The Monsignor waved a hand and the glowing white dome disappeared.
Rafe sagged to the floor and I leapt from my chair.
Cris and I reached him simultaneously and eased him supine to the floor.
His eyes were closed, his face damp, his hair matted with sweat.
I touched his face and felt for his mind. For a minute, I found no response, then we meshed and his eyes opened.
“Did it work?” he asked.
Cris choked off a laugh and I leaned down to kiss him on the lips.
Chapter 32
raphael
I took a moment to catch my breath. Damn, I felt like I’d been wrung out like an old mop, and raised both my hands. The ladies each took one and helped me back to my feet. I had to let them take some of my weight as I swayed on limp noodle legs.
Gathering my focus, I added magical energy to my muscles and felt a thrill as energy coursed through me.
“Well, I guess it did work. Monsignor, I owe you a debt.”
The old man looked as tired as I had felt a moment earlier. His hands and head shook with a quiver that reminded me of Parkinson’s disease when he spoke, “It was my duty, Wanderer. Regardless of your serving a pagan god, I am still required to help anyone who has fallen under the taint of darkness.”
I hugged both women to me in a group hug before replying. “Be that as it may, Monsignor, I still owe you one and I do not forget my debts. If there’s ever anything I can do for you, you only have to call.”
His shaking head nodded. “And how does one call a Wanderer. I know a little about your group, but I’ve never heard of anyone calling one of you.”
I grinned. “This is the 21st century, Monsignor. We have cell phones now.”
The aged priest chuckled as he nodded. “Yes, Beverly has one, too. Give her your number and I will have her make a record of it and of your debt to me. I may not be around long enough to need your assistance, but someone will come after me. I assume your debt is transferrable?”
Releasing the ladies and stepping toward the man who had restored me, I made a deep bow. “Monsignor, I am always willing to help anyone in need. I may not be the white mage that you are, but I have never let someone die for lack of action. You have helped me in my hour of need and I will return the favor regardless of the cost to me. The debt is to you and yours. You may pass it on to anyone of your kind. I will honor it as long as I have breathe in my body.”
“Well said, Wanderer. I will make sure that it passes to those who come after me. Now, I don’t like to rush my guests, but I’m an old man and the expenditure of that much energy tires me. Please send Beverly in on your way out.”
I bowed again, turned and took one of the ladies hands in each of mine and walked away from the Monsignor.
Beverly was waiting outside the door to the Monsignor’s sanctum. She entered the phone number we gave her into her own phone and walked us to the front door. Opening it, she stood to one side, and let us pass.
“Wanderer, if I may suggest,” Beverly said.
“Yes?”
She gave us a phone number, which Tess stored in her phone. She stepped close to me and I noticed a glow of white light emanating from her eyes. “The next time, Wanderer, call for an appointment rather than just showing up. I don’t like to see the Chaplain of His Holiness disturbed. Monsignor Padalecki is not a well man and you interrupted his afternoon nap. See to it that this doesn’t happen again.”
I resisted smiling and kept my face solemn. “You may be assured that we will not trouble the Monsignor again. I regret any strain we put on him.”
Beverly nodded and the glow in her eyes faded. She shut the door without another word.
“Is it just me or does Beverly seem a little intense?” Cris asked.
“Oh, it’s not just you,” Tess answered.
“Okay, you’ve restored your mojo. What now?” Cris asked as we started down the sidewalk toward the driveway.
I grasped the leather lanyard that hung from my neck and pulled out the dog whistle. I gave it a long blast and then dropped it back beneath my shirt. “Well, your place is out, but I think ours is too. I don’t guess you have a cabin in the woods that we can hide out at?”
“Me?” Cris asked. “No, if I want to get away, I rent a cabin. There are plenty available for rent in the mountains.”
“Why a cabin?” Tess asked as she pulled her left sleeve back and fiddled with the band on my old Omega watch. She handed it to me and I slipped it on.
Before I could answer, a couple of deer turned down the driveway from the street and ran our way. They slowed to a trot and stopped in front of us. Bruno appeared in the air above the doe and flew to Tess’s shoulder.
I placed a hand on the neck of the buck and merged with the glamour.
“What’s with the watch?” Cris asked.
“It has a shield etched into the case. Until I re-burn my shield tat it’ll give me protection. As for the cabin, we can’t start after Rowle and Alex until I have more of my tats. The longer those two are together the harder it
