thrown into a loop when she was struck – a defense mechanism that tied to kick in but couldn’t, likely because she did not know how to let it.”
Jonas turned to stare down into his mate’s pale face, brows narrowed with concern and a bit of anger, “Why did you not tell me?” he demanded. Mary-Lou shook her head.
“I did not know,” she answered, which was not the truth but not a lie either. Jonas was not mollified, but decided to let it go in favor of dealing with the problem at hand. “What can we do?” he asked of Rowfer.
“Nothing,” the old Shifter sighed. “She has to help herself. Since she doesn’t even know what’s wrong, however…”
“What?” Sasha demanded. Rowfer paused to throw the Snake Shifter a glare; Sasha subsided, rephrasing his question, “Please. We cannot do nothing .”
“Sometimes, nothing is all that can be done,” Rowfer raised a hand, staving off the inevitable cries of protest, “ However , in this case I may know someone who can help.”
“Who?” Jonas asked, “Where can we find them?”
“She was an old friend of mine, and is currently a bit difficult to get in touch with.” Rowfer muttered.
“ Was ?” Sasha hissed, “She is dead ? What are you playing at, you old –”
“Sasha!” Cara clamped a hand over the Snake Shifter’s mouth, successfully stifling his voice. Sasha continued to glare at Rowfer, unrepentant; Mary-Lou sighed, wishing she could cover her face. Kids, the lot of them.
“I am guessing there is a way to contact her?” Mary-Lou asked. She was not too surprised when Rowfer gave a short nod; little surprised her nowadays. “Alright, what do we have to do?”
“There is a ritual,” Rowfer began, ignoring Sasha’s muttered, Of course, a ritual , why didn’t you say so sooner , “A ceremony that must take place, on the twelfth second of the twelfth hour the night you plan to summon her.”
“Tonight,” Jonas said. Rowfer nodded.
“Tonight. You must sit in a pool of moonlight – don’t laugh at me, son, or I will turn you into a worm –” Sasha rolled his eyes but quieted, and Rowfer continued with an aggravated harrumph , “And spill your blood as you say her name.”
“Wait, wait – blood? You just healed her!” Cara exclaimed.
“Just a few drops, by God, you are driving me insane,” Rowfer growled, “As I said – a few drops of blood, and her name. Repeat it four times – four, you hear? No more, no less.”
“And what is her name?” Mary-Lou asked.
“Gloria,” Rowfer answered. Mary-Lou stifled a sad smile at the gentle joy in the man’s eyes; Gloria must have been a special someone to the old Healer. “She will help you,” Rowfer said, “It is why she sticks around.”
“And why is that?” Mary-Lou asked.
“To help others like her,” Rowfer answered, “Those who share her power.”
“She had Mary-Lou’s powers?” Jonas asked. His hand was still holding one of Mary-Lou’s, grip tightening and gentling as he considered Rowfer’s words.
“It’s how I knew she had any,” Rowfer said, “I recognized the signs right away. Of course, Gloria mastered them beautifully – on her own,” he added, leveling the prone woman with a pointed glare.
“I doubt she did so in three days,” Mary-Lou smiled, not at all bothered by Rowfer’s grumpiness. It was sweet, in a way – the blind adoration that he had for the deceased woman.
Rowfer shrugged, a bit embarrassed, “Well, yes. That is true. Now, my work here is done – walk me out, pretty boy.” He tottered out the door, not waiting to see if Sasha would heed the command. The Snake Shifter rolled his eyes but followed, steps slowing as he caught up to the older man. Cara grinned and skipped after them, supposedly to hold the front door open, but likely just so she could hear Rowfer and Sasha snap at each other.
“Are you okay with it?”
Mary-Lou turned toward Jonas’ voice, meeting her mate’s worried gaze. “About the ritual? Of
Jonas turned to stare down into his mate’s pale face, brows narrowed with concern and a bit of anger, “Why did you not tell me?” he demanded. Mary-Lou shook her head.
“I did not know,” she answered, which was not the truth but not a lie either. Jonas was not mollified, but decided to let it go in favor of dealing with the problem at hand. “What can we do?” he asked of Rowfer.
“Nothing,” the old Shifter sighed. “She has to help herself. Since she doesn’t even know what’s wrong, however…”
“What?” Sasha demanded. Rowfer paused to throw the Snake Shifter a glare; Sasha subsided, rephrasing his question, “Please. We cannot do nothing .”
“Sometimes, nothing is all that can be done,” Rowfer raised a hand, staving off the inevitable cries of protest, “ However , in this case I may know someone who can help.”
“Who?” Jonas asked, “Where can we find them?”
“She was an old friend of mine, and is currently a bit difficult to get in touch with.” Rowfer muttered.
“ Was ?” Sasha hissed, “She is dead ? What are you playing at, you old –”
“Sasha!” Cara clamped a hand over the Snake Shifter’s mouth, successfully stifling his voice. Sasha continued to glare at Rowfer, unrepentant; Mary-Lou sighed, wishing she could cover her face. Kids, the lot of them.
“I am guessing there is a way to contact her?” Mary-Lou asked. She was not too surprised when Rowfer gave a short nod; little surprised her nowadays. “Alright, what do we have to do?”
“There is a ritual,” Rowfer began, ignoring Sasha’s muttered, Of course, a ritual , why didn’t you say so sooner , “A ceremony that must take place, on the twelfth second of the twelfth hour the night you plan to summon her.”
“Tonight,” Jonas said. Rowfer nodded.
“Tonight. You must sit in a pool of moonlight – don’t laugh at me, son, or I will turn you into a worm –” Sasha rolled his eyes but quieted, and Rowfer continued with an aggravated harrumph , “And spill your blood as you say her name.”
“Wait, wait – blood? You just healed her!” Cara exclaimed.
“Just a few drops, by God, you are driving me insane,” Rowfer growled, “As I said – a few drops of blood, and her name. Repeat it four times – four, you hear? No more, no less.”
“And what is her name?” Mary-Lou asked.
“Gloria,” Rowfer answered. Mary-Lou stifled a sad smile at the gentle joy in the man’s eyes; Gloria must have been a special someone to the old Healer. “She will help you,” Rowfer said, “It is why she sticks around.”
“And why is that?” Mary-Lou asked.
“To help others like her,” Rowfer answered, “Those who share her power.”
“She had Mary-Lou’s powers?” Jonas asked. His hand was still holding one of Mary-Lou’s, grip tightening and gentling as he considered Rowfer’s words.
“It’s how I knew she had any,” Rowfer said, “I recognized the signs right away. Of course, Gloria mastered them beautifully – on her own,” he added, leveling the prone woman with a pointed glare.
“I doubt she did so in three days,” Mary-Lou smiled, not at all bothered by Rowfer’s grumpiness. It was sweet, in a way – the blind adoration that he had for the deceased woman.
Rowfer shrugged, a bit embarrassed, “Well, yes. That is true. Now, my work here is done – walk me out, pretty boy.” He tottered out the door, not waiting to see if Sasha would heed the command. The Snake Shifter rolled his eyes but followed, steps slowing as he caught up to the older man. Cara grinned and skipped after them, supposedly to hold the front door open, but likely just so she could hear Rowfer and Sasha snap at each other.
“Are you okay with it?”
Mary-Lou turned toward Jonas’ voice, meeting her mate’s worried gaze. “About the ritual? Of
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