𝔸 𝔽𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕕 𝕄𝕚𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕝𝕖

Chapter 12

"Abuela," Ravana said, her voice harsh. 

"Yeah, that's what I just said," Camilo retorted sarcastically. Again, he should probably stop joking around but he found it fun to aggravate Ravana, it was much easier than with his family who was use to it. 

Ravana growled at Camilo and raised her sword again. "Get out of the way!" She yelled at Abuela but Abuela didn't even move a muscle. 

"You'll have to kill me if you want to get to him," Abuela told her sister evenly. 

Ravana didn't even flinch. "I'll just kill both of you then." 

Abuela looked back at Camilo, her eyes urging him on, pleading him to get up, to keep going. He frowned, not understanding what was happening. Why shouldn't they just give up, they were all going to die anyway, even if he did get up. Then the meaning of what she was doing sunk in. She was merely distracting her sister. Trying to get Camilo a chance to attack Ravana. 

He remembered all those nights he'd practised to turn into animals till he could finally do it, but all that had payed off for was cleaning the drains, now it might come in more handy than anything else he could do. 

Adrenaline pumped through Camilo, making him forget the pain in his spine as he got up slowly to his feet. 

"Go ahead," Abuela told her sister. "My time is up but his is not."

He concentrated on the picture of a rat, his face creased in concentration. 

"Your time should have been up long ago, I should have killed you the second you got your miracle," Ravana scowled. 

Camilo felt himself begin to shrink, slowly turning into a rodent. Ravana didn't notice though, she was too distracted with Abuela. 

Abuela inhaled sharply. "Then kill me now, sister. But I will never let you do destroy my miracle. My family's miracle." 

Camilo the rat slowly scurried around Abuela and ran straight for Ravana, hoping she wouldn't notice. 

"You're too late for that!" Ravana scoffed. 

"Too late for what?" Camilo squeaked as a rat down by her feet. Oops, he realised too late. He probably shouldn't have done that. Blowing his cover was not part of the plan. 

Ravana scowled at him before plunging her sword right through Abuela's stomach. 

"Noo!" Camilo yelled but it was too late. The sword went right through her, the black blade showing no mercy. Abuela's eyes were wide in shock as blood started to seep from her wound. Her breathing became short, shallow breaths, her lungs fighting for air. Ravana took out the sword, the black iron now stained red from blood. Abuela's blood. Abuela fell to her knees, putting her hands over the wound. But it was no use. Blood poured through the cracks in her finger, dropping onto Casita's once pale tiles and staining them red. 

Pat, pat, pat.

Tears streamed down Camilo's cheeks, making the fur on his face wet. But he couldn't give up now, Abuela had died - no, sacrificed herself so that he could save the miracle, he couldn't let that be for nothing. He would avenge her, or at least try instead of sitting there crying. 

Ravana was already turned toward him, her sword raised to stab him as a rat. Quick as he could, Camilo turned into a fly and flew upward, away from the sword. His blood still buzzed with adrenaline as he dodged her swatting hands. Veering swiftly from side to side so he didn't get hit. As he was in mid-air Camilo focused on another animal, one more dangerous and felt himself changing that very second. He came out as the spitting image of Antonio's tiger, the one he'd nick-named Simber, and was on top of Ravana before she even had time to lift her sword. 

The impact must have been pretty hard though because Bruno, Luisa, Julieta, Dolores and Peppa all got back to their feet, leaving only Antonio, Isabella and an unconscious Mirabelle on the floor. Augustin and Felix were on their feet too, next to their wives. Camilo guessed they'd been on the floor when their Julieta and Peppa were, since they were married. Who knew, magic was way too confusing anyway. 

Camilo felt the adrenaline start to ebb off and was suddenly aware of the searing pain in his ribs and spine again but as he looked down he realised the pain wasn't just in his ribs. A large cut had opened up on his side, probably from Ravanas sword when he was turning out of his rat form to try and not get cut by the sword. Obviously it didn't fully work. He'd probably broken something as well, he wouldn't be surprised. As he turned back into his original form and rolled off Ravana, leaving deep claw marks in her back, Luisa came and kicked Ravana right into the wall. Well, at least he wasn't the only one with some broken bones. 

Everyone was back on their feet now, Isabella's thorns shooting through the air. Antonio got on his feet wobbly and put two finger to his mouth, whistling. Instantly his tiger Camilo had just shape shifted into burst into the room, dragging Ravana outside the doors of Casita. Not like she could say anything, she was unconscious after Luisa's punch and all that remained of her was a black iron sword, the colour of ash lying on the ground. 

Julieta ran over to Camilo, asking if he was okay.

"What does it look like?" He croaked. 

Julieta pursed her lips. "I'll go make you some food, after..." her voice faltered as she looked at Abuela. But Camilo understood. She needed to say goodbye to her mother first, that first priority before healing. 

Mirabelle, who had been brought back to consciousness just as Abuela had come, made her a hundredth attempt at standing and finally managed too. "Abuela..." her voice was soft, reminding everyone of what exactly they had lost in this fight. Something irreplaceable. Someone irreplaceable. They slowly made a circle around Abuela, Dolores helping Camilo to stand and letting him lean on her for support. 

Abuela's breathing was becoming shallower and slower at a rapid rate. "Mother!" Julieta whispered, kneeling over her mother as she slowly hung onto the last thread of life. 

"Stars don't shine they burn," Abuela's voice was quiet, but the words traveled easily through the air. Her head turned toward Camilo and her eyes focused on him, a small smile playing on her lips before she gave a sigh, her final breath released. Her eyes grew glazed over, staring far into the distance where no one else could see. Her body slowly lay still, lying in a puddle of blood. There was no hope left. She was gone. 

"Stars don't shine though burn," everyone picked up in a low harmony, trying to hang onto Abuela's last words. 

"Noo!" Peppa wailed, falling beside Abuela. 

Camilo felt hot tears run down his cheeks, dripping onto the ground. "It was my fault," he whispered as everyone's eyes turned to him. "I could have saved her if I'd been quicker, Ravana wouldn't have killed her, she'd still be here!"

"No," Mirabelle said quietly. "She sacrificed herself so that you could save the miracle, and you did. She didn't die because of you - we're all alive because of you. The miracles alive because of you."

Bruno slowly walked towards his mother, dropping on one knee and looking at her, a tear falling from his face. "I saw that this in a vision, I knew that this would happen. Maybe if I'd-"

"No," Julieta stopped him as she put a comforting arm arm around his shoulder, giving him a light squeeze. "She died to save us all."

Everyone was silent, hours went by as they stood there, silently grieving. Camilo walked over to Abuela and knelt silently. "Thankyou," he whispered, knowing that she would hear him somewhere else, somewhere safer where nothing could hurt her. Slowly, he reached out took her hand in his, resisting the urge to pull back. 

Her hand was as cold as stone.