Chapter 32: The Twins

Lula and Phon Kennecott arrive in a wash of blue fire as Femke and Syd talk in the corner. I hover outside the door where Sage is being held. Syd won't let me inside and it's probably for the best, but I just want to be with him and try to heal him myself if I can. A gasp of relief escapes me at the sight of the healer twins, and Miriam who appears behind them.

Syd's mother hugs me, kisses my cheek, her warm magic cradling me as though I am a child. Charlotte, her mind whispers in mine. We'll help him, darling. Don't despair.

I cling to her, missing my own mother so much in that moment I am grateful for Miriam's kindness and strength. Lula waits for Miriam to release me before hugging me herself, her tall brother bending to press his cheek to the top of my head as one hand rubs my back.

"Thank you," I whisper to them, at once cursing the emotional rollercoaster that is my life and welcoming the love and kindness that comes with expressing myself to them.

Lula's hazel eyes smile at me, her gentleness as soft and sweet as I remember. "We'll do everything in our power," she says. "Thank you for trusting us with this, Charlotte."

I can't speak any further, I only nod and watch as she and Phon step through the door after a moment with Syd. She follows them inside and I wait, body still but mind pacing and pacing, my wolf unable to stop her motion, until Syd comes out again.

"It's weird," she says, taking my hand, addressing Femke and my mother while a pair of wereguards watch over us. "He feels funny, almost like something else entirely. Not fully were and not human, either."

I cling to the conversation as they talk around me, Sebastian leaving the room with Alison beside him. "I have to agree," the handsome vampire says, perfect brow pulled down over his blue eyes. "I had hoped my healing nature and new vampire makeup might be of some use." He offers me a sad smile. "I regret that is not the case. But Lula and Phon have no equal when it comes to healing. I'm certain they will be successful."

I nod, misery waking, controlling me, but I am willing to accept his offer of comfort if only until I find out the result.

"This might be off topic," Syd says, "but what the hell are the Dumonts doing here?" She shrugs off the story Femke told her. "Aside from their madeup request to hire bodyguards. Because there's no way I'm buying that one, thanks."

I focus on her, welcoming the distraction. "Exactly." My free hand feels for the files in my jacket. "I think they have something to do with the revenants."

Femke didn't share that part of my confession. Syd seems to have made the same supposition, proof or not.

"I wouldn't put it past them," she says. "Though the Brotherhood angle makes me nervous. If Andre is working with them, Erica has some serious housecleaning to attend to." The North American Council Leader, Erica Ployer, was also Miriam's best friend and former second of the Hayle Coven. I always disagreed with her appointment as Council Leader, knowing she wasn't nearly as strong as Miriam. But when Syd's mother stepped down, the Council wanted another Hayle in the lead and Erica was their best option, already being a member of the Council in the first place.

Miriam's grim expression mirrors Syd's. "I'll have a talk with her," she says. She offers me another kiss before disappearing in a rush of blue magic. I let her go, clinging to Syd's hand as my friend turns to me.

"No matter what," she says, "we'll get to the bottom of it, Charlotte, I promise you."

I can only nod yet again. Piers appears, joining us, not meeting my eyes and I know exactly why. I've hurt him, but I can't worry about that now, not while Sage's life hangs in the balance.

When my love was well and safe and far away in Wilding Springs, I could ponder my life without him. But his immediacy and the danger he is in is sending me into a downward spiral I'm not sure I'll escape. If Sage dies because of me...

I can't contemplate that just yet.

The door opens in a whisper, Phon emerging first. He looks tired and sad and I know immediately there is nothing they can do. A whimper escapes my lips before I can silence it, my wolf grieving Sage's loss already.

"Lula is still trying," he says. "We've managed to stop the bleeding and heal the wound partially, but it's resistant to our magic for some reason." His hands extend before him, wobbling back and forth. "It's like trying to pour water and oil together. The infection slips away from us when we grasp for it."

Syd chews her bottom lip, eyes narrow. "There has to be something we haven't tried."

I'm trembling, her hand tightening in mine.

"Can you identify who bit him?" If I can pin this on Caine, that would be the proof I need to at least have him imprisoned. Then I can have the witches examine the Californian wereleader for signs he's a revenant.

But Phon's shake of head dashes even that small hope for vengeance. "Maybe if we'd reached him immediately," he says. "But the infection is spreading and it's already adapting to Sage's DNA. It's altered too far to tell us anything."

"Is he showing any signs of changing?" Femke won't look at me, no one will. They know the truth I'm barely holding at bay.

"None," Phon says, as if that tiny ray of hope means anything. "But, I'm afraid, it's only a matter of time." The door sighs open behind him and Lula emerges. Her eyes are red, cheeks wet with tears. She bursts into sobs as she closes the door behind her and rushes to me, hugging me close. I cling to her with my free arm, refusing to let go of Syd, my lifeline.

"I'm so sorry," Lula says as her mind connects with mine. I can feel his love for you, she sends, more sorrow in her mental voice than even in her physical. He's fighting it to stay with you. But I can't help him, Charlotte. I don't know if anyone can.

I nod into her hair as she pulls away, wiping at her tears. "There's one thing that makes no sense to me," she says, gathering her poise to her. "I've never had a chance to examine a living revenant, but I always expected worse. More darkness, the loss of self that I've been told comes with the condition. He shows none of those signs." She sighs. "Unless it's just too early."

But no, I agree with her. He doesn't have the off scent, either, the taint of the revenants I've encountered either in the past or just over the last little while.

"What does it mean?" I hold her gaze as she shrugs her thin shoulders.

"I wish I could tell you," she says. "I'd need more time to study him." She turns to Syd. "What are the chances we could have him returned home for us to continue working with him?"

She was thinking about it, her mind working it over as Femke sighed and shook her head.

"I'm sorry," she says. "There's only so far I can take this before I seriously start treading on some toes I'd rather not damage." Femke's sorrow did nothing for me as she faced me. "Charlotte, you know what happens now."



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