Lauren Kirk-Cohen concludes her series, The Price of Life with...

...continues from The Price of Life III

I give my head a little shake, as though trying to clear it. “What do you mean?”

The woman gestures to our glowing surrounding. “Sit down. I have a story to tell you.”

I glare suspiciously at her. Eric is dying; I don’t have time to listen to stories.

“Not a breath will pass in this space between time,” she reminds me.

I sigh and sink onto the floor in front of her.

“I am Marenda, one of your distant ancestors,” she says. “Everything you know about magic, every price you have suffered, it is because of me. It used to be that there was no price for magic. Everyone used magic for good. We used it to heal, to make objects of beauty. We helped to build and to repair. Many had magic. It was passed along in families like any characteristic such as brown hair or green eyes.

“Then it all changed. My fiancé died in a hunting accident. I went totally crazy. I would do anything to save him. I refused to accept that he was dead. I used magic to navigate the world to the dead, and make a deal for his soul with the lord of the underworld. I said I didn’t care what the price was. I just wanted him back.

“The underworld lord granted me my wish. He also extracted his price. Not long after the two of us were back together, people started dying. All over the land, a wave of death swept through. In the end, there were only a few of us left.

“The gods knew that nothing like that could happen again, that humanity would not survive it. They changed magic, making it harder. A person wanting to use magic would have to go through years of study and vigorous training before they could perform even the simplest spell. Worst of all, they decreed that all magic shall come at a great and terrible price.

“This effectively stopped people using magic for most things, which decreased the risk of it being misused. Of course, it could seldom be used for good, either.”

Marenda smiles at me. “We have been waiting for one such as you, Clara, for a long time. Those of us who lived in those times made a deal with the gods that one day, should humanity prove worthy again, they would take back the harsh penalties for using magic and allow it to be used freely, without a price, once more.

You are my direct descendent, and you did what I could not. You made the choice I didn’t make, the one I was too selfish to make, and in so doing, you have satisfied the gods. Magic will no longer be a curse on the land, but a gift.”

I stare at her long after she has stopped speaking, still trying to take in the enormity of what she is saying. “So… so…”

“Eric won’t die, Clara,” she says gently, answering my unspoken hope. “You will have the power to heal him, without any price being extracted.”

“And the people in my village?”

“All fine, thanks to your sacrifice. You’ll be able to heal most ailments now. Only you have natural magic, but your children will inherit it. The sorceresses who worked so hard to master magic will now be able to practice it without the terrible price attached.”

I have a thousand more questions, but the lure of curing Eric is too much. “Can I go now?” I ask.

Marenda smiles. “You have magic now. If you want to end this half state between seconds, you may do so. Don’t think about it; your instincts will guide you. You come from a long line of magic users.”

I try to do as she says. I close my eyes, imagining power flowing out of me, setting everything back to how it was. Nothing happens. I open my eyes to tell her so, but when I do, she is gone. Eric’s breath is rattling again.

I don’t hesitate, but place my hands over his chest. I don’t know how to do this, but I know that I love him, and that I will do anything to heal him, and I guess that is enough. My hands start to glow and Eric’s breathing quietens. I cautiously remove my hands and peek at his face. His eyes are bright and alert.

“Eric,” I breathe. I throw myself over his chest, trying to hug and kiss every part of him at once.

“Clara – what –?”

“You’re ok,” I whisper. “We’re all ok.”

There will be time to explain, time to experiment with the new gift of magic, but now, I just put my hand on Eric’s chest, feeling his heartbeat, thanking the gods that he’s alive.

#The End#

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