“Cassius knows this?”

Her hand then gripped mine, the grip was meager, but it was felt.

“You will not be angry with him. It was mine to share, not his. It was mine to find the time I wished to share it, not his. And this is my time. However, it was crucial to discuss it with him for I had to know he would be at your side, when needed, at your back, when needed, and lifting you up, when that was needed.”

I had no doubt Cassius had assured her he would do all of these things as I had no doubt, when needed, he would indeed do all of these things.

But I would deal with Cassius later.

For the now, I nodded.

“As I was saying,” she went on, “I made a grave mistake with you and your sister. And as things will be how they will be, it is important, daughter, for you to understand what it was. For you to know. And so, if the same should come to pass in your future, you will know the right thing to do.”

My silence was her prompt to carry on.

This she did.

“I offered you and your sister mentors that corresponded with your strengths, I did not offer you mentors that challenged your natures. You have the spirit of the goddess in you, meditative, patient. Your sister had the spirit of the warrior, combative, assertive. Melisse did not enhance what you had, she simply guided the way to bring it out. The same with Darma in her teachings with Serena. In giving you what you already had, I did not offer you a different point of view.”

“We both have done well,” I lied.

“You have, because you always would. Serena did not, because she needed to be taught how. And once I realized my mistake, it was too late.”

I drew in breath as I came to understand what she was saying.

And then she spoke her true message in a quiet voice filled with yearning.

“You need to be patient with her, Elena.”

“Mother—”

“That is not your mother who requests that of you, Ellie. It is your mum.”

My eyes started stinging.

“She is your sister, my glorious daughter,” she whispered.

I turned my head away.

“I would have Dora here,” she said, changing the subject.

I turned back, the words on my lips to offer to send a bird, bring the girls to her immediately (or as immediately as was possible), however, she carried on before I could.

“But that is selfish. She would not benefit from seeing me thus. But if I had my wish, she would be at my side, as well as the buoyancy of Cassius’s girl. Aelia knows no other way than the one you will soon endure. If Aelia were here, she’d lift you up.”

“I will be fine,” I assured her.

“You will be lost, and you will be sad and then you will be angry and after that you will be sad again. And maybe later, you will be fine. It will be a different manner of fine to what you are used to, but trust me, my daughter, you will find your way to it.”