As the boy ran off, I shifted my eyes to my sister and Lucas who was now lying on the ground.

"It's gonna be okay now," she murmured to him.

Suddenly, Toto let out a bark alerting us to a woman dressed in a cloak over a long blue dress. This must be the healer that man had told us about - Mombi. Dorothy turned to her.

"My friend needs help," she said, glancing up at her.

"Your friend is past help..." she told us and I rolled my eyes at her rudeness.

After a few convincing words from my sister, the healer finally relented and let us into her home. It was littered with various bottles and herbs on every available surface. Dorothy propped Lucas onto a chair before lifting up his shirt, exposing the deep cut in his abdomen.

"Do you need me to-" I started but she cut me off.

"No, I got it." she said, picking up some herbal leaves.

Lucas groaned in protest as she dabbed it onto the wound. I bit back a snarky remark. As usual, Dorothy had taken over. She never wanted my help with anything these days. I was just a nuisance to her, I suppose. Just then, Toto barked and she got up to see about him. Several seconds later, she came back with a note in her hand that had the words "Help Me" written on it.

I opened my mouth to ask her what it was but she just bypassed me to talk to the healer, Mombi. I let out a low growl and rolled my eyes. She always wanted to be in charge. But I stepped up behind her anyway.

"Who's up there?" Dorothy asked solemnly.

"Uh, I think it's time for you two and the wizard guard to leave," she stumbled over her words.

"Why did they write that?" I pressed her.

Dorothy shot me a glance but I ignored it. The woman was silent so I tried again.

"Tell me or I'm gonna go get help." I threatened her.

I made a move to leave but she put a hand on my shoulder, stopping me.

"It's a boy. It's a - a sweet, sweet boy," she said finally, "Whose prone to hysterics,"

"Who you keep locked up," Dorothy countered.

"Why do you think I live in a town with no name, a place on no map? It's to protect him!"

"From what?"

"From everything! I may not be his momma but I feel what all mothers feel,"

"What's that?" Dorothy asked.

"Fear...All the time. In everything," she replied, "From the minute they are born into the world, the world tries to take them right back,"

"Well, you can't protect him forever," I shot back.

"Didn't your mother protect you?" she asked us and tears pricked my brown eyes, thinking of Karen.

We stayed silent and my hand found my sister's. I squeezed it gently and she copied my actions.

"Don't you wish she had?" the healer tried again, "Forever and always?"

It was in that moment that my sister and I felt the same. It was rare but when it came to our birth mother, we'd always felt the same empty feeling inside ourselves concerning her. It was an ache that both of us feared would never cease.

"But now you understand... We'll speak of it no more..." Mombi smiled, taking a sip of her drink.

Dorothy and I never answered her, instead choosing to walk away silently. Things were pretty quiet after that, the old woman went to bed and the only sound to be heard was Lucas and Dorothy talking softly. Suddenly, Lucas let out a cry and I glanced up. My eyes widened in fear. He was foaming at the mouth and having a seizure.

Note: Okay so if any of you here have a crush on the guy who plays Jack - Gerran Howell - I HAVE to recommend this awesome TV show that he was in called Young Dracula. It's amazing and about a family of vampires. It's incredible if you haven't seen it :)