waiting for her all this time and she had no choice but to let it happen.
Her mom sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb any of the magical items. She took Briar’s hand in hers and kissed it.
‘I’m here,’ she said. ‘So is your dad. We won’t leave you.’
Her father was on the other side of her now, near the headboard, taking her right hand in his.
‘I love you. I’m so sorry. I don’t . . . listen sometimes,’ he said.
‘Only sometimes?’ Briar said, trying to joke. It fell flat.
‘It’s my fault,’ her mom said. ‘It always has been. I see now we should have told you a long time ago.’
What kind of life would she have led if she had known? Why follow the rules? Why not drink or use drugs or sleep around? What would it have mattered?
Then I wouldn’t have been me.
It was too late to apologize for the million little mistakes she’d made over the years. The regrets for the things she’d done, and left undone. It all came down to this last moment
and she knew whatever she said would weigh on her parents for the rest of their days.
‘I love you, both of you,’ Briar said. ‘I will always love you, no matter what.’
Both her parents were weeping now, Reena as well. In all her years, Briar had never seen her friend cry like that, not even when she’d totally wiped out on her bike.
Lily rose and moved to the end of the bed so Briar’s dad could take her place on the chair.
‘The curse will take effect – we can’t stop that,’ the old woman said. ‘But yer a strong girl and ya got too much to live for. Ya need to fight it. Fight hard.
Don’t let it win. Ya understand?’
‘I can fight it? Will that really work?’ Briar asked.
Please say yes.
‘Don’t know,’ Lily admitted, her steel-grey brows furrowed. ‘But givin’ into evil is never right.’
‘I’ll try,’ Briar replied, though she had no idea how to do that.
Her dad’s hand encompassed her wrist, causing the charm bracelet to dig into her skin. She remembered Joshua giving it to her. Now she wished she had kissed him.
Downstairs, the clock began to chime the hour. It was nearly midnight. Reena clicked off the overhead light, leaving the room bathed in the candles’ gentle glow.
This is it.
As her parents and her best friend gave way to their grief, only Lily seemed calm. Her creaking voice prayed, ‘By the power of the Almighty and the grace of Saint Peter and Saint Expedite,
the healin’ strength of Archangel Raphael . . .’
Briar grew uncomfortably sleepy, her eyelids heavy as her vision tunnelled, her vision greyer with each breath. It was as if her body were disconnecting her from this world, one sense at a
time.
Is this what it’s like to die?
As the clock struck its final note, she felt a ripple of cold roar through her body. She startled at the sensation.
A life for a life
, a dark voice whispered deep in her mind.
‘A life for a life,’ Briar repeated as faint gasps came from around her. ‘Goodbye.’
Then she forgot how to breathe.
Briar found herself on a road that seemed familiar, like the one near Bliss that led to the lake. A thin moon hung high in the air and the night was muggy. She became aware of
someone walking next to her, a boy, but she couldn’t tell who it was. He was talking about a movie they should see.
No. Not again.
She knew this dream. It’d haunted her for the last two weeks. Was this her personal hell, to die over and over for eternity?
From behind her came the sound of a car engine and she turned, only to be blinded by the oncoming headlights. There was the screech of brakes, the skid of tyres on gravel. The boy issued a
warning cry, then rending pain cut through her the instant the car struck her straight on.
Briar felt her body fracture as metal met mortal flesh. With a thud, she hit a tree, cracking her spine like a brittle chicken bone. As she lay on the warm ground, she could hear the boy
sobbing, the sound of someone wailing. She felt
Her mom sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb any of the magical items. She took Briar’s hand in hers and kissed it.
‘I’m here,’ she said. ‘So is your dad. We won’t leave you.’
Her father was on the other side of her now, near the headboard, taking her right hand in his.
‘I love you. I’m so sorry. I don’t . . . listen sometimes,’ he said.
‘Only sometimes?’ Briar said, trying to joke. It fell flat.
‘It’s my fault,’ her mom said. ‘It always has been. I see now we should have told you a long time ago.’
What kind of life would she have led if she had known? Why follow the rules? Why not drink or use drugs or sleep around? What would it have mattered?
Then I wouldn’t have been me.
It was too late to apologize for the million little mistakes she’d made over the years. The regrets for the things she’d done, and left undone. It all came down to this last moment
and she knew whatever she said would weigh on her parents for the rest of their days.
‘I love you, both of you,’ Briar said. ‘I will always love you, no matter what.’
Both her parents were weeping now, Reena as well. In all her years, Briar had never seen her friend cry like that, not even when she’d totally wiped out on her bike.
Lily rose and moved to the end of the bed so Briar’s dad could take her place on the chair.
‘The curse will take effect – we can’t stop that,’ the old woman said. ‘But yer a strong girl and ya got too much to live for. Ya need to fight it. Fight hard.
Don’t let it win. Ya understand?’
‘I can fight it? Will that really work?’ Briar asked.
Please say yes.
‘Don’t know,’ Lily admitted, her steel-grey brows furrowed. ‘But givin’ into evil is never right.’
‘I’ll try,’ Briar replied, though she had no idea how to do that.
Her dad’s hand encompassed her wrist, causing the charm bracelet to dig into her skin. She remembered Joshua giving it to her. Now she wished she had kissed him.
Downstairs, the clock began to chime the hour. It was nearly midnight. Reena clicked off the overhead light, leaving the room bathed in the candles’ gentle glow.
This is it.
As her parents and her best friend gave way to their grief, only Lily seemed calm. Her creaking voice prayed, ‘By the power of the Almighty and the grace of Saint Peter and Saint Expedite,
the healin’ strength of Archangel Raphael . . .’
Briar grew uncomfortably sleepy, her eyelids heavy as her vision tunnelled, her vision greyer with each breath. It was as if her body were disconnecting her from this world, one sense at a
time.
Is this what it’s like to die?
As the clock struck its final note, she felt a ripple of cold roar through her body. She startled at the sensation.
A life for a life
, a dark voice whispered deep in her mind.
‘A life for a life,’ Briar repeated as faint gasps came from around her. ‘Goodbye.’
Then she forgot how to breathe.
Briar found herself on a road that seemed familiar, like the one near Bliss that led to the lake. A thin moon hung high in the air and the night was muggy. She became aware of
someone walking next to her, a boy, but she couldn’t tell who it was. He was talking about a movie they should see.
No. Not again.
She knew this dream. It’d haunted her for the last two weeks. Was this her personal hell, to die over and over for eternity?
From behind her came the sound of a car engine and she turned, only to be blinded by the oncoming headlights. There was the screech of brakes, the skid of tyres on gravel. The boy issued a
warning cry, then rending pain cut through her the instant the car struck her straight on.
Briar felt her body fracture as metal met mortal flesh. With a thud, she hit a tree, cracking her spine like a brittle chicken bone. As she lay on the warm ground, she could hear the boy
sobbing, the sound of someone wailing. She felt
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