Humming off-tune, she walked past Thom and Arthur, and
slipped the necklace over Minnie’s head.
Thom held his breath, watching, and at first he thought he
was only seeing what he wanted to, but no — there! Minnie’s dark
eyes came through as the white slowly faded away.
She took a deep, shuddering breath as though coming up from
beneath water. “Arthur?” she asked, eyes finding him first.
“Oh, Minnie!” Cora pulled her into a hug, crying into her
sister’s hair. “Minnie, you’re back!”
“Thank you,” Charles gasped. Thom’s heart broke to see how
pale he was, how his lips were tinged in blue, but how happy he
managed to look at the same time. His prayers had actually been
answered.
And that’s when Thom realized — his brother didn’t have
to die.
“Do it to Charles,” he said.
“Hmm?” Mary asked, pulling the necklace back over Minnie’s
head and tucking it into her own pocket.
“Charles. Do the spell on him. It’ll fix him, right? He
won’t die.”
Charles’s frown matched Mary’s. She looked at him, consider-
ing. “I don’t think he’s right for it.”
Standing shakily, Charles walked over to take Minnie’s hand,
drawing her close. Arthur hung back from all of them, eyes half-
hooded, lost in thought.
“I don’t think I want it,” Charles said.
“Charles,” Thom hissed, pulling him away from Minnie.
“Don’t be daft. You won’t die!”
Charles shrugged. “Look at Mary. Does she seem happy to be
immortal?”