Page 4 of Capricorn Blessed

I race over and catch her arm, helping to steady her while retrieving her cane and passing it over.

“I don’t need that stick. I can walk just fine with you, dear,” she says, pushing it back toward me.

“Mrs. Simmons, if you ever want to stop coming to physical therapy, you need to follow the steps and trust the process.”

“Who said I want to stop seeing you every week?” she asks. “How will I know when you get a boyfriend if we give up these weekly meetings?”

I laugh and roll my eyes.

We spend the rest of her hour working through some exercises while I try to fend off questions about my nonexistent love life.

Passing the nurses’ station, my attention snags on the news. There’s a breaking news alert. The Council of Supernaturals announcement reveals a breakthrough in tracking the Zodiacs, promising an end to the war on magic. I try not to pay too much attention as I walk past.

“Can you believe that?” one doctor says. “The Zodiacs think we don’t know they are out there stealing from all of us. I’m glad the Council is trying to protect us.”

“It’s disgusting,” answers the blonde nurse standing next to him. “It’s like they don’t even care about all the shifters in the world. If everyone loses magic, I worry we’ll lose our animals. It feels like my cheetah is getting weaker every time I shift.”

“Our spells aren’t working as well either,” answers the nurse, who’s leaning on the counter. “Maybe if we can find and get rid of all these Zodiac Girls, everything will go back to normal!”

I can’t listen to it anymore. I speed past the desk and slam the locker room door shut and lean against it. I try to draw air into my lungs, but no matter how hard I gasp, it feels like I’m suffocating. I fumble in my pocket and drag out my phone. Unlocking it, I pull up the number of the person I know will always be there for me. She picks up on the second ring.

“Izzy, I need you,” I force out.

“Hang in there, Sierra,” her voice comes through the phone. “I’m on my way!”

The door behind me nudges open, and my best friend slips inside. She sits down on the floor next to me, wraps an arm around me, and tugs me into her chest. This is the closest feeling to home and family I have now. I lean my head onto her shoulder and breathe in her comforting scent of amber.

“Want to talk about it?” Izzy asks. “It’s been a while since you’ve had a panic attack.”

I take a deep breath and nod. “Yeah, but not here. I just need to get out of here.”

She loosens her arm and hops off the floor.

“Of course. How about we grab some lunch? I put a sign on the door that said ‘Family emergency. Be back when I can,’ so I’ve got all the time you need.”

She reaches down a hand, and I let her pull me up. She shoves her long brown ponytail behind her shoulder and places her hand on the door.

“You ready?”

When I nod, she pulls open the door and we walk out. Right into Dennis.

“Sierra, what’s wrong? Are you okay? I saw Mrs. Simmons leaving and then you never came out back out front. I was worried.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for checking,” I answer.

He nods and turns to Izzy. “Hi, I’m Dennis, one of the physical therapist on staff here, and you are?”

“I’m Isabella, Sierra’s best friend.” She shakes his hand before grabbing my arm and starting forward. “And now, if you’ll excuse us, we were on our way out.”

She tugs me forward, and I offer Dennis a half wave over my shoulder and head to the door.

“I’ll see you later,” I call.

Izzy and I sit down at a booth in the back of a little sandwich shop near Izzy’s store, Mystic Treasure. She’s been the owner since her mother passed away a few years ago, and while she said she has all the time in the world, she likes to be close. Her store specializes in magical artifacts and anything else related to magic they can get their hands on. With people feeling the magic draining away, they have been busy more days than not.

“So are you ready to talk about what set you off?” she asks, sipping on her coke.

“It shouldn’t have upset me so much. There was a story about getting closer to finding the Zodiacs, and people at work were saying such hateful things about them. I just saw myself in their shoes and thought about what if those people were saying that about me? I mean, they kind of were. One of them wished death on all the Zodiacs.” I get all the words out in one breath, afraid if I stopped, the fear would come back in. Grab my glass of water and take a gulp.

---