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Startled by the sound of my mate’s voice, I immediately embraced her, holding her tightly in my arms. Tori’s presence always gave me a sense of stability and harmony.
“Just Nora at the care home,” I said. “Lucille seems to be getting worse.” The comforting touch of my mate helped ease my sorrow, but I let her go, and we walked back to the others.
As we rejoined the three witches, my mind whirred with thoughts of Aunt Lucille, Jaxon, and the Everwood Pack. But I pushed those concerns aside for now, focusing on the task at hand—protecting Blackwood Creek and all who called it home. We couldn’t afford any distractions. Not when so much was at stake.
“Sorry about that.” I forced a smile as I returned to the witches. “Family matters.”
Lola invited us all up to her apartment, but Tori and I declined. We could see that Lola was hoping to get some more training in. Speaking of Zander had obviously reminded her of how close we’d already come to losing him and renewed her determination to master her magic so she could help him.
Even as Tori and I walked back to her tattoo shop, I couldn’t get my mind off Aunt Lucille. Her haunting cries echoed in my ears. Whatever secret she harbored, I had to uncover it for her sake, and for the safety of everyone in this town.
Chapter 39
Tori
The café’s warmth enveloped me like a comforting hug as I sipped my apple cider. After a really long day, I’d needed some time with my friends, so I’d texted Margo and Lola to see if they wanted to meet up. Lola had finished training with Eleanor and Julia, so she was eager to meet up. Since Margo was working, we decided to meet up at the café where we could hang out with her whenever she wasn’t busy.
I glanced over at Margo, who winked before sneaking another refill our way when the Magpies weren’t looking. I grinned. It was the little moments like this that made life normal again.
“Guess what?” Lola’s excited voice brought me back to our conversation. “I’ve been making some real progress with my magic.”
“Really?” I leaned in closer. “Tell me everything.”
“Okay, so you know how I’ve been practicing with all those spell books Eleanor brought, right? Well, I’ve actually started to master some cool stuff, like changing hair colors and making plants grow faster.” She beamed with pride, and I felt a surge of pride for her.
“That’s amazing!” I said. “What about elemental magic?”
“Actually, yes.” Lola’s excitement was infectious, and I wiggled in my seat. “I’ve managed to cast some spells with ice and fire, which is really fun, even though it can be a bit unpredictable at times.”
“Unpredictable” was an understatement based on the stories I’d heard about the results of Lola’s magical experiments. But practice makes perfect, right?
“Lola, you’re really taking this seriously,” I remarked, impressed with how quickly she’d taken to her newfound abilities.
“Thanks, Tori. I’m trying to find a way to combine magic and psychology.” She took a sip of her cider, peering at me over the rim of the mug. “There must be a way to use magic to reverse whatever Giselle did to Zander. He’s had a few episodes recently, and it’s breaking my heart.”
Her fervor to help Zander caught me off guard. The shy and sweet psychiatrist was showing a fierceness I hadn’t seen before. It moved something deep within me, and I admired her dedication.
“That’s an incredible idea. If anyone can help Zander, it’s you,” I said sincerely.
Lola smiled, but it didn’t conceal the worry in her eyes. “It’s just…I’m not sure what will happen during the session tomorrow. That’s why I wanted to ask if you and Ridge could be there to supervise. You know, in case Zander gets triggered and tries attacking again. The last time he attacked made me realize how strong he is, and I’m not capable of dealing with him myself.”
“We’ll be there, Lola,” I said. “What time?”
Zander hadn’t been the easiest person to like when I first met him. He hadn’t even been the nicest member of the pack, preferring to drink and antagonize people than be a productive member. Ridge had explained he’d been born with a foot in bothworlds. His mom, who’d died when he was a boy, was a shifter and his dad, Elliot, a human. Elliot had moved to Blackwood Creek because he’d needed shifters around him to help raise Zander.
I empathized with Zander on that score. I’d lost my mom, too, and knew it couldn’t have been easy for him. It wasn’t an excuse, but it helped me understand him more. No one, no matter how shitty they were, deserved what Giselle and William Summers had done. Separating the wolf from the human and calling him “cured” was disgusting, and the aftermath of Giselle’s spell was the epitome of cruelty. Zander had no memory of the supernatural or his wolf, only the ramifications of its absence. The disconnection was killing him slowly, painfully. No one knew how many shifters had been “treated” this way and left to die.
The thought of Zander, of anyone suffering in this way, broke my heart. I’d do anything to help him. Suppressing a shudder, I silently thanked the gods that Kyle had seen through this so-called cure before attempting it on me like he’d planned.
“Thank you so much, Tori. Your support means everything to me. If you could both be there around 7:30 tomorrow morning??” Lola asked.
“Of course. We’re a team, right?” I gave her a reassuring smile. “We’ll figure this out.”
“Right,” she said, her smile returning. “A team.”
Lola’s drive to help Zander was inspiring, and it fueled my own resolve. There were still so many obstacles ahead of us, but with people like Lola on our side, we could face them head-on.
“Tomorrow’s a big day,” I acknowledged.
