Chapter 39: The Miracle

Kneeling, Cilia put her hand on the girl’s chest. She couldn’t feel a heartbeat.

Bringing someone back from the dead was beyond even the power of the gods. This girl’s soul was waiting to be escorted to the underworld.

Detrick then came running up to the group. He was breathing heavily and covered in a sheen of sweat after chopping wood for the winter stores.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

Cilia looked up at him pleadingly, her eyes full of tears.

“Can’t you do something for her?” the girl’s mother asked.

Cilia met the woman’s eyes, sadly shaking her head. And that was when the sword spoke up from Detrick’s back.

“Her escort comes,” it growled.

Cilia and Detrick both looked around, but saw nothing. She stood then and marched up to the demon crouching behind Detrick.

“Stop it,” she commanded the demon.

The people of the town looked at one another perplexed over why Cilia would be speaking to thin air.

“I cannot,” the demon replied.