Chapter 28
therese
Verðandi moved behind Rafe and raised her hands to either side of his head. Her hands began glowing and a moment later I could feel something was wrong with Rafe. He didn’t flinch or react in any visible way, but for the last six months, we’d been meshing daily, sharing our emotions, auras, and thoughts. While meshed we shared the same pulse, the same breath. We had developed an empathy for each other that went beyond the emotional attachment. I knew how he’d react to nearly any input, any situation.
Now, as the glow from Verðandi’s hands intensified, I knew Rafe was hurting. I could almost feel his pain.
I took a step forward, not quite sure what I was going to do, but I had to do something.
Cris grabbed my wrist and pulled me to a stop. “Don’t interfere.”
“I have to. She’s hurting him.”
“That may be, but this is necessary. You have to let her finish,” Cris said.
I stared at her for a second and then turned back toward Rafe and Verðandi in time to see Rafe’s eyes roll up exposing just the whites.
Yanking my arm out of Cris’s grasp, I leapt forward just as the glow from Verðandi’s hands died. I clutched at Rafe, expecting him to collapse, but he remained rigid.
“What did you do to him?” I demanded.
“Relax, Wanderer, I did him no permanent harm.”
“What. Did. You. Do?” I was practically shrieking at her.
Verðandi eyed me and I knew how stupid it was to demand anything of her. There was nothing I could do to stop her from killing Rafe or me if she decided to. But then that wouldn’t be something she’d consider doing. She might, however, do anything short of that if I pissed her off. After a moment of apparent indecision, she raised her chin and turned away from me. “I separated the portions of his mind responsible for his extreme aggression from his consciousness. I erected a barrier that will keep the night magic from triggering another attack of aggression.”
“That’s all?” I asked, my voice lowering into a more respectful tone.
“Yes, child. Now he should give you no trouble until you can get the night magic’s taint out of him.”
Cris moved up to stand on the opposite side of Rafe. “Excuse me, ma’am, but we were hoping you could help with that.”
“Yes, you must know someone who can fix him,” I added.
Verðandi shook her head slowly and with great sadness. “I wish that it were true. There are gods that could complete this task, but none of them owes me a favor and I had nothing to barter with.”
“A favor? They require you to pay for their help?” I asked.
“The gods have their standards. They don’t help members of mankind without a good reason. Most times it means that it is in their interest to help or that they want something in return.”
“Is that all? Then tell them that I’ll provide whatever they want in return for fixing Rafe,” I said.
Verðandi turned to look at me. I drew myself erect and met her gaze.
“No, child, you don’t know what you offer. Owing a god a favor is serious business. I can’t let you make that exchange.”
“It’s not you promising the favor. It’s me. I’m a grown woman. I can make my own decisions.”
“No, you can’t. You are mine. Any exchange of gifts or favors with the other gods would have to be through me and I say no.”
“That’s not fair, damnit!”
“Fair? What has fair got to do with it?” Verðandi asked.
I took a step toward her. “Okay, if you don’t understand fair, then how about right. It’s not right that you refuse to let me make a trade to restore Rafe.”
Verðandi stared at me for a pair of seconds before shaking her head. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”
“But–”
Verðandi disappeared.
“Son-of-a-bitch!” I shouted.
I felt Cris’s hand on my shoulder and I turned toward her. “Damn it, it isn’t fair.”
Cris put her arms around me and pulled me in tight. “I know, Tess. Life is rarely fair and the gods play by their own rules. You shouldn’t expect fairness from them.”
I hugged her tightly and tried not to cry. I was a Wanderer, after all.
“But she’s supposed to be on our side. We’re her descendants for God’s sake.”
Cris’s lips caressed my cheek and I turned toward her. She kissed me tenderly on the lips and then drew back. Her fingers wiped at the moisture on my cheeks and then she kissed me again.
“It’ll be all right. I’ll go call Abigail and see if the priest is still around. I’m sure I can get him to help Rafe.”
I nodded and then glanced toward him. He hadn’t moved from his rigid position.
“What are we going to do about him?” I asked.
Cris moved to him and studied his face. “Well, since Verðandi didn’t say how long he was going to be like this, we probably should get him in the house.”
“Okay, you make the call, I’ll bring him in,” I said.
“You can carry him by yourself?” Cris asked with a trace of doubt in her tone.
“Trust me. I may still be just an apprentice, but I’m a Wanderer Apprentice. I can handle moving him.”
“Okay,” Cris nodded. “I’ll hold the door for you.”
“Thanks.”
I focused energy into my muscles and as the strength flowed into me, I studied Rafe. His limbs were frozen in the process of moving and he would be awkward to carry. I took a firm grip on the back of his pants at the waist and lifted. He spun around his center of gravity and I had to grasp the collar of his shirt to keep his
