Chapter 162

[ 1,114 words ]

Chapter 163

Milly’s

The world slid back in slow pieces, sound first, the rush of breath and murmurs of voices, then touch, the warmth of strong arms cradling me close, and finally sight, blurred shapes that sharpened into the faces I loved most. Charles. His arms were locked around me, his chest shaking against my cheek. His eyes were rimmed red, wet with tears he hadn’t bothered to hide.Then a small voice pulled me back entirely.

“Nanna p>

I turned my head and gasped. Elliot. My sweet boy, kneeling beside me, cheeks flushed, eyes wide and shining with something too heavy for a child.

“Elliot,” I breathed, my hand flying to cup his face. “What are you doing here? You shouldn’t p>

He cut me off with a smile, so proud, so sure. “I’m saving the day, Nanna. And making sure Pa doesn’t cry anymore because you were sleeping.” He nodded toward the glowing crystal in his hand, now fading as he lifted it away from my chest.

Oh gods. My heart clenched, and I pulled him close, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Oh, you sweet, little boy.” My voice broke. “How did we get so lucky with you p>

He hugged me back fiercely, as if afraid to let go.

When I finally looked up again, Charles was still staring down at me. The way he looked at me made my chest ache all over again, like I was both the wound and the balm. His cheeks were still wet, tears cutting paths through the grime of battle, and I reached up with a trembling hand to wipe them away.

“What happened?” I whispered, my throat raw. My gaze flicked past him to the wreckage of the hill, to the bodies being tended, to the blood that painted the earth. “Is everyone… okay p>

Charles swallowed hard, his jaw working. He glanced away for a moment, as if the weight of answering was almost too much, then looked back at me. His hand covered mine, holding it to

his face.

“The short of it?” he said, voice low and steady, though I could hear it crack at the edges. “We were attacked. Harder than we ever expected. Envy shifted… the witches came for her and the baby. Felix gave half his soul to keep her alive; she took the whole of Salira’s to complete the shift. Zion nearly lost Theo. Aleisha and Tommy…” his breath hitched, “…they died, Mil. But

Envy brought them back. Our daughter brought them back. She sacrificed her own life for them. Everyone was in pieces…and then Elliot

howed up.” He looked proudly at Elliot, “He saved everyone p>

Tears blurred my vision as I pulled Elliot tighter against me, grounding myself in the fact that, against all odds, we were still breathing.

Charles kissed my forehead, his hand lingering in my hair. “We lost too much tonight. But we’re still here. And we’ll make damn sure no one ever touches our family again p>

The world blurred in and out until new shapes filled it. My daughters, my sons. They came to us battered, bloodied, but still on their feet. Envy stumbled on the last few steps before falling to her knees beside me. The second her arms wrapped around me, the dam broke. We cried into each other’s shoulders, tears hot and salt–heavy, sobs shaking through us both.

“My girl,” I whispered, clutching her tight, needing to feel that she was really here, alive. “You’re here p>

She nodded against me, but the tremor in her chest told me how close it had been. My hand slipped from her back down to her middle, pressing softly, instinctively. I pulled back just enough to look her in the eye.

“The baby?” My voice cracked. I laid both hands over the swell of her bump. “Is the baby okay p>

Everything stilled. My boys froze where they stood, chests heaving, eyes fixed on Envy. Even Charles went rigid at my side, his arms tense around me as if he already braced for the answer.

Envy’s mouth opened, then closed. She shook her head, her voice hoarse. “I’m not sure p>

The silence was heavy enough to crush.

“Well…” I said firmly, wiping my tears with the back of my hand and shifting my weight against Charles. “Charles, help me up. We need to get to a doctor. We need a scan, now p>

“Milly…” Charles tried, but I cut him off with a look that had carried through decades and raised four sons and a daughter who thought they knew better.

“No,” I snapped. “Don’t you argue with me. She just fought for her life and that baby’s, and I’ll be damned if we sit around waiting to see if fate is kind. We move. We go. Now p>

Back into mother mode. That was the only thing holding me together. There were orders to give and steps to take. My family had just nearly died. My grandbaby’s fate was still a question

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Chapter 163

mark. And I wasn’t about to waste a second finding out the answer.

Elliot

I cleared my throat, suddenly remembering the small, glaring problem. “I should probably go tell Mumma, Dad, Elias, and Macey I’m okay. I may or may not have… snuck off p>

The reaction was immediate. Xavier’s sharp inhale cut through the air like a blade. Noah gave a sharp tut, his jaw tight. Levi grumbled under his breath, shaking his head like he was already planning the lecture. Haiden, though, threw his head back and laughed, reaching out to rough up my hair.

“You’re going to give someone a bloody heart attack one of these days, kid,” he said, grinning despite the blood on his jaw.

I straightened my shoulders, poked out my tongue, and fired back, “Yeah? Well, at least I have a crystal that can bring the dead back p>

The field went quiet for half a beat. Their eyes, my dads, my uncles, my whole family, shifted toward me. Not angry. Not scolding. Something heavier. Something I didn’t quite understand. The crystal pulsed faintly in my pocket, warm against my palm when I touched it. I thought of Mum, gasping back into life, her eyes locking on mine, telling me off for swearing even though she’d almost died. I thought of Aleisha and Tommy sitting up, dazed and alive–Theo’s shocked breath. Nanna is smiling at me again, and I pointed to her, “See?” I said, a little softer. “It was worth sneaking out p>

Haiden gave me a look I couldn’t read, something between pride and heartbreak, then pulled me into his chest with one arm. “You’re impossible,” he muttered into my hair. And for once, I

didn’t argue.

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