Donna’s soothing voice shivered through the cold air of the chapel.
“Shh, it’s alright…”
Though it was the beginning of fall and the temperatures were slowly beginning to decrease, there was something warm about her words, almost like painless fire.
“It’s going to be okay…”
It almost distracted them all from the sound of shouting and screaming from outside.
“Your mother is strong,” Donna said, looking down at the trembling girl curled beside her with her head in her lap. She delicately ran nimble fingers through long red hair. “It will be alright.”
“Yeah!” Angie piped up from where she was being squeezed tightly by Cassandra. “She’ll kill them— Ack!! I see you inherited her strength, Cass…”
“Promise?” Daniela looked up at Donna, her heterochromic eyes shining with nervous tears.
“I promise.”
And then, there was a thundering boom from outside, so powerful it managed to shake the entire chapel they were taken refuge in. A light sprinkling of debris and dust dislodged from the ceiling and rained over their heads. Daniela burst into sobs all over again and Cassandra tightened her grip on Angie so much it was a wonder the doll didn’t shatter into thousands of pieces. The third Dimitrescu daughter was rigid by the doorway.
“It’s alright, it’s alright,” Donna said to Daniela. “Shh, bumble, it’s alright. It’s probably nothing.” She looked up. “Bela, get away from the door. Come over here.”
“No,” Bela said. “I have to wait for her. What if something went wrong? What if she was in that blast? I should go help her!”
“No,” Donna would have stood up if it weren’t for the crying girl clutching onto her. “I was instructed to watch you and that is what I am going to do, now please get away from the doors and sit down. You’re beginning to worry me.”
“Oh, I’m worrying you?” Bela snapped. “My mother, YOUR SISTER, is out there fighting and we’re stuck in here hiding like mice! We— we should be helping her! I should be helping her! I— If anything happened to her, I…”
Donna could see all the awful outcomes to the villagers’ attack on the Cadou meeting running frantically though Bela’s head. This little one never seemed to not be anxious. It had to become tiring after awhile.
“Bela,” Donna injected soothingness into her next words. “Little moth. It’s going to be alright. I know you want to help, but your mother also wants you to stay in here. She wants you to be safe. Do you know how distressed she would be if something happened to you?”
Bela opened her mouth, then closed it, looking down with clenched fists.
“Come, little moth,” Donna opened one arm. “Sit down and breathe. We will wait this out together.”
Bela hesitated, then obliged, turtling against Donna’s other side. Donna held her securely with her arm. Cassandra scooted over to join the huddle, Angie still clutched in a tight embrace.
Together, they all waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Until, finally, the door creaked open and a figure emerged.
A figure much larger to be a human being.
“Darlings? Donna? Angie?”
Alcina appeared through the dust, looking worse for wear and covered in a fire layer of ash, but alive and kicking.
Daniela bolted from Donna’s side instantly, throwing herself into Alcina’s arms, shortly followed by Cassandra. Alcina grunted softly, then returned the embrace, murmuring about how happy she was to see them all safe and how worried she had been.
Bela was rigid at Donna’s side.
“I told you,” Donna smiled. “Go on.”
Bela ran to her mother.
“Oh, my babies,” Alcina said, holding the three bug-spawn. “Oh, my sweet, sweet girls… I’m so happy you’re all safe. Oof— and hello, Angie. Good to see you alive, too.”
“You called my name when you came inside!” Angie said, clinging to one of Alcina’s legs. “You care about me!”
“Hmph,” Alcina merely said. Her eyes slid over to Donna hanging back. She smiled and opened an arm.
Donna joined them happily.