Eyre pulled Mitena close. The younger sister was sobbing and was inconsolable. The Archbishop was speaking about the sacrifice Enid made to save the world. He was comparing it to the sacrifice of Jesus. It had taken Eyre months to confirm the death of her mother to the world. She had refused to lose hope that her mother would make her escape and show up like she had in the fourteenth century.

Mitena had been lost in a deep depression since Enid had vanished. Eyre had been doing her best to be mother to the child. Allison patted Mitena’s thigh tears in her own eyes. The basilica was filled to capacity with the approval of the family and the Vatican the affair was being broadcast worldwide. Maria sat on the opposite side of Eyre tears on her cheeks as well. She had her silver crucifix between her fingers.

When the ceremony moved to the gravesite where an empty coffin was buried the Archbishop motioned Eyre to join him to speak. She tried to release Mitena’s hand that was clutching onto hers with a firmness she had not expected ended up just bringing the child with her.

“My mother was many different things to many different people. To me she was simply my mother. Everything else seems to pale in comparison to that fact, at least to me. This is the second time she has sacrificed herself for me. The first, I was I her arms as I watched the arrows pierce her chest. I watched as she stood up afterwards barely hanging on, she killed the six attackers before collapsing. That was my mother, hanging on until the people she loved were safe.

She never considered herself a Saint. She had a colorful way of saying many things. Especially to people she respected and cared for.”

Eyre’s eyes went to Ezekiel who was standing near the back of the chairs.

“The world will never know her as I do, will never remember her as I do. Sitting on the stairs of our keep watching my twin brother and I chasing each other around the courtyard. How much she loved my father. How much she suffered to give birth to me. How our people looked to her with love and respect. I have always tried to live up to her, I have not always succeeded. In fact, as a child, I did not understand why she would leave us, I could not comprehend why God would take her from us. I mourned her then as I mourn her now.

If nothing else I want the world to remember Enid Aurelius, as a loving mother, and partner. She accomplished many things in her life, but she confided on me on several occasions, those were the things she was most proud of.

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My mother was strong. She overcame an abusive childhood. Her father would physically and sexually assault her so badly she would nearly die, but she persevered. So many women have similar stories. My mother is an example of what you can become even after that.

My mother was merciful. She rescued her father from a fate so disturbing I will not speak it, taught him about the modern world, helped him learn the error of his ways. Helped him redeem himself in all of our eyes.

My mother was wise. She understood the world in a way I never will.

My mother was selfless. We had planned to go into the portal with her, and as a family escape. She went into the portal alone, knowing she would destroy herself, but assuring our survival.

She was so many more things that I cannot express in words. But she was first, and foremost a mother.”

*****

Enid closed her eyes and prepared herself for oblivion only for her peaceful death to be shattered by a familiar voice.

“Thank God you’re alive!”

Enid’s eyes opened; She saw Lilith looking down at her.

“Mother, what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to get you out of here. Maria found me as soon she could, told me what you’d done, you silly child.”

“Get out of here, it’s going to collapse and kill you too!”

Enid grabbed Bloodseeker as she leapt to her feet.

“No let’s go.”

“I can’t, the Black Son is in Bloodseeker and where I go it goes, we’re bound. It is part of me.”

Lilith nodded.

“Give me the sword.”

“What are you talking about? You need to go! I’m the only one that needs to die here.”

“Give me the sword, given freely it will become my sword and you can leave.”

“It will kill you.”

“Either way it gets destroyed here and you can leave.”

“No, this is my job”

“Bullshit.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You sacrificed yourself for your daughter, how can you ask me to do less for my daughter?”

“I’m not your daughter, I’m just some baby you took pity on.”

“You chose Mitena as your daughter, does that make her any less your child? I chose you as my daughter. You may not be from my womb, but you are my child. Give me the sword. Let me do this one good thing. Not for God, not for humanity, but for you.”

Enid offered Bloodseeker blood tears began to form in her eyes. Lilith grabbed the hilt then shoved Enid through the portal as the remnants of the universe collapsed in on itself. The last words Enid heard from her mother were:

“I love you, Enid.”

Enid responded as she slipped through the portal.

“I love you mother.”

The world shimmered around Enid, and she saw the garden starting to form around her, then ran into a wall. The garden vanished and she began falling. She felt branches and leaves whipping at her face as she plummeted towards the ground. Her armor was out of power and so was she. She’d used most of her blood on the spell, the rest her body had used to attempt to heal her many injuries. The only mercy was the sun hadn’t risen yet so at least her inborn vampiric durability might spare her a third death.

“Shit!”

*****

Thank you for reading The Children of Atlantis. Enid will return in: Reality Shattered, Book 2 of this Series.