“Fane Lupei,” Peri said, forcing her voice to remain strong despite her tears. “As usual, you wolves never cease to amaze me.” She held out her hand to him, and he took it in both of his. “As I have been your father and mother’s ambassador for as long as I can remember, I will stand as yours and Jacque’s as well.”
Fane bowed his head to her. “Thank you, Perizada of the high fae. You’ve been more than just an ambassador. You’ve been a friend. That means more to me than anything else. I hope you know how much you meant to my parents.”
She bit the inside of her cheek as she thought back to her many times spent with Vasile and Alina. The late-night meetings, the battles in which they’d fought side-by-side, the tears they’d cried over the injustices in the world, and the victories they’d shared. “I do. And they meant more to me than I can adequately express.”
“There is something else we need to tell you,” Lucian said as Fane stepped back. “Your parents weren’t the only lives lost. Among others, Cypher, King of the Warlocks, was slain.”
Fane’s eyes brightened even more. “Lilly?” he asked, his voice strained.
“She killed his murderer,” Peri said. “Cypher passed his power to her, and she has gone to be with their people. She knew that we would be here to help you. So, she felt the best thing was to be with her new people in this time of transition.”
Fane shook his head. “No explanation is necessary. She is where she needs to be. The warlocks will need her leadership. They need to know that they, and the rest of us supernaturals, will overcome this trial. I will tell Jacquelyn when she is safely back by my side.”
“May the Great Luna give the warlocks peace,” Dillon said quietly as he shook his head. “No matter his faults, as we all have our own, Cypher was a great leader.” A murmur of agreement circled the room.
They were interrupted by a voice that Peri had heard only a day ago.
“Peri?”
She turned to see Jewel and Dalton walking into the room. Dalton’s body partially shielded his mate’s. He was still one of the most protective males Peri’d ever come across, but with good reason.
“Hello, Jewel,” Peri said as the healer hurried over, pushing her mate out of the way and wrapping Peri in a tight hug.
“It seems like we just jump from one painful situation to another,” Jewel said as she stepped back and searched Peri’s no doubt red, puffy eyes.
“It’s something I’m all too familiar with,” Peri admitted.
Dalton walked over and glanced at Lucian. Understanding seemed to pass between them, and Lucian nodded. Then the large wolf reached for Peri’s hand and bowed low over it. “I am so sorry for the pain you are enduring. As one who has known incredible loss, my heart goes out to you and those of the Romania pack. I owe you so much, but what I can give at this moment is only my sincerest apologies for my grievances against you. Thank you, Perizada of the fae, for loving my mate and protecting her, even from my stupidity.”
Peri couldn’t help but smile. Dalton, like all the other male wolves, simply loved their mates with an intensity that was hard to understand unless you’d experienced it, which Peri had. She pulled Dalton to her and hugged him. Apparently, it was a day for touching that would not normally be tolerated by the males. “Dealing with wolf stupidity is sort of a specialty of mine. And you were forgiven the moment it happened. I knew you were always simply acting out of love for Jewel. And I could ask for no better mate for one of my healers than someone who would give anything and everything to protect her.”
Dalton stepped back and took Jewel’s hand. “Thank you.”
Peri understood that sometimes it was hard not to act foolishly when those they cared for were in danger. It was a reaction that was built into the core of theCanis lupus, protecting at all cost.
“I’m sorry I was not able to meet you earlier,” Fane said, and Peri saw that he was addressing Jewel. “I’m Fane Lupei”—he paused and swallowed hard but then stood up straighter—“alpha of the Romania pack.”
Jewel held out her hand to him in her matter-of-fact way. “I’m Jewel Black, Dalton’s mate, and apparently the gypsy healer to the Colorado pack. And I am very sorry for the loss of your parents.”
Fane took her hand, gave it a very quick shake, and then released it. “Thank you for your condolences.”
There was a moment of silence before Peri spoke. “We’ve got work to do.” She looked at Dillon, Decebel, and then Fane. “The Great Luna has shared a plan with me, one that will get our people free.”
“What is it?” Fane stepped forward as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“Sally has a necklace,” she started. Fane nodded, acknowledging that he obviously knew of the jewelry in question. “It’s blessed by the Great Luna and holds significant power. We need to get a message to her to use it.”
“The Healer’s Locket,” Cindy interrupted.
Peri turned to look at the sprite female. “Of course you know of it,” she said, annoyed that she hadn’t thought to ask Cindy right away.
Cindy nodded. “Chris and I read about it in one of the books that his family left him.”
“What did it say?” Fane asked.
“It’s also known as the Luna’s Locket. It was blessed at its creation by the Great Luna and has been passed down through generations of gypsy healers. It doesn’t always stay in the same family and no one knows its exact power, but it always finds its way to the healer it's supposed to be with,” Chris explained.
“Sounds a lot like the mysterious fae stones,” Peri said.
