BLOOD OF MY HEART, MY TIDES, MY MOON.
BLOOD OF MY HEART. MY SALVATION, MY DOOM.”
She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, when she saw Ethan’s eyelids struggling to open.
“Ethan!” For a split second, their eyes met.
Ethan fought for breath, clearly trying to speak. Genevieve pressed her ear closer to his lips and she could feel his warm breath on her cheek.
“I never believed your daddy when he said it was impossible for a Caster and a Mortal to be together. We would have found a way. I love you, Genevieve.” He pressed something into her hand. A locket.
And as suddenly as his eyes opened, they closed again, his chest failing to rise and fall.
Before Genevieve could react, a jolt of electricity surged through her body. She could feel the blood pulsing through her veins. She must have been struck by lightning. The waves of pain crashed down on her.
Genevieve tried to hold on.
Then everything went black.
“Sweet God in Heaven, don’t take her, too.”
Genevieve recognized Ivy’s voice. Where was she? The smell brought her back. Burnt lemons. She tried to speak, but her throat felt like she had swallowed sand. Her eyes fluttered.
“Oh Lord, thank you!” Ivy was staring down at her, kneeling beside her in the dirt.
Genevieve coughed and reached for Ivy, trying to pull her closer.
“Ethan, is he…” she whispered.
“I’m sorry, child. He’s gone.”
Genevieve struggled to open her eyes. Ivy jumped back, as if she’d seen the Devil himself.
“Lord have mercy!”
“What? What’s wrong, Ivy?”
The old woman struggled to make sense of what she saw. “Your eyes, child. They’re… they’ve changed.”
“What are you talkin’ about?”
“They ain’t green no more. They’re yellow, as yellow as the sun.”
Genevieve didn’t care what color her eyes were. She didn’t care about anything now that she’d lost Ethan. She started to sob.
The rain picked up, turning the ground under them to mud.
“You’ve got to get up, Miss Genevieve. We have to commune with the Ones in the Otherworld.” Ivy tried to pull her to her feet.
“Ivy, you’re not makin’ sense.”
“Your eyes—I warned you. I told you about that moon, no moon. We have to find out what it means. We have to consult the Spirits.”
“If there’s something wrong with my eyes, I’m sure it was because I was struck by lightnin’.”
“What did you see?” Ivy looked panicked.
“Ivy, what’s goin’ on? Why are you actin’ so strange?”