Chapter 49 No Faith in Her
While Lilly got information on the incense, she had no idea that the appearance of the flame on top of a head represented imminent death.
All she got from Pablo was that the person would die when the flame burned to the end of the incense.
Feeling that time was not on her side, Lilly urged the adults to hurry up. She needed to save Ivan before the incense on top of Ivan’s head burned out.
The firepit and ritual paper were not a problem. The family owned a brazier and papers on which she could scribble sacred texts.
Nevertheless, Ivan’s clothes proved a difficult feat.
It struck Melody that she had a shirt belonging to Ivan in the car. She ran off to retrieve it.
Now that everything was ready, Lilly burned the papers over the fire and lit a candle at the door.
A panting voice from the entrance intruded as Lilly was about to begin. “Stop!”
Karen arrived on the scene to find Ivan lying on the ground. Next to him, a girl was holding a bundle of papers. She freaked out.
“This is nonsense!”
Furious, Karen picked up her cane and smacked the ritual papers out of Lilly’s hands.
It happened so quickly. Before everybody knew it, Karen was hitting the girl with a cane.
With the back of Lilly’s hand taking the blow, she flinched in pain and dropped the papers to the ground.
Her hand turned red.
“Ugh…”
The pain drew tears out of the girl’s eyes.
Well, the tortoise never foretold anything about this. Why was she struck?
Melody cried in panic and anger, “Mom! What are you doing?”
She charged in there and came in between Karen and Lilly.
Colton curtly blurted, “Get out!”
Karen was not having it.
Behind Karen, Anthony and the white-browed practitioners turned up.
Karen happened to run into Anthony who was on his way home. That was how she was able to gain access to the Crawfords’ residence.
Anxious for her grandson, the old lady made a mad dash into the house despite being on a cane.
Since Master Sullivan fancied himself an unworldly being, he would not flounder around. Hence why he sauntered along with Anthony in the back.
Anthony scowled the moment Karen raised her cane at Lilly.
“Old Mrs. Shaw, I let you in because your grandson is here. I didn’t let you enter our home to hit Lilly.”
Karen was all about respecting elders. It did not sit well with her that someone younger like Anthony gave her a telling-off. Still, her focus was on Ivan, so she would pretend she did not hear that.
“Quick, Master Sullivan. Ivan is here!”
With a long face, Anthony asked Margaret to retrieve the first-aid kit.
Bettany flipped out.
So Karen was going to play the age card and act dumb, huh?
The Crawfords were not going to take this sitting down.
“Old hag! Apologize to Lilly now!” Bettany could play the old lady at her game too. She lifted her leg and kicked her loafer away.
Smack! It was a bull’s eye right on Karen’s face.
It never crossed Bettany’s mind that she got a good aim. She was stunned, to say the least.
Karen nearly lost it after being slapped in the face by a loafer. This was an emergency. Why were the Crawfords fussing over the littlest issue?
“You… Colt, take Ivan with you. We’re leaving now!”
It was not like she wanted to be at the Crawfords’ residence.
Karen would not be here if it were not for her grandson.
To her dismay, Colton grabbed Karen by the collar and dragged her out. He curtly uttered, “You go.”
Getting worked up, Karen took advantage of her position as a senior and lay on the ground. She shouted, “Fine! Fine! Come on. I’m not a mother to you if you kick me out!”
She kicked up a huge fuss!
Shaking his head, Master Sullivan made an enigmatic face and uttered, “It’s too late.”
Lilly held Ivan’s hand and said urgently, “Mister, it’ll be too late if we don’t save Ivan now.”
Master Sullivan frowned and glanced at Lilly.
The little phony psychic was copying him.
The little girl knew no shame to repeat after him.
Master Sullivan then moved his gaze to the brazier, the papers burning in the pit, and the shirt in her hand.
He scoffed.
Hearing that it was too late, Karen urged, “Please, Master Sullivan. Please… Save my grandson!”
Instead of using her age against the Crawfords like before, she showed nothing but sincerity toward the practitioner.
Despite Colton and Melody objecting, Karen threatened them with her life and held Colton and Melody down by their feet to buy time for Master Sullivan.
Master Sullivan sighed. “Seeing that you’re in a spot… I’ll help you. Sable!”
His disciple in the back answered and set up the ritual right away.
Karen was more than thankful. Finally, her grandson had a fighting chance to live.
Master Sullivan worked fast as though to psyche everybody out. A flame ignited at the wave of his arm, leading many to be awestruck.
He pulled out a brass bell and ritual blade before circling Ivan and spewing mumbo jumbo.
“Evil, begone. Demon, begone. I call upon the great forces to cleanse the evil in the child!”
Bang! Bang!
Master Sullivan’s disciple beat on the drum.
Pablo was speechless.
He maintained composure though. Pablo stopped rushing Lilly because the incense on top of the boy’s head was a timer, counting down to his death.
Lilly did not take her eyes away from Ivan.
The big hoo-ha cost Ivan time, and now two-thirds of the incense was burned through.
Livid, Lilly yelled, “He’s a fake!”
The tortoise mentioned an obstacle. So this was the obstacle.
Karen’s eyes popped open in anger. “What does a child know? Shut up!”
Master Sullivan was a trained professional.
There was no way the girl could save her grandson if Master Sullivan could do nothing.
Who did she think she was? How could someone of her age compare to a wise practitioner?
Master Sullivan callously uttered, “I’d advise you to speak not of blasphemy. The ritual is done. The boy will regain consciousness in no more than five minutes.”
He put his hands behind his back, trying to portray an air of unworldliness.
Lilly remarked, “Ivan won’t wake up. Whatever you did is pointless…”
Bettany did not want any part in it.
This was the Shaw’s private family affair. Lilly had done enough for them.
“Let’s go, Lilly. They can deal with it themselves.”
The urgency of the matter stirred Lilly to tears.
The world of a child was full of innocence. It would take kids a long time to grieve over the death of an animal, much less a person.
Lilly looked at Melody and then at Colton.
Melody had nothing more to lose!
She picked Karen up from the ground and dragged her out.
Karen shot her mouth off, “How dare you! Is this how you treat your mother-in-law? As a daughter-in-law…”
Melody threw her out the door and angrily chided, “As a daughter-in-law, I have enough of you! I should put this out there. I call the shots for my son! I’ll break your legs if you take another step closer!”
Karen was at a loss for words.
She huffed and puffed as anger nearly sucked the life out of her.
The rage and the hurt overwhelmed her every being.
That was her grandson in there too!
Karen only had her grandson’s best interest at heart. Was she wrong for doing what was good for her grandson?
“Are you trying to get Ivan killed?” Karen wailed.
Inside, Colton shot a glare at Master Sullivan. “Either you leave, or I’ll make you.”
Master Sullivan made a wry face.
No one had ever shown him such disrespect since he attained the highest level of spiritualism. Oh, the nerve of the Shaws. Well, that was the last time he would ever help the family.
“Hmph!” With his reputation as someone on high at stake, Master Sullivan merely sneered without another word.
Karen cried in desperation, “Are you trying to get Ivan killed? You’re killing my grandson…”
Colton indifferently said, “I trust Lilly can save Ivan.”
Master Sullivan was tempted to roll his eyes. The Shaws were mad to put faith in a child.
Anthony looked at the time and faintly commented, “Your five minutes are up!”
Raising her brow, Bettany snapped a biting remark, “Didn’t you say the boy will wake up in five minutes?”
Color drained from Master Sullivan’s face…
A cry was heard in the back,
Lilly had somehow picked the ritual papers from the ground and set them ablaze.
While it was not quite as spectacular as Master Sullivan’s performance, she managed to spark a green flame.
Once the fire was burning, Lilly threw Ivan’s shirt into the brazier and earnestly chanted, “Peas in the dark to bite… help myself see the kite…”
Master Sullivan furrowed his brows. See the kite?
Was it all fun and games for the girl?
“Nonsense!” Keeping a straight face, Master Sullivan reprimanded the girl.
His pet peeve was people like Lilly who played pretend and cheated others.
Sable, the bitter disciple behind Master Sullivan, could not hold his tongue. “That’s right! The ritual is a joke to her! What the hell is that? I’ll eat sh*t upside down if she can revive Ivan. I’m talking about a massive turd!”
The shirt in the fire suddenly stood up on its own.
Master Sullivan froze while Sable’s statement came to an abrupt end…
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