“Mmm. Yes, it was. She’s very kind.”
“I’ll let you sleep in a minute, but can you quickly tell me how phones work here? I know I can’t call Soleil, but how do I charge my phone? There are no electrical outlets.”
Manon rubbed her eyes. “Soul-light magic powers electronics here. It’ll work once you charge it with magic. I’ll show you after we see the doctor.”
“You told me about your soul light. It’s a little ball of light, right? But you didn’t tell me it charged cell phones.”
Manon scoffed. “Soul lights are more than that. They’re our connection to the divine—the energy we’re all a part of.”
“Remind me, how did you meet your soul light? Isn’t it a ritual or something?”
Yawning, Manon closed her eyes once more. “I don’t know if ‘ritual’ is the word I’d use. It’s more a rite of passage.”
Scarlett spread a soft, woolen blanket over her grandmother’s body. “Is it too late for me to meet my soul light?”
“No. You could go to the Forest Temple while we’re here.” Her voice grew quieter. “Beni could too.” Seconds later, Manon let out a soft snore.
Resolving to let her sleep, Scarlett sat there silentlycontemplating the soul light concept. The Forest Temple intrigued her, but then she recalled all she needed to do: contact Elestine and investigate their abduction.
Her thoughts raced until they were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. A petite woman with short black hair entered the room, bringing a new level of calm with a cheerful smile and a soft-spoken greeting. Scarlett rose to shake her hand, and the woman introduced herself as Dr. Bowen.
Scarlett glanced at Manon. “My grandmother is exhausted. Does she need to be awake for this?”
Dr. Bowen shook her head. “No, it’s fine to let her sleep.”
“Before we begin, I have a question,” said Scarlett, struggling to remain calm knowing this woman was about to use magic on her body. Magic she didn’t understand well enough to trust.
“Go on.”
“Did Lachlan mention why we’re here?” Scarlett looked at her grandmother’s sleeping form.
Dr. Bowen nodded. “He said you were attacked and sedated.”
“Both of us were sedated when it wasn’t medically necessary. We brought urine samples with us. Can you test them to see if we can prove malpractice? The samples are from early this morning.” Scarlett retrieved the bag from where Manon had hidden it in the side pocket of the wheelchair.
Dr. Bowen took it from her. “I’ll get these to a lab and see what comes up. Given the nature of your situation, I’ll ask for a rush job.”
“Thank you.”
Dr. Bowen’s response made Scarlett trust her more.
“Now, why don’t you tell me what happened to you? Do you mind if we take a seat?” She gestured to the armchairs by the fire.
As she relayed everything—murder, sedation, abduction, death threats—Scarlett was conscious of how impossible it allsounded. But Dr. Bowen listened receptively, only interjecting with a few clarifying questions about her symptoms.
When they were finished, the doctor looked from Manon to Scarlett, her eyebrows drawn together. “I’m so sorry for all you went through. I think I have enough information to begin with. Is it all right if I start with Manon? I can tell from her aura she’s worse for wear.”
“Of course,” said Scarlett, although her chest tightened in anticipation.
Dr. Bowen moved to the bedside. “In Clair de Lune we assess the body by examining the energy field. With my magic, I can see overall vitality on sight, but I have to get in closer to know the specifics.”
“Oh, interesting” was all Scarlett could think to say. She stared, mesmerized, as Dr. Bowen’s hands hovered over Manon’s body, moving in slow, deliberate passes up and down her extremities.
“Her energy field is very weak,” said the doctor after a couple of minutes. “I’ll do some energy healing on her muscles and prescribe her a course of antibiotics. The catheter gave her an infection. She should be walking again in a day or two, but I want her to take it slow. If she’s laid low again too quickly, her weakened energetic system might not be able to cope.”
Scarlett’s eyebrows rose. Walking tomorrow? She’d assumed Manon would take much longer to heal. In Soleil, it would’ve taken her weeks of physical therapy to recover, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear that wasn’t the case here. The depleted energetic system was a concern though.
“Thank you, Doctor,” she said.
