After Valerie left, Lenora fell into a fitful sleep full of disjointed and bizarre dreams. She was lying in a hospital bed, Wolf Tyrone beside her. He was crying and caressing her cheek, begging her to come back to him. I’m here, Wolfman. I’m just asleep but can’t wake up for some reason. I’m alive, sweetheart! Don’t cry. Oh, please, darling, don’t cry. I’m all right. I promise ye, I’m all right. Why could she not wake up, and why did Tyrone think her dead?

Aurora was sitting on her bed, her little head bowed, her voice humming softly. Oh, her little girl had such a beautiful, strong voice, so mature and developed for her age. But oh, the grief and sadness in it now!

“Raindrops on a window pane
Stillness of a summer rain
Silently the haze drifts through the trees
Slowly dawn is breaking through
Yet a morning without you

Curtains rustling in the breeze
I’m still trapped within my dreams
Daylight makes its way into my mind
Coming through
Yet another morning without you”

That tune sounded so familiar but the words were somehow different than she’d ever remembered hearing. In the dream, Lenora tried to call out to her daughter and reach for her. No sound came, nor could she move to hold her close. Aurora…sweetheart. Ma’s here. Ma’s right here, my darling Aurora. I haven’t left ye, my sweet girl. Ma’s here…I’m right here. But Aurora couldn’t hear her. Why couldn’t she make Aurora hear her?

Crystal was at the mailbox retrieving what was inside, muttering darkly about bills, junk mail, and letters from charities begging for the Landgraabs’ and Athertons’ donations. “Guess it’s about that time for yearly donations, I suppose. Somehow, it just doesn’t seem important anymore. Oh, Calista, give us all the strength to get through this. It’s just not getting any easier for any of us.”

Seeing a boy with unmistakable red hair approach on his bicycle, Crystal dashed away a few tears that traced their way down her cheeks. Once dry eyed, she opened her arms to receive Carson in her warm embrace. “Hey, sweetie, how are you?”

“Oh, I’m OK, I guess,” Carson said, returning the hug.

Crystal took a step back to look into the troubled face of the young boy. “You look like you’ve been crying. Has something happened?”

Carson looked away and angrily swiped his hands across his damp cheeks. “Damnation! I’m nothing but a big baby.”

Crystal studied Carson intently for a moment, then hugged him again. “You still miss her, don’t you? Your Aunt Lenora, that is.”

“How did you…?”

“I see it in your aura, honey. Hey, listen to me. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. You love her and miss her terribly. We all do, and believe me, you’re not the only one around here blubbering.” She ruffled Carson’s hair and offered him a tremulous smile.

Carson burst into fresh tears, falling into Crystal’s arms again, and clinging to her as though he were drowning in the ocean. “I was cleaning out my desk today…Ms. Duncan makes us do it every nine weeks. I found m-my book report th-that Aunt Lenora helped me with…the one I g-got an A on. It’s the last one sh-she helped me with b-before she went away. I c-couldn’t help it, C-crystal…I had to r-run to the bathroom before the whole class s-saw me bawling.”

In the dream, Lenora was a spectator, every disjointed scene playing before her like a bad movie. She could cry in the dream, and she did. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to get to Carson, to fold him into her arms. Och, Carson, sweetheart! Forgive your old Auntie Lenora. I’m so sorry I made ye cry, my darling. I was so proud of ye for that book report. Ye deserved that A. Ah, ye worked so hard on it, and it was my pleasure to help ye, sweetheart. I love ye so much, dear. Aunt Lenora will always love ye ever so, so much.

All Crystal could do was hold him. She didn’t fight it as her own tears surfaced again. “I know what your auntie meant to you. We all miss her terribly. She was crazy over the moon for you. She’d be so proud of you.”

“It just isn’t right, Crystal. Why should Aunt Lenora be in the ground? It just isn’t fair! Why her?”

Crystal shook her head and wiped at her tears, then dried Carson’s with a fresh tissue. “I don’t know, sweetie. Sometimes bad things just happen to good people. It isn’t fair, but it’s beyond our control.”

“I wish I could have told her one more time how much I love her and gave her another hug,” Carson said, swallowing hard.

Crystal kissed his still damp cheek, then knelt before him so she was at eye level with him. “Aunt Lenora knew how much you loved her, sweetheart, and you never shorted her on hugs. The two of you had a very special relationship, and it’s those wonderful times you need to try to remember, okay?”

Och, Carson! Crystal is right. I do know ye love me, and your hugs were always so loving and fierce. I wish I could hug ye now.

“I’ll try.” Carson looked up at Crystal with big, pleading eyes. “I came here…because I wanted to ask you…I mean…”

“What is it, Carson?” Crystal asked, concern in her voice.

“I wanted to take some flowers to Aunt Lenora and I wondered…you see…I wondered if maybe you could make them bloom real nice. I mean, could you use your fairy magic to…you know…?”

Crystal smoothed his hair and kissed the top of his head. “Sure, sweetie, I can do that. I think your Aunt Lenora would like that very much.”

“I hope so. She always liked pretty things and when I made little cards for her and stuff. She…” His face crumpled for a moment but he managed to maintain some control. “I still wish I’d told her one more time I love her.”

“You can talk to her all you want at the cemetery, all right? Do you want to go right now?”

“Yes, please.” He was silent as Crystal led him to her car. She made a show of waving her fingers and transporting some flowers from her own garden. It made Carson giggle a little when she thrust them under his nose. “They smell so nice, and they’re so pretty already.”

“They’ll look and smell even prettier once we plant them and I make them bloom more. Now, buckle up and we’ll be off.”

Crystal backed away to give Carson his privacy once they’d arrived at the spot where “Lenora” was buried. He gently laid the flowers next to the tombstone and sat on the grass, moving his hands over the fresh blades in a caressing gesture. He then traced his finger over his aunt’s name and spoke in a choked voice. “Into Paradise may the angels lead you.”

From Simon Burch! Ah, that little prayer for Rebecca. Oh, Carson, I wish I could tell ye, all of ye, that I’m alive. How can I reach ye? Och, it grieves me so to see ye all so sad and grieving for me. I will make this up to all of ye one day. I swear it, Carson. For now, just know how much Aunt Lenora loves ye.

“I miss you, Aunt Lenora. I wish you weren’t gone. I wish…” He choked on a sob. “I wish I told you I loved you one more time. You never cared that I didn’t have wings. You always made me feel…like I belonged even though I don’t have any kind of magic like everyone else does.” He traced her name again with a loving finger. “I got a gold star in school today and an A on the book report you helped me with. I wish I could have told you…but…you went away. But maybe you knew anyway. You just always knew stuff like that. I hope wherever you are that you can see me. I wish…I wish I could have hugged you one more time.”

The dream changed again, and Lenora saw both sets of quads standing in the bedroom she’d shared with Tyrone. Mathilda and Grandda were there, too. When the picture came into sharper relief, clear strains of conversation came.

“Sometimes we just want to be in here. We can still feel her,” Jonas said.

“It makes us feel closer to her, like she’s not really gone,” Chris said, sitting up from where he’d been lying on the side of the bed Lenora had slept on.

“Her dresses…everything she wore…it still smells like her,” Andrea whispered.

“She’ll come back! I know she will, but…but oh, how I still miss her!” Tears stood out in Aurora’s eyes, and slowly made their way down her little cheeks.

Even as a wolf cub, Chris was able to act with lightening-fast reflexes. He sprang to his feet, got to Aurora’s side, and pulled her in for a tight hug. He was always quick to tease his sisters, who gave it right back, but when it came down to basics, he was always there to protect them. “Don’t cry, sis. It’s gonna be okay.” Chris’s guttural wolf’s voice sounded in her ear.

“I know. It’s just…it’s just so sad. And with you and Andrea being wolfed out all the time…”

Och, my poor darlings! What have I done to all of ye? In the dream, Lenora couldn’t staunch the flow of tears that wet her cheeks and dripped to the floor.

“I know. It’s just…well, we couldn’t fight the urge, and maybe it’s best. Maybe we need to stay wolfed out so we can protect the rest of the family.” Chris rubbed his sister’s back and stroked stray tendrils of golden hair from her face. “Don’t cry anymore, Aurora. And all those sad songs you sing and play on the piano…it tears my guts up, you know. The way it makes me feel when you put your juice in it and all…” He trailed off, unable to find adequate words to continue the thought. Instead, he simply repeated his request that she not cry anymore.

“Sorry. I just…can’t help it.” Aurora sighed and wiped at her wet cheeks. “You do believe me about what I saw, don’t you? You know, about Ma coming back.”

“Sure,” Chris said, squeezing her again. The other kids murmured their agreement. If Aurora said she had a vision of something, they knew better than to question it. Aurora’s visions were always spot on.

Liam and Mathilda exchanged a look and then both nodded. “Your visions have never been wrong, sweetheart.” Mathilda didn’t comment further. There was still so much unexplained strangeness about all of it, and the children were way too young to be hearing much of it.

In the dream, Lenora smiled for the first time. I will find a way back, Aurora. I swear that to ye here and now. Oh, my darlings, I will find a way back to ye. I…will…come…back!

“I think we should skip the birthday party,” Albus said. “It’s been so danged awful around here that none of us feels much like celebrating.”

“Nonsense, lad!” Liam proclaimed. “Your grams would want ye to have a lovely birthday. Ye become a teenager only once, after all.”

“Besides, your cousin Lauren made it home. She missed you all very much, and you’d really hurt her feelings if you didn’t let her help plan a big bash for you all,” Mathilda said.

The dream shifted a final time to a half-awake, half-asleep Lauren. She watched as Lauren then arose from her bed and padded to the door. Lenora heard the soft creak as Lauren slowly opened it a crack, then listened.

“Are you sure? Yes, Tyrone did seem agitated at something before the funeral, and you said you thought something was off. And Mathilda agrees? Does anyone else know that Tyrone wants Lenora exhumed? These things take time…yes, I understand. Yeah, that’s wise…let the kids celebrate their birthday and then tell them what they need to know when they need to know it. Mmm, hmmm, yes, they’ve been through enough already…yes…certainly. Theresa and I will be over at first light. Oh, listen, Lauren shocked the hell out of us when she arrived home last night. Yes, poor girl is exhausted…got more than she bargained for on that trip. Yes, fine…OK, I will. Lauren sends her love to everyone. Oh, do you want me to keep this quiet…just between all of us or should Robin and Lauren be privy to this info? OK…yeah…perhaps they can. They’d want to help and with Robin’s connections in the Department, we might be able to get this sped up a bit. I understand. Yeah…definitely…for Tyrone’s sake and the sake of the children, answers need to be found. Right then. See you at Tyrone’s at sunup.”

Oh yes! Exhume what ye think is me! It was not me ye buried. Please…please find me! Please know that I’m…

As the dream started to let go, Lenora heard another voice and felt gentle hands stroking her hair. “Lenora, sweetie, wake up.” A gentle shake. “Lenora…time to wake up!”

“Mrs. Landgraab, it’s Dr. Hughes. I’ve come to help yo. Can you hear me?” Another voice. A familiar voice…one that she didn’t know for long but one she knew nonetheless.

“Oh, hell, Neil! She’s drenched in sweat, and she’s been crying.”

“It’s no wonder, being in a place like this. Looks like she’s been having bad dreams.”

“Lenora…it’s Valerie. I need you to wake up now. I brought Neil here to check you over.” Gentle hands wiping at her wet cheeks. Have I been crying? Och, I must have been. Valerie said so.

“She has a raging fever.” The man cursed. “Let’s hope you got me here in time.”

A groan escaped Lenora, then she produced a ragged, wet sounding cough. “Ouch! Dammit to Hell and back!” Her eyes slowly opened, then she blinked in bewilderment. “How…long?”

“I was gone around two hours,” Valerie said, applying a damp cloth to Lenora’s forehead. “Looks like you were having some rough dreams.”

“Yeah.” She closed her eyes again but opened them seconds later. “Disjointed…bizarre…but I think…”

“What? Can you remember them?” Valerie asked, reaching for Lenora’s hand.

The weakened witch nodded, wincing at the pain it caused her head. “Every detail. I think…I think they were visions. They haven’t come to me like that in a long time, in dreams, I mean. The wee ones…they were talking about not wanting a birthday party. They said they could still feel me, and Aurora said she knew I’d come back. But she’s been singing such sad songs…and using her magic in them. Crystal took Carson to the cemetery where I’m supposedly buried. Tyrone was with me after I…after…” She bit her lip but forced herself to continue. “Lauren is home…and I heard Cian talking on the phone to someone…your father, I think…about having me exhumed. Valerie…has this all happened?”

“All this has happened except the exhumation, and things are still happening, Lenora. You’re weak right now and so is your magic, but apparently, your visions are still functioning, at least to some degree,” Valerie replied.

“I tried to reach them…all of them…but I couldn’t. Oh, this is torture! What have I done to everyone I love?” A lone tear rolled down Lenora’s cheek. “I want to get out of here. I need to get out of here. Please…please help me.”

“That’s what we’re going to do, Mrs. Landgraab. Valerie brought me here to help you get your strength back. You’re going to need it if you’re going to make it out of here. Do you remember who I am?” the doctor asked.

“Aye, I do. Ye looked after me…in the hospital.” She reached her free hand out for Neil, who took it and squeezed. “I thank ye for all ye tried to do for me.”

“I wish I could have done more, but by Ariadne, I will this time.” Neil gently disengaged his hand from her grip and rifled through the bag he’d brought with him.

“I know,” Lenora whispered. “Please help me, Dr. Hughes. I don’t want to die in here.”

“I will. I swear that to you, Mrs. Landgraab. On my life, I swear that to you, and I will see that you are well.”

Author’s Note: I know this doesn’t get us very far, but I had some screenshots from the original work on Blogger that I wanted to use. I couldn’t think of an appropriate place so decided to have Lenora have dream visions of stuff that happened. I promise, there is a method to my madness. Perhaps Lenora was able to make a connection with one or more of her family members without knowing it. Maybe seeing them in dream visions will give her the strength to keep fighting to get back to them. More will be revealed in the next few chapters, and major events will start happening at a good clip quite soon.

The lyrics to the song Aurora was singing is from From a Twinkling Star to a Passing Angel by ABBA. It’s a collection of demos done before the group came up with the final release of Like an Angel Passing Through My Room. I’m so glad I found this recording, as I loved seeing how the song evolved into what it finally became. You can listen to it here if you are interested.

You can find the lyrics to the entire thing here.

As always, thank you all so much for reading, writing, commenting, liking, and subscribing. Words can’t express how thankful I am for all of your support.