“I'm fine,” I muttered as I laid my tablet on the desk in front of me. “I just-”
The blast of the internet phone interrupted me. Flicking it on, Dave projected the image of my mother onto the board behind me. Swinging in my chair, I waited for the image to clear. My heart thumped hard in my chest as I waited for the message she would relay from the head of MI5.
“On behalf of the agency, I would like to thank you for succeeding in your mission to end Xvair Harvey and bring down the Paranormals for Freedom terrorist group.” My mother was stern faced, her cheek twitching slightly when she paused for breath. “Jake and Kate, you will receive commendations from the top, meaning that each of you will have a higher status in the agency. I congratulate you on a job well done and look forward to working with you on future cases.” Sighing, my mother looked directly at me. “Dave and Gemma, please join me at The Garden.”
The feed cut off, leaving a blank screen. Jake and Kate glanced at one another, their joy evident in the widening of their eyes. They had worked hard and deserved to be given a break in order to thrive at the agency.
Dave raised his eyebrows at me as he came out from behind his computer. He had been given the task of being my desk friend, and yet, when he had stepped out from behind his desk, he had become a formidable field agent. Maybe if I pleaded, my mother would allow him to have his job back.
“We better do as she says,” he said, holding out his hand to me.
Going over to the others, I squeezed them both in a hug. Kate smiled at me, her finger tapping my chest. “I miss your T-shirts.”
A smile came to me as I remembered the day before. When I had returned after the curry, I had asked Dave for a few moments alone. In my bedroom, I had packed up my book T-shirts in boxes. It was time to grow up and become a part of the real world.
“I'm still me,” I replied, laughing when she stuck out her lower lip.
“I can't help but agree,” Jake interrupted, tugging gently on my hair. “I used to look forward to seeing what sarcastic quote you'd wear for the day.”
“Oh, don't worry.” Taking his packet of sweets from his pocket, I winked. “The sarcasm hasn't gone anywhere.”
Skipping out of reach as the shifter tried to retrieve his sweets, I laughed as I grabbed Dave's hand with my free one. Before Jake reached us, I threw him the packet and flashed us out of the office.
“I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that, even though I've done it a thousand times,” Dave muttered, his eyes widening when they landed on the stone entrance to The Garden.
My mother hadn't used that name for our sanctuary in the woods for a long time. In fact, I had forgotten that we'd called it that in the first place. The last time we had been here, she’d helped me to visit the ancestors. There had been tension between us, but she still used her magic to aid me.
“This will be quick and painless.” Smiling up at Dave, I marched through the door and across the stone floor.
The flowers were in bloom, their scent cascading through the room and over me. Herbs and spices were glowing in the light from the glass windows. My mother stood by the stone table, her back straight and her shoulders high. Her hair fell loosely down her back, the swing of her long brown dress soft against the floor.
“This place is incredible,” Dave said, almost bowing to my mother as she came around the table to face us.
His eyes almost popped out of his head as she stepped forward, grabbed his arm and pulled him into a hug. This was a side to my mother that I hadn't seen since I was a child. It almost melted my heart. Almost.
“Thank you so much for protecting my daughter.”
Releasing Dave, she turned to me. I thought she might try and hug me too, but instead, she fell to her knees in front of me, taking my hands in a firm grip. “Please,” she cried, tears coming to her eyes as she looked up at me. “Forgive me. I've failed you, Gemma, I know that now.”
Swallowing as a lump surged in my throat, I held onto her fingers, not sure what to say. Her eyes were streaming tears, the liquid dropping down her cheeks. I had never seen my mother cry, it was slightly disconcerting.
“I was there last night, I arrived just as you finished Xvair. I saw how well your team worked to help you. They love you very much, which makes for a strong bond between colleagues.” Clearing her throat, my mother blinked through her tears. “I should've shown you that I still love you. When your father told me about the bet, a part of me distanced myself from you out of fear. How could I let my baby go through that? But, I didn't have a choice. The pact could not be broken.”
“You lost faith,” I said, trying my hardest not to rip away from her as the years of pain and thirst for love flooded me. “I've just defeated the man who not only made that bet, but who threw the ley line's magic completely off balance. I believed I could do it, because I wasn't going to let another witch determine my fate. Or that of the world.”
Crying harder, my mother dropped my hands and buried her head in her own. Her sobs resounded around us as I stared down at her.
Dave's soft nudge made me look at him. He didn't need to say anything, but
