Page 2 of Capricorn Blessed

Twelve Zodiacs will rise

Swiftly and fiercely

They must change the tides

The divines have bestowed

The daughters with power

To right that which is wrong

To destroy all who devour

Hear the call of our magic

Awaken in our time of need

The dawn of the Zodiacs is here

To undo the faults of your greed

I bolt upright, clutching my chest. I look around my room. It’s still dark outside, and I glance at the clock. 4:26 AM.

It was just a dream. I focus on my breathing. In through my nose and out through my mouth. I keep going until my heart rate slows back to a more normal pace.

I lean back against the headboard and sigh. I don’t have to wake up for another hour, but the tremors still coursing through my body make me realize I’m not going back to sleep anytime soon. Tossing my silver comforter to the side, I climb out of bed, my t-shirt falling down to cover the tops of my thighs.

I walk into the kitchen and fill the kettle with water, setting it on the stove to heat. Grabbing my favorite mug and the jar of peppermint tea, I fill my mana-tea strainer. I drop into one chair at the table and stare out the window.

God, I hate Mondays so much.

Chapter 2

The Truth Comes Out

The doors slide back, and I’m greeted by a burst of cold air. I walk to the elevator, my mind still focused on the dream from last night. I press the button for floor five and lean against the side. This early in the morning, the car will fill up with everyone coming on shift.

“Sia?”

A hand lands on my arm, and I jump.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I’d said your name a few times, and you didn’t respond.”

I shake my head, trying to wake myself up.

“Sorry, Dennis. I must have zoned out.” I turn to face him and force a smile onto my lips. “How are you this morning?”

“I’m good, but I’m guessing your morning hasn’t been great? Were you on call last night?”

“Nope, just didn’t sleep well. I’ll fix myself a cup of tea while I read everyone’s charts.”

The ding of the elevator announces our floor. We step out and head up the hall to the lounge to drop off our stuff and clock in for the day.

The morning starts out as I expect. I see my post-op patients who haven’t been discharged yet. We make countless loops around the floor for those close to leaving. Some of my newer patients work on walking from the bed to the chair and going up and down stairs with rails. I move quickly from room to room, only pausing long enough to chart their progress and make a plan for what their next appointment should hold.

By mid-day, I’m exhausted from my early wake-up. I head back to the breakroom and turn on the kettle. Listening to the water slowly warm, I pull my large white mug with a fox and the words “For Fox’s sake” out of my locker. I know some people get offended by it, but a former patient gave it to me at her last physical therapy session. She formed a habit of cursing her way through all her exercises, but whatever it takes to reach our goals, right?

I place a bag of Earl Gray into the mug and set it on the counter as the kettle whistles. I pour the water into the mug and sigh as the comforting scent fills the air.

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