Zachary paced the room as he waited for any news on his mother. He wished he had the answers to help her, but he didn’t. Zachary had given up using magic when he lost Ruby when he was younger. He was now reminded once again why he had distanced himself from the coven and the craft. Someone he loved always got hurt or killed. He was tired of losing the people he loved.

Zachary looked over at his beautiful woman. His heart filled with joy. After all the years of waiting for her to give him a second chance, Ruby opened her heart to him. He didn’t want to wait any longer. As soon as this was all over, he would marry this woman and put magic, the coven all behind him. He was happy with his job at the College, and with Ruby by his side, his life couldn’t be any happier.

He walked into his mother’s hotel room and was surprised to see Vita and Gretchen already there. “What’s going on?” Zachary asked.

Vita and Gretchen both turned to look back at Zachary. Gretchen walked over to him and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around his niece. This couldn’t be good.

Vita said, “They found a spell, but it’s dark magic and—”

“Dark magic comes with a cost,” Zachary finished. “So what now?”

“Logan wanted to do the spell, but we told him it wasn’t his decision to make; it was Madeline’s,” Vita clarified.

Zachary’s shoulders slumped. There was nothing they could do to save his mom. “Where are Amanda and Logan?”

Vita looked at Madeline and then back to Zachary, “They went to talk to Madeline.”

Zachary shook his head in confusion. “What?”

Vita sighed. “I can’t explain what is all happening at the moment; all I can tell you is that Logan is going to learn what Madeline wants from Madeline herself.”

Zachary pinched the bridge of his nose. He was feeling overwhelmed and didn’t know how to think about anything at the moment. He felt a familiar hand touch his back and gently rub it. He turned, and his heart warmed when he looked into those beautiful eyes that belonged to Ruby.

“Hey, maybe you should sit with your mom and tell her how much she means to you,” she suggested.

Zachary sighed and nodded his head. He was so thankful to have Ruby by his side as he said his goodbyes to his mother.

***

Logan and Merida walked through the shadows of Madeline’s memories. How was he going to find the right Madeline to talk with in all this chaos?

“Think about the happiest moment that you had with Madeline,” Merida hinted.

Logan closed his eyes and remembered the day he took her for a picnic and was going to tell her that he loved her. He opened his eyes and saw the park in front of him and two people sitting on a blanket surrounded by beautiful flowers. Logan noticed a bench nearby and a woman sitting by herself, watching the young couple.

He walked over and sat next to the woman when he realized it was Maddy.

“I remember this day as if it was yesterday,” Madeline told him.

“Maddy, there’s something I have to ask you,” Logan started.

Madeline sighed as she continued to watch her young self with the younger Logan. “I already know what you’re going to ask me, and the answer is no.”

Logan frowned at the answer. “But, Maddy…”

Madeline turned to Logan and smiled softly at him. “It’s too much of a risk, and I won’t take someone else’s life away from them just to live longer. I can’t do that,” she confessed.

Logan closed his eyes to try to push the pain he was feeling away. He was so close to having a happy ending with the woman he had waited for, and now it was all slipping away.

Madeline reached out and touched the side of Logan’s face. “Logan, I need you to promise me something.”

Logan nodded; he already knew what the question was going to be.

“Stay with me, please, until the end?” she asked him.

“I’ll take you myself and be with you the entire way,” he promised.

“Tell Zachary and Gretchen I love them.” Madeline got choked up as she asked him for her last promise.

He nodded as he wiped her tears from her face. “We will always have this moment to remember,” he whispered.

“I wish we had another,” Madeline confided.

Logan huffed a little and said, “Maybe in the next life.”

He pulled Madeline close and gave her a final kiss goodbye. Logan got up, walked back over to where Merida stood, and said, “I’m ready.”

Merida nodded, and with a snap of her fingers, they disappeared.

They reappeared a moment later back in the room where Madeline was lying. Her breathing was shallow, and he knew she didn’t have much time left.

Zachary looked up and saw Logan. “What did she say?” Zachary asked.

Logan looked at the younger man, some of his features reminded him of Madeline. It was killing him inside that he was going to have to tell Madeline’s son and granddaughter that she was saying goodbye.

“She told me to tell you and Gretchen that she loves you both very much,” Logan said quietly.

Zachary nodded in understanding and got up to console his niece, who was losing her grandmother, whom she had just been reunited with. Gretchen walked over and kissed her grandmother’s forehead before whispering she loved her.

Logan felt the presence of his brothers in the room. He walked over to them and stood with them for a moment.

“I’m sorry, Logan,” his younger brother said to him as he placed his hand on Logan’s shoulder.

“She asked me to be with her until the end. I want to be the one to take her,” Logan informed them.

“If that’s what you wish for, then we are here for you, brother,” Luke confirmed.

Logan took a deep breath before heading back over to talk with Zachary. “Your mother asked me to be with her until the end. I’ll take her where she needs to go.”

Zachary looked at Logan for a moment, confused but then realized what Logan meant. He silently stepped back from his mother and let the man take his mother. Ruby stood next to him with his hand in hers for reassurance. Vita and Gretchen held each other for support.

Logan allowed his cloak to show as he raised the hood over his head and then gathered Madeline into his arms to carry her away. He stood there with his brothers on each side of him as he waited for Madeline’s final breath to escape her.

Logan and his brothers disappeared shortly after, leaving the room cold and quiet for the rest of them to mourn in silence.