This is going to be a difficult test for me. I have never had to harm someone I cared for in order to free them except when I had to remove Elena's binding spell. That nearly broke me, even though I masked the pain that my soul felt it still plagues me. Now I must do something similar to Gran.
Vincent hugs me, “My love, look at me. In life, there will always be some pain. ‘Pain teaches you more than pleasure. Failure teaches you more than success. Poverty teaches you more than prosperity. Adversity teaches you more than comfort.’ -Mashona Dhliwayo. So let's see what we can learn from this.”
Vlad strokes my face, “Eva, this is the only way. Do you not think that she deserves control of her own mind?”
“Of course, I do. No one deserves to be trapped in their own delusions or ones others put in their heads.”
Sam says, “Snow White, we all trust you with our lives, our souls are no different.”
They all said in unison, "Everything will be fine." It does bring a brief smile to my face and I hope that they are right.
Eric kisses my cheek, “We are.”
Gabriel nods, “This will work.”
Morgan commands, “Do it now. End this!”
Chris screams, “No!!!” as he went to lunge at us and Simon followed. Vincent and Vlad froze them.
Vincent confirms, “They can watch but they can't move.”
Morgan adds, “The dampening ward will prevent them from linking to the packs here too.”
Gran shakes her head, “I don't understand.”
Gabriel squeezed her shoulder, “You must die to be truly free. Eva now.”
I couldn't bring myself to say it out loud, so I said the killing curse in my head. Gran slumped in her chair and I felt hatred pour off of Simon and Chris. I put my hands over my stomach and began to cry.
Gabriel says, “Vincent and Vlad, you must stay focused.”
As I cry, Sam positions me to face him and Eric comes beside us. Sam takes my head in his hands, “Eva, feel me.” He kisses me with complete abandon despite the saltiness of my tears. Eric hugs me from behind and moves my hair aside so that he can kiss my neck. I am cocooned in love even though I just ended a life.
Morgan and Gabriel come beside us. She says, “Eva, you need to remove her soul now,” as she drops an ankh into my lap, “Put her here.”
Sam says encouragingly, “You can do this.”
Vincent nods, “Love, do it please.”
Vlad adds, “We need to know. This impacts our children.”
He's right, but if I fail then I will have obliterated their great-grandmother.
Sam holds my head in his hands, “No! Eva, not just you, all of us. You said that you will always walk beside me. Now I walk beside you too. Please do this.”
I kiss him as I stand and walk over to Gran's body. I placed the ankh on her forehead as Levi instructed me. I chant to myself, ‘Please work, please work,' before I recite the spell to extract her soul. Before long, we see a white mist come out of her mouth and flow into the ankh.
Gabriel reaches out his hand, “Good, hand it here.” I placed it in his palm. He looked at Sam and Eric. “Hit me with everything you have,” he said as he placed the ankh over his heart and my mates blasted him with beams of light. I see theirs dim as the ankh begins to glow. Gabriel falls to his knees still clutching the ankh. It begins to shake.
Morgan says, “Eva, take it from him and destroy it.”
I take in a breath as I hurry over. I grab the ankh as it sears my hands. I tell myself over and over that I am both life and destruction. I remember Levi telling me how crucial it is that I believe. He told me a quote before we left, "Whatever You Believe with Feeling Becomes Your Reality.- Sean Croxton."
I let out a breath, “I believe,” as I gripped the ankh tightly in my hand. I felt it bend before it began to crumble. As it turned to dust, I let it fall from between my fingers like sand in an hourglass.
Gabriel instructs, “Now instead of letting it ascend, direct it back into her body.”
I take in a stilted breath as I reach for the glowing orb. I think that it will burn me, but instead, it is cool to the touch. I use my free hand to open her mouth before I push the orb inside of it. I hold her mouth closed. Seconds pass, but nothing happens.
“It's not working,” I say in anguish. Tears stream down my face, “She's gone!” as I collapse with heartbreak.