“Ah…” she breathed, her lips fully forming a smile.
“Can we, just… wait a few minutes?” I requested. “My parents and my best friend are on their way –”
“We can, if you want to battle the hewcrows,” she cut me off to reply. “The she-god is working to mount her next offense.” Clarabelle moved closer to me too. “She’s more powerful than me, my dear. It took great effort for me to vanquish her army. I have enough magic to send you both and his horse back, I do not have enough to beat back the creatures she’ll send in her second wave and send you back. This magic would replenish faster than what it will take to move you between worlds, but it would still be years before I can build up enough to ensure you and your love’s safe return.”
Her emphasis was not lost on me and my eyes shot to Tor as my heart clenched.
“There isn’t time to wait for Mom, Dad and Phoebe,” I told him, though he had to have heard, he was only a few feet away. Still, I watched his jaw clench.
“I’ll explain it, tell them you wanted to wait, Cora,” Noc said to me and my eyes moved to him. “Just get this done.” I swallowed and bit my lip. “Go, baby,” Noc urged gently.
I nodded at Noc, my eyes shifted to Tor and he lifted his chin in an “it’ll be all right” that, for the first time seeing that from Tor, didn’t make me feel all right.
Then I looked down at Clarabelle.
“If you expend all your magic, will that mean you’re vulnerable?” I asked her.
She didn’t answer but her face said it all.
“When my father comes, tell him I told him to give you the money… all of it,” I told her.
She shook her head. “I am a certain kind of witch and this is about love. And the kind of witch I am a witch is a protector of love, amongst other things. I have vowed this. It is my duty. This I do as my religion, Cora, dear. So, that’s –” she started to refuse and I squeezed her hands and I did this gently, but firmly, making my point.
“All of the money, Clarabelle,” I stressed. “You must promise to take it all. I can’t go unless I do my bit to keep you safe and maybe you can use that money to stay safe.” She looked ready to protest again so I said, “I can’t use it, honey. So you might as well and, trust me, my Mom and Dad are so not going to take no for an answer so you might as well save your energy.”
She gazed at me seeing nothing for a long moment before she nodded.
“Let’s get this done,” I whispered, her hands grasped mine tightly and she nodded yet again.
Then she said softly, “Harold has told me, if you could find a way to tell his Circe that he is doing well, he misses her and she is always in his thoughts, he would appreciate this greatly.”
“Absolutely, Clarabelle,” I whispered. “Please tell Harold we’ll do that as soon as we can.”
Clarabelle nodded again. Then she got ready for business and straightened her shoulders.
“You and the prince mount his horse,” she ordered, let me go and Tor moved to me.
Hooking me with his arm around the waist, he guided me to the door and gently moved me in front of him down the trailer’s rickety steps, joined me at my side when he’d descended and he walked us to Salem.
“Cora, I must know that you’re sure,” he whispered to me and I tipped my head back to look at him as he stopped us at Salem’s side.
“What choice do we have?” I asked.
He turned me into his front and his arms curved around me.
“I stay here, in your world, with you.”
I stared up at him.
“But the hewcrows –” I started.
“We’ll fight them back,” he stated firmly.
“And if she sends something else?” I asked.
“We’ll beat it,” he declared.
I kept staring but said no more.
“Cora, we will win.”
“They almost beat us with the first wave,” I reminded him.
“We will win,” he repeated.
“You can’t know that,” I told him.
“I do,” he replied.
“How?” I asked.
His hands lifted to frame my face and his head dipped so he was all I could see. “Because, after these last weeks, I know I will allow nothing to keep you from me. I will not go down fighting. I will stay standing until I taste victory.”
I pressed into his strong body, my hand lifting to curl around his neck and I whispered, “Tor.”
“Now, I must know, are you certain you choose my world?”
“You would stay here with me?” I asked.
Without hesitation, he replied, “Absolutely.”
I smiled into his face, feeling the weird sensation of my heart singing just as it broke.
“Then that’s good enough for me,” I whispered, his hands grew tight, his face asked his question and I turned my head to Clarabelle who was standing outside the trailer next to Noc. Tor’s hands dropped but his arms circled me again right before I called, “Send us back, please.”
She nodded. Noc looked at his feet. Tor’s arms grew tighter.
Then he let me go and moved us closer to Salem but I pulled slightly away, looked at his beautiful face and whispered, “One second.”
Then I ran to Noc, threw myself in his arms and gave him a big hug. He immediately hugged me back.
“Cora,” he whispered in my ear.
“Thanks, Noc,” I whispered over his shoulder.
“Can’t say it was fun, babe, but I can say it was an experience.”
I smiled into the darkness.
Then I said softly, “Sorry about your truck.”
“Shit happens,” he replied and I held on tighter.
I hesitated only a moment before I whispered, “I was right, you are perfect.”
I felt his face move to my neck.
“Be happy, baby,” he said on a squeeze of his arms and I nodded.
Then the tears filled my eyes.
“You’ll tell them?” I asked on a broken breath.
Another squeeze then, “Absolutely,” then another squeeze and a whispered, “Go to your man, Cora babe.”
I nodded my head, held on tight for another second and then let him go. Not looking back, I ran to Tor. The instant I got within arm’s reach, he caught me up and planted me on Salem, swinging up behind me before my bottom even settled.
Tor’s arm curled around me, he pulled my back tight to his front and I lifted my fingers to my cheeks to brush away the wetness.