Magic Spawn Origins

Magic Spawn: Chapter Last

by Meredith Skye

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In the clearing, most of Anya's friends had recovered from their encounter with Molan and the skeletons. The Arlunni had healed many of them, others had been bandaged up. They bandaged up Anya, but the wound on her face from the fight with the battle wight didn't fully heal, leaving a scar.

Maybe that was just as well ... something to remind her of this day.

Anya had wandered over near Aldena, who conversed in low tones about what to do next. She overheard talk of the Arlunni taking Rian and Kyran back to Cathal. The way Aldena was talking, it sounded as if she would go with them.

"You're leaving?" asked Anya, not sure she was hearing this right.

"Yes. I can't stay here. Cathal is my home," said Aldena.

"Oh," said Anya, concealing her disappointment. "I see."

Aldena was distracted again talking to Ehina. Anya wandered around; everyone was busy. Rian and Kyran were saying goodbye to their Mother. She would miss both of them. But she would miss Aldena the most. For the past year, she'd had a mother that actually treated her like a daughter.

For a moment, she wished more than anything else that she could go with Aldena to this new world—Cathal. What would that be like? All the new sights, different ways of living—what a wonder it would be.

Maybe it was selfish to think of herself, but ... what would Anya do now? Where would she go? After all the fun she and Aldena had had over the last year—could it really end so abruptly? No one else had loved her like Aldena had. She had no other family.

Anya felt like she could die.

They'd send her back to a group home again, while they looked for a new foster family. She was still only 13 years old. Aldena had never officially adopted her. Hadn't even officially taken her as a foster child, she'd just let her tag along for the last year.

She could run again. She'd run away before. Ride the rails, sneak on a train and this time she wouldn't stop until she got as far away from Nebraska as a person could! But it wasn't much consolation, knowing she'd always be alone.

Feeling empty, Anya started to wander down the hill as Rian and Kyran joined Aldena and the Arlunni—ready to leave. Perhaps forever.

Aldena finally noticed her. "Anya, where are you going?" she called after her.

"I don't know," said Anya, despair threatening to overwhelm her. Mustn't cry, she thought, quelling the feeling. "Probably down to Lauretta's." But Anya took a few steps back towards Aldena, some part of her still desperately wishing to be included.

"Well, if it's clothes you need, we have clothes on Cathal that even a girl as picky as you might wear," Aldena said with a touch of her usual playful sarcasm.

Anya brightened immediately. "Then, I can come to Cathal?"

Aldena frowned. "Heavens, child, you didn't think I was going to leave you—did you? Come here."

Anya walked over to her. Aldena took both her hands and looked her in the eye. "You're my daughter. Of course, I want you to come."

"But, you never actually adopted me. I wasn't sure ...."

Aldena waved her hand, as though it was an absurd idea. "I don't care about their laws here. I'm from Cathal. We'll make it official once we get there."

"Really?" Anya smiled.

"Really!" Aldena returned her smile.

"But right now, we have to go."

Anya nodded. "All right."

Aldena took her hand and squeezed it. "Together always," she said.

"Together always," Anya repeated back.

Once again, she had her mother back. The future had never looked brighter. She couldn't help the smile that beamed across her face.

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