“I’m okay,”she told him, and it was thetruth.
“Do you see what is truth and what is not?”Costinasked.
“I do.”And she did. The light inside continued to burn bright, chasing out the darkness. When it was done, she was back in the room in her mind, but it was no longer covered in darkness. It was bright and warm, and she could feel the first tingles ofhope.
“Truth will always overcome,” the Great Luna said as she appeared in front of Sally, who bowed her head to the creator of the Canis lupus race. “My truth is the ultimate truth, so hear me now. You are not your own. You are mine, and I will give you strength in trying times. I will answer when you call. I will shine my light into the darkness and guide you through the fire. It is up to you to decide that you want what I freely give. You will continue to battle darkness because evil lives and breathes in the world. But your obedience and faith will make you victorious. Remember, you weren’t created to be an island. Draw strength from those who love you and stand beside you. Your battle isn’t over, Sally. You will still struggle with the trauma of your experience, but you will also have many opportunities to offer comfort to others who are going through what you endured. It is serving others, using the difficult things in life to help, that combats the influence ofdarkness.”
“Thank you,” Sally said as new tears flowed down her face. These tears were for more than just the pain of her experience. They were also tears that cleansed and brought her to a place of peace. “I’m still hurting, but I am not blinded by the lies. And I know I will overcome this and be stronger because of it. And I know I couldn’t do it without yourhelp.”
“My peace I give to you and my promise that I will not forsakeyou.”
Sally’s eyes blinked open as her mind slipped back into consciousness. She took a deep breath and smiled when Costin’s face appeared above her. His answering smile filled her heart with so much love she felt as though it would burst right out of herchest.
He helped her sit up then wrapped his strong arms around her. His lips found hers briefly and then he pressed his forehead to hers. “I know we aren’t out of the woods yet, but at least now we can see the rays of sun breaking through thetrees.”
She nodded and looked around to those watching her silently. Her mom smiled at her and stepped forward. Costin stepped aside so Sally could accept her mother’s embrace. Her dad was next, and Sally felt as though she was seeing things through a different light, as though she’d been wearing dark sunglasses before and someone had lifted them away from hereyes.
She looked over at Diedre and frowned. “It feels soanticlimactic.”
The luminous sprite smiled at her. “I have found the most powerful healing can occur when we are in a quiet place, willing to listen to our Creator, as long as we are open to being changed. There need not be onlookers, lights and smoke, explosive revelations, or the like for change to occur. Sometimes, change canonlyhappen when we take time to stop and look inside of ourselves to see what darkness we have within. Maybe it feels less than amazing, but I assure you it is every bit as encouraging as the change that occurs in explosive, mighty ways. Fighting evil, refusing to be a part of something that only glorifies self, that kind of change is alwaysmighty.”
“Thank you for your help,” Sally said and looked around at the other women. “All of you.” They bowed their heads in response. Each of their faces seemed to portray the same peace that Sally wasfeeling.
“Regardless of our race, our differences, we should always be willing to help others. We should always be willing to fight against our enemies and stand up for those who need us,” Diedre said. “You, healer, have been through much and, as the Great Luna said, you will be able to help even more than had you not been through those things. Leave here with your head held high. Though you will still have healing to do, you have hope that this too shall pass, and greater things are tocome.”
Chapter Ten
“Some would look at my life and say I’d been dealt some great cards and some not-so-great cards. But really, I don’t see it that way. Instead of cards, I would say I’ve been dealt experiences. Some great, some not-so-great, but all beneficial. I honestly would not be the person I am had I not had those joyful times or the painful times. And most of the time, I like who I am, with the exception of the days when I’m a butthead, but I try really hard not to be a butthead. Would I change my experiences if I could? If it would mean changing me, that I would be less, that my integrity and character would be less, then no. I would accept the challenges, knowing that they will make me grow.” ~Sally
Sally zipped up her suitcase,feeling lighter than she had in weeks. No, she wasn’t completely over the time she’d spent in Ocean Side, but she was able to see the hope that could come out of her trials. She still asked Costin to reassure her of his love. She still had moments where a cold chill would run through her because of a memory from her time with Jericho which flashed through her mind. But the darkness that had been planted in her was gone. Now she just had to deal with her own darkness, her own doubts. Those felt much more surmountable. She had a family who loved her and supported her. She had a mate who would fight for her, for them, and she had a Creator who wanted the best forher.
“Are you ready to go home?” Costin asked as he walked into her room. “We can stay a little longer if you’dlike.”
She took a deep breath and let it out. “No, it’s time. I’m ready to be back with our son and begin to move forward. I would like to do something though, once we getback.”
“Anything,” he said withoutpause.
“I want to get my nosepierced.”
Costin’s head tilted in that wolfy way she loved. “An odd request, but I’ll bite. Why do you want to dothis?”
Sally shrugged. “I’ve always thought they were cute and I’ve always wanted one but never been brave enough to get one. I’ve never told Jacque and especially notJen,”
“Because you would have woken up one morning with a pierced nose,” he finished forher.
“Exactly. But now, well, after all the times my body and actions have been taken from my control, this isn’t one of them. This is in my control. Are you okay withit?”
“I think they’re sexy as hell, but even if I didn’t, if it’s what you wanted then I’d be okay withit.”
She smiled at him and his returning smile felt like sunshine to hersoul.
“I’m in awe of your willingness to not lay down and die,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her againsthim.
“Don’t be too in awe. I was attempting to at onepoint.”
He shrugged. “We all hit rock bottom every once in a while. Some of us stay there a little longer than others, but it’s not the length of time spent laying on the bottom that matters, Sally. It’s the fact that you do eventually get up, you grow and change for the better, and you want to use that experience to help someoneelse.”
“When did you become so philosophical?” she asked, smiling up athim.
