“Yes, and also Jackson and Steel. They’re afraid Daniel might be hurt if a larger animal appears.”
“It’s a valid concern,” agreed Mystia.
“I thought only witches and warlocks had this power. Daniel is neither so it must be connected to the myth, right?”
“You’re right about who usually has those powers, but Daniel is a unique shifter who can change fur color at will and speaks with creatures in the forest. As we’ve seen with David, not everything in these stories is true, nor should we believe that these myths reveal all. I’ll do some more research and see what I can find out.”
“What should Jackson and Steel do in the meantime?”
“I can put a spell on Daniel that will temporarily prevent him from using this power, but remember, it won’t last long.”
“Thank you,” said Maximus. “It’ll take some pressure off them. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Yes,” Mystia said, “I can give you some of the books I have to review while I go through the others.”
“Send them over. The sooner we find the answer the better it’ll be.”
Mystia rose and said, “Then I’ll be on my way. Don’t expect me back right away because I want to see Daniel first.”
“No problem. Oracle and I are taking Lizzie, Ian’s parents, Theo, Norm, Sofia, and Adam out for dinner.”
“That sounds like it’s going to be fun,” Mystia smiled.
“Why not join us? Since we haven’t met Sofia or Adam yet, Oracle thought dinner would be a more relaxing way for us to get to know each other.”
“I’d love to, but can I have a raincheck?” asked Mystia.
“Absolutely, anytime, just let me know when,” Maximus said. “Before you go, did you ever find out who concealed David’s birth?”
Pausing, Mystia looked around. Then, casting a spell, she enclosed both of them in a soundproof bubble. “Not yet, but I did report it to the Witches’ Governing Council. The Head Witch agreed it could only be done with black magic. She’s looking into it and, hopefully, I’ll hear from her soon.”
Waving his hand at the bubble, Maximus asked, “Are you in danger?”
“I don’t think so, but I’d rather err on the side of caution. Also you shouldn’t mention it either.”
“Right, but please tell me as soon as you hear something,” Maximus said.
“I will,mon bébé,” Mystia assured him. Then, with a wave of her hand, she and the bubble vanished.
~/~/~/~/~
Turning over in his sleep, Reif was startled awake when his face met the back of the couch. It took a moment for him to remember where he was, then, groaning, he sat up. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around the dark room.Fuck, it’s late! Wearily, he rose. Stretching his arms over his head and yawning, he vacillated over whether he should go flying; a good night’s sleep sounded better.
His beast, though, suddenly made that decision for him. Snorting, Reif picked up his hat from the floor and, setting it on a hook by the door, grabbed his keys, left the house, and climbed into his car.
Driving away, he rolled down his window, needing the fresh, cool air to wake him up. As long as he’d decided to go, Reif wanted to enjoy some freedom from hisendless search, praying a night out would clear his head, making it easier to see the clues in a new light. Switching on his satellite radio, he grinned as “I Will Survive” began to play. Tapping his fingers to the beat, Reif joined in, belting out the words, filling the car with his rich baritone voice, enjoying the moment.
~/~/~/~/~
“Do you think we should wake him?” asked Fionn.
“He looks so peaceful,” Kieran said.
“I know, but we need him in the water to track his mate, otherwise, we might as well go back to the hotel,” said Logan.
Feeling his phone vibrate, Kieran removed it from his pocket, checking the messages he’d received. “Macushla,everyone’s in place so I guess you should wake Brian.”
Grimacing, Logan climbed aboard the boat then, bending down, he shook Brian’s shoulder, “Hey Brian, we’re here.”
