he whispered, choking back tears.

It's not over yet; don't give up hope, she almost said. But then she realized he needed to let it all out, all the pain and fear and grief and anger he had hidden away since Rayland's death, perhaps even longer. It hit her with a force that made her close her eyes and catch her breath: We couldn't save Mom and Dad. We couldn't save Rayland. He thought we could save Mara and Tirqwin and somehow make up for it all. Why couldn't I see how it hurt him? But she had been blinded by her own pain, of course. At least now she could see that they had to go home, for his sake every bit as much as hers. She wasn't the only one who had burdens to lay down in order to learn to walk upright again.

She was still holding Scotty when Mara came into the observation room, looking exhausted. The Devons parted and turned to look at her in despair.

"I need to rest," she said, her voice hollow. "There's so much to get rid of before I can reach him. I'll try again tomorrow night." She looked at them both. "Don't give up," she said. "I will bring him back. If it takes the rest of my life, I will bring him back. I promise you that."

"We know you will, Mara," Sabrina said. She looked over at Tassan, who stepped forward to the Queen's side. "See that she rests. Make sure she eats." She swallowed the lump in her throat and gave a soundless chuckle. "Just...pretend it's me."