I winked and whined. Keep it on the down low, Days.
The tip of her tail wagged just the tiniest amount, and she winked. I glanced up at Peter to find him watching our interaction with a twinkle in his eye.
30
A CURE
A palace servant showed Peter, Daisy, and me back to the healing wing. The long, cool space that had been so quiet before buzzed with excited energy.
I grinned at Peter, and we picked up the pace as we headed down the center aisle to the back, where several tall tables stood covered in potions and spell books. Healers decked out in smocks and gloves bustled about, and I spotted Prince Harry and Princess Imogen as well as several of their friends among them.
Princess Imogen, her baking flame in a lantern on the table in front of her, glanced up and beamed at me. “Jolene!”
Maple, beside her, looked up and squealed when she spotted us—or should I say, Daisy. “Puppy!”
I doubted I could get away with calling Daisy a puppy, but she didn’t seem to mind when the princess’s friend did it. Maple ran forward and dropped to a crouch, cooing over Daisy and scratching behind her ears.
Within moments, Daisy had rolled onto her back, eyes closed, and was happily accepting belly rubs. Maple, raking her fingers up and down Daisy’s fluffy tummy, let out a wistful sigh. “Sam would’ve loved to pet her. I hope he’s okay.”
The royals and their friends hopped off their stools and came over to join us. Princess Imogen squeezed Maple’s shoulder. “I’m sure he’ll turn up sooner or later. Amelia, Kenta, Rhonda and Francis, plus half the palace staff are out searching for him.”
Maple nodded as Daisy continued to soak up the attention, her long tongue hanging out the side of her mouth. She groaned. A little to the left.
I scanned the room, searching for Will and Heidi. I spotted them lounging on one of the beds, Will stretched out with his ankles crossed, and Heidi sitting, legs crossed, with the sloth wrapped around her neck, reading a magazine.
“Hey, friends!” I waved, and they both glanced up as we approached.
“Did you hear?” Heidi beamed at me, closed her magazine, and then patted Will’s legs. “C’mon.”
He kept his eyes closed. “Do I have to?”
She rolled her eyes as she pushed off the bed and onto her feet. She poked his ribs. “You’ve been napping all night. C’mon.”
He huffed. “These have been the first days off I’ve had in about five years, so cut me some slack, alright, sister?” He opened his eyes and flashed them at her.
Heidi just giggled and bounded over to give me a hug. “They found a cure,” she whispered in my ear.
I grinned at her, torn between joy and hesitation. I’d had a lot of good things turn sour in my life, and it wasn’t always easy for me to believe they might be turning around. “Really? This isn’t some cruel prank?”
She shot me a flat look. “Like I would do that.” She smirked. “See for yourself.”
I froze, my heart racing—had they already cured one of the trapped shifters?
The prince, who’d by this time joined our little group, swept an arm toward an old man sitting on a stool. A few wisps of white hair covered his otherwise bald head. Several healers fussed over him, handing him tea and checking his vitals. “Jolene Hargrave, officially meet Carthamus Cook.”
The old man shot me a watery grin. “We’ve met.” His voice sounded hoarse and strained, as though he hadn’t used it in many, many years. “I was the raccoon.”
The raccoon. I grinned, tears stinging my eyes. “I’m glad you won’t be hanging around my apartment stealing all my earrings and rings anymore.”
He grinned back, his dark eyes twinkling. “Sorry about that.” He shrugged his thin shoulders. “I like shiny things; what can I say.”
A few of the healers chuckled.
I bit my lip, trying to hold back the strong emotions washing over me—a mix of relief, sadness, excitement, and a sudden, profound appreciation for the gift I’d for so long viewed as a curse.
If I weren’t able to speak to animals, this man, Carthamus Cook, would likely have lived the remainder of his days trapped in raccoon form, no one knowing what had happened to him. While he’d lost a lot of years, maybe now he’d get justice and see Ludolf Caterwaul pay for his crimes.
Heidi nodded, patting the sloth’s back like it was a baby. “You were such a troublemaker.” She winked at Carthamus. “So cute though.”
The old man grinned back at her. “Thank you, Miss Heidi, for all the care you took of us.”
She beamed. “Happy to.”
The sloth in her arms let out a couple of slow squeaks. You’re… so… pretty.
I raised my brows at Heidi. “You’ve got an admirer.”
She sighed wistfully down at the sloth. “Can we change him last? I’m gonna miss carrying this little guy around.”
Prince Harry looked at his wife, then back at us. “We think we should move as quickly as possible to cure the shifters.”
Princess Imogen nodded, her thick curtain of bangs bobbing. “They’ve spent enough time trapped.”
Heidi pouted down at her sloth.
Will finally dragged himself out of bed and came to stand beside me. “Not to mention, once Ludolf gets a whiff of this, he’ll be hightailing it out of here to save his own hide.” I glanced up, and my friend flashed his eyes at me. “We need to move fast.”
I nodded and spoke to the whole group. “This is—amazing.” I looked at Prince Harry and Princess Imogen. “What you’ve done… it’s way beyond what I ever imagined. So thank you.”
They beamed at each other, then at me. Prince Harry lifted his palm. “It’s just the start. We’ll do our best to repair the damage my father’s done to the shifter community.” He looked down, brows pinched, and the princess nudged him
