The Witching Hour

Chapter 36 - Stargazing

Dirt filled Ivy's vision and overwhelmed her senses. She tried to scream for help, but the clay infiltrated her mouth. She clawed at the soil around her frantically until her nails broke. She refused to die in a sea of dirt – or more accurately by her own element. She wouldn't have the Earth turn on her in such a cruel way. The longer the soil pressed against her, the weaker she grew. She began to run out of steam when a gargled voice grabbed her attention.

"I see movement."

The sentence barely reached her through the layers of dirt, rock and other debris piled on top of her. She felt shuffling and pressure from digging before hands reached down to yank her out.

"Ivy!" The figure enveloped her in a suffocating hug, the pair of them on their knees.

Ella's face swam in front of Ivy. For a brief second, Ivy feared she was in the middle of a dream. How could Ella and the others have found her? Ivy stayed mute as Ella squeezed her even tighter.

"I swear if they hurt you..." Ella left the threat unfinished, the temperature rising around them. She got to her feet, pulling Ivy with her.

"I'm not dreaming, am I?" Hunching over, Ivy looked around in fear that Tatiana was playing mind games with her. She stood back up and looked at Ella with wide eyes. "You're really here?"

"We're really here." Ella draped an arm around Ivy's shoulders.

Marina bounded into Ivy from across the field and wrapped her arms around Ivy's waist. Sighing, she buried her head into Ivy's chest.

"We found you." Marina tightened her hold, voice cracking. "We weren't sure if we would."

Running a hand over Marina's dark hair, Ivy rolled her head back and took in her surroundings. They stood in a clearing in the middle of the forest. The cell had completely caved in, making Ivy wonder where she had been held. She breathed in and filled her lungs with the cool crisp night air. How she had longed to breathe fresh air again. An almost full moon hung low in the sky, acting as nature's version of a streetlight.

"Did we find her?" Aura's voice sliced through the forest. Her red locks came into view. Ivy met her gaze, seeing the dread and relief pooling in Aura's eyes. Aura flew to the group, pulling everyone in for a hug. "Oh thank the heavens."

They stood like that, basking in one another's presence. Their love poured into Ivy, reinvigorating her from the torment she had faced. A gray wolf padded into Ivy's peripheral view. The others seem unaffected by it, which left Ivy even more perplexed. Squinting, she realized the gray blur had been the wolf from the Hunter's Moon, which meant...

"Griffin."

The name slipped through her lips effortlessly, pulling up a trail of warmth from the pit of her stomach. As Ivy detangled herself from group, Marina squeezed her elbow.

"We wouldn't have found you without him." Marina's sentence hung in the air, the meaning clear as day to Ivy.

Water gathered in the corner of Ivy's eyes. Her breathing became more labored as she fought back the emotions that threatened to overcome her. She never envisioned having a knight in shining armor. Her mother had drilled it into her that Ivy could save herself and that she couldn't count on anyone else to step in and rescue her.

Rocking back on her heels, Ivy ran a hand over her face and down her jawline. The realization crept over her. It started at the furthest corner of her mind until it stared back at her head on. Griffin may have been a knight in shining armor, but he brought with him three other knights in the form of her sisters. Tears slid down her face, landing in the dirt. It took all her energy not to fall with them.