My Three Cousins

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Lennox arrived shortly after, and Mom told us we needed to cast the spell between Ruth and Helen's bodies which meant we all went to stand around the lake.  It was clear all of us felt uncomfortable standing near the bodies, even with the sheets on, because not one of us looked in their direction.  Vivian was asleep so Fitz had been permitted to join us as long as he stood far enough back that he couldn't interfere.  The first step was to call Aunt Maggie, something that Joan had never done by herself before.  

"I'm just not sure how to do it without Ruth," Joan admitted.

"Your sisters' powers are still around you, that's why we've chosen this spot.  Just concentrate on your mom, she'll be trying harder than ever to get to you." Mom told her.

For a moment Joan stood in front of us with her eyes closed and a look of concentration on her face, but nothing happened.

"Is that what was supposed to happen?"  Lennox asked me in a whisper, and I gently shook my head.

"I don't know how to do it without them."  She said sounding exhausted.

"You have to keep trying."  My mom told her supportively, but the glare Joan gave my mom told me she wasn't ready for her supportive words yet.

I thought about how easy it had seemed for Joan to call Aunt Maggie when she had Ruth and Helen.  I pictured them holding hands and the air moving to let her in as if I could wish for it hard enough and make it happen.  Picturing my dead cousins standing next to their living sister hurt and out of instinct more than anything I stepped forward away from the others and took Joan's hand.

She opened her eyes and gave me a sad smile before trying again.  The air above us began to shimmer and I started to see the form of Aunt Maggie emerging.  Behind me Fitz sunk to the ground, and I was briefly thankful that it was his energy not mine Joan had chosen to take.

"Oh Joan," Aunt Maggie cooed as soon as she was with us enough to speak.  

"You know?"  Joan asked.

"I saw the whole thing." Aunt Maggie answered.

"Who is she talking to?"  Lennox asked and I realized they couldn't see my aunt materializing in front of us.  They kept turning to look at Fitz, seemingly confused why none of us were worried about him.  For a moment I worried that Mom hadn't given Lennox enough information and that taking them with me was going to be more of a risk than helpful.

"Maggie, we're trying to fix it." Mom said with a break in her throat, ignoring Lennox's confusing.

It felt as though the air had become incredibly thin.  Aunt Maggie froze then slowly tilted her head to look at Mom.  At first, I thought she was going to share Joan's rage but instead she smiled from ear to ear.  It seemed that being reunited with her sister had made her forget everything else.  She moved away from Joan and I until she was face to face with mom, "Lizzie, did Addison tell you how sorry I am?"

"Sorry?"  Mom asked, looking from me to her dead sister.

"For dying and leaving you behind.  For taking your power and doing exactly what you told me not to do."  Aunt Maggie grew a bit more translucent than she had been moments before and I wondered if her sadness was somehow pulling her back to the afterlife.

"What do you mean taking her power?"  Joan interrupted looking between them with a confused look.

"We don't have time," Mom answered then she turned back to Aunt Maggie.  "You never needed to be sorry.  I knew who you were and what you were going to do with it when I gave you the power.  I was only ever mad you left me," on this sentence Mom's voice broke.  "I'm sorry too, but now we need to save your daughters." 

Aunt Maggie began to grow even fainter, "he's running out of energy."

Mom looked at Fitz in a panic and I knew she was worried not only about keeping Aunt Maggie there long enough to cast the spell but also about how Fitz would respond to this when he woke up.  "Joan focus on me instead."  She said.

"No," Joan said, "if you can't tell us what to do, we won't be able to save them." 

My mom opened her mouth to speak but it was Aunt Maggie who answered first, "I know what we need to do.  Trust me, Joan."

Joan looked at her mom then closed her eyes and concentrated her power.  Mom started to sink to the ground and Lennox ran over to catch her and lower her down more gently.  Then Fitz opened his eyes.  I went over to help him sit up.  "Are you ok Fitz?"  I asked.

"Is that Aunt Maggie?"  He said confused and I was relieved to see that the loss of energy hadn't seemed to hurt him.  I helped him to his feet, noting that he was much stronger than I was when I woke up from giving energy to Aunt Maggie.

"Joan grab my hand, and we need to focus on the loss of magic.  It will be your magic, but I will guide you.  Think about every time someone in our family lost their powers."

"How can I focus on them if I don't know when it happened?"  

"The abstract should be enough," Aunt Maggie said and then she turned to me, "Addison a portal will open and once it does you and Lennox will need to go into it.  We don't know what will be there or what the travel will be like, but your mom and I are trusting you."  I nodded, remembering the way Mom and Aunt Maggie used to speak for each other when Aunt Maggie was alive.

"How long will it stay open?"  I asked.

"Only a few seconds so you'll have to move quickly.  It's best if you hold hands."

I turned to Lennox, "she says they're going to open the portal and we won't have much time.  Grab my hand."

Lennox looked confused, still not able to see Aunt Maggie.  Then they nodded and took my hand, their cheeks turning a bright shade of crimson as they did so.

I looked around at all the faces there to send us off and I was afraid to leave them.  It didn't confident that I would see my mother and brother again and I hated to think about what losing another person would do to Joan.  I wanted to tell them I loved them or say something impactful, but I was afraid that if I spoke, I would cry and if I cried, I knew that there would be no way I would go through the portal.  I then tried to imagine the two faces that should have been there with us but weren't: Ruth and Helen.  I knew for their sakes there was no time for dramatic goodbyes and no time to be afraid.  I needed to prove Ruth wrong, I needed to have the skill to prevent death.

"Are you ready, Addison?"  Aunt Maggie asked and still not trusting my voice I nodded.

Aunt Maggie, now more solid than ever, took Joan's hand.  They both closed their eyes and scrunched their faces in near identical looks of concentration.  As they did this the air over the lake began to glisten and shimmer.  It took on the look being over saturated and almost seemed to start to swirl.  There was a whooshing sound as the distorted spot in the air grew.  

Lennox looked around confused, "where will the portal be." 

"It's there," I said pointing in front of us even though I knew they couldn't see it.  They squeezed my hand tighter, trusting me to lead them through.

The colorful whirling of air started to solidify like Aunt Maggie had and on the other side I could just barely make out the shape of mountains and trees.

"Now," Aunt Maggie's weakened, hoarse voice called out.

I took one look back at my family standing around me and I ran forward, pulling Lennox after me beyond the edge of the pond's shore and directly into the heart of the portal.