Chapter thirty-one

As Norman held Angela with the vines that I still had no idea how he was doing it, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kayla get to her feet. However, the anger emitting from her had me faltering and gritting my teeth. I'd hope with some training that I could stop anger from hurting me.

"How dare you go after my daughter!" Kayla sneered and advanced toward us.

"ENOUGH!" a feminine voice bellowed and a wave of what I can only describe as pure magic washed over the entire forest.

Confused, I looked up.

Hayden's mother stood before us. She was different. Instead of her being in a white flowing gown and barefooted like the last time I saw her, this time, she was dressed in a black and green dress. Her turquoise eyes narrowed as an air of authority surrounded her. "Kayla, you are hereby under the judgment of the Rivenia Kingdom. We are here to return Angela to her rightful place."

Kayla's eyes narrowed as confusion swirled around her. "Rivenia Kingdom? Ha! Everglade is no more. You can't possibly use that authority against me."

Hayden's mother smirked. "I certainly can considering I used to be the queen of Rivenia."

Kayla's face paled. "No." She then glared as anger rose. Purple smoke swirled around her. "You can't be... How dare you come and try and take my daughter from me?"

Hayden's mother didn't seem fazed. She just stood her ground. "This girl is not your daughter. You took her away from her real parents."

Angela looked at Kayla with pleading eyes. "Mom."

Kayla gasped. "How dare you?"

Hayden's mother took a few steps forward as rage surged through the air. "How dare I? How dare you? You've killed three people and nearly killed my son and his friend. I will not stand for this."

Angela struggled against Norman's vines. "Mom!"

"Can we hurry this up?" asked Norman painfully. I could see he was struggling. Sweat was breaking out on his forehead and his eyes were pinched. "I can't keep this up forever."

"Weston..." Hayden whispered.

My eyes went to Hayden. He had his eyes closed, but I could feel the pain coming from him. I clenched my hands around his cold ones to keep myself grounded. Rain immediately started pouring. The emotions from everyone were getting to me.

Finally, I had enough!

"Stop!" I yelled.

Everything came to an instant stop. The loud voice, the sound of heavy breathing, the struggle of the vines, the painful emotions, all of it just...stopped. All except the rain that was pouring heavily around us, but unsurprisingly not touching me.

I bathed in the calmness for a few minutes before I said, "Norman, let Angela go."

Norman blinked. "But..."

"Do it, please?"

Reluctantly, I watched as Norman took his hands off the ground. The vines all but slithered back into the ground as Norman fell back. "Thanks."

The moment Angela was freed, she got to her feet. "Mom!" she yelled and started running towards Hayden's mother.

I tapped into my magic and tried to use the same magic I used at Chaplin Manor when I stopped that snake. I felt the warm rush of magic wash through my veins. Water swirled around her, keeping her enclosed.

Angela screamed and pounded on the wall of water on all sides. "No! Let me go!"

"I didn't say you could hurt Hayden's mother, Angela!" I yelled, clenching my fists tighter. "Norman, take care of Hayden for me."

Norman nodded, scurrying to Hayden's side while I walked toward Hayden's mother. Before I could take another step closer, a rough hand gripped my shoulder. I turned to find the man from the elevator. Thomas Bloomsdale. He was blue and translucent. I knew he was a ghost.

"Thomas Bloomsdale?" I asked.

Kayla's eyes pierced mine. "Where... How do you know that name?"

Thomas Bloomsdale looked at Kayla before looking at me. "Did you know she used to be a different person?"

I shook my head.

Thomas smiled. "She did. Before I did the unforgivable and cheated, Kayla used to be the sweetest, lovable woman any man would be happy to marry. And I was. Until that night." His regret pierced my heart like a dagger. "I was so incredibly drunk. I wasn't thinking. It never should have happened."

"You regret it deeply."

His piercing icy blue eyes landed on me. "I wish she could know how much."

Before I could respond, I found myself on my back, staring up at Kayla's bright red face. Furiousness was strong around her. "Tell me! How do you know Thomas?"

I gripped the earth, dirt caking under my nails. "I see him. He's here."

Kayla paled. "What?"

"Your husband. Ex-husband, I mean. He is here."

"You are making this up."

"I'm not. I can see his ghost. He wants you to know that he regrets that night. He was drunk."

Kayla's eyes pooled with tears. "Stop lying."

"I'm not." My eyes went back to Thomas who now knelt beside me.

"Tell her that Magpie never forgot her and that she loves her so much."

I nodded and looked back at Kayla. "Thomas wants you to know that Magpie never forgot you and that she loves you very much."

Kayla raised a hand to her mouth as she fell to her knees. "Maggie..."

Thomas got up and went to her side. He touched her shoulder but it passed through her. Kayla never shivered or made any indication she felt him. "I forgave you a long time ago, Kay. I know you didn't want to kill. But after you did, you changed. I watched you. I could never do much. It wasn't until you, Weston, that I finally could move around more freely."

I shook my head. "I didn't do anything."

Thomas smiled. "You did, boy. More than you know. I was eternally stuck on that elevator, watching over Maggie. The only time I could even move was when Kayla visited the apartment building. For the most part, me and Maggie and...and Christina were stuck."

"Christina?"

Instant rage flared through me and I lost the power to breathe.

"That witchy bitch!" sneered Kayla. "Christina. It was her fault. All her fault. And my stupid ex-husband's. He had an affair. He killed Maggie, not me! Maggie, she wasn't..."

The woman from the elevator appeared. "Maggie wasn't supposed to be on the elevator. It was tragic."

"She wasn't supposed to be there," I whispered.

Kayla's teary eyes widened.

Before either of us said anything, a purple ray blasted toward me.

I tried to use my magic, but I must have used too much energy already because I couldn't feel it. I even tried to get my legs to move, but they wouldn't.

My vision tunneled slightly.

"Shield!"

Suddenly, a turquoise shield appeared in front of me, causing the purple ray to bounce off.

"Leave the boy alone!" shouted Hayden's mother as she dropped her hand that had turquoise smoke evaporating.

Angela turned. "But..."

Hayden's mother grabbed Angela's arm. Her turquoise eyes seemed to glow with power. "You and Kayla just broke a very important magical law."

Angela's eyes widened. "W-what do you mean?"

"A witch or wizard does not harm innocents. You have already broken that law. But now I am here. I'm the judge and witness. When you killed the others, I had no proof or idea who was behind it. Now that you confessed and I witnessed you trying to harm Weston, I am now able to do this." Turquoise smoke swirled around Hayden's mother as he took out her wand. The crystal glowed black this time as she drew a symbol on Angela's hand.

Angela screamed and her pain resonated inside me, but it wasn't like the pain I felt with Hayden. This one was different.

Kayla screamed and pulled a dagger from her boot and charged. Without thinking, I ran and pulled Hayden's mother away.

We both fell to the ground just as a terrible scream erupted from Kayla.