How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
They settled onto a pile of hay, close together, not just for warmth, but because they were long-parted sisters, with feelings for each other no one else could have, ever. (20.125)
After the tense feelings between Tilja and Anja at the beginning of the book, the two have finally reconciled, each settling into her own powers and duties. Both girls are comfortable in their own places and futures, so they can once again bond as sisters do. It's a pretty sweet reconnection, isn't it?
Quote #8
Anja shouted, raced to the gate and climbed it. Twisting round on the top bar, she cupped her hands round her mouth and yelled.
"Wake up! Wake up, everybody! Meena's come home!"
She swung herself down on the other side and raced to welcome her grandmother. (20.137-139)
The very last line of the final chapter ends with Tilja's family similar to the way they were when the book started. Anja is in a girlish role again, Meena is her old self (literally), and Tilja is somewhere in the middle. She's still a child at home, but is a powerful magician now, too. Anja is also more grown-up, and Meena has found romance again, but in this last moment, their family is joined by one simple bond—love.
Quote #9
[...] Alnor dead. Tahl dead. Meena, whom she loved more than anyone in the world, dead, horribly, horribly dead. (17.113)
When the bag featuring the mini versions of her friends drops into the fire, Tilja is overcome by grief. She mourns the Ortahlsons, but her biggest loss was Meena—the old lady was her grandmother, her guardian, a trusted source of advice, and an occasional annoyance. She's the matriarch of the Urlasdaughters and the core of Tilja's life, the one constant during this entire magical journey.