Page 8 of Pledge Of A Bobcat

“Very well,” Maribel said. “I’ll help you by performing a ritual to pull the darkness from the shifter. But first, you’ll need to gather some things for me.”

I exhaled a slow breath. She’d agreed to help, which meant I’d succeed and we were one step closer to sending Lucius away for good this time.

“What do you need?” I asked.

“The vessel is a bird shifter—a raven—is he not?”

I blinked, stunned she knew. “Yes. His name is Xander.”

Maribel nodded. “I’ll need sage for cleansing, salt for protection, spring water for purity, and soil from Lucius’s burial site,” she said, her voice firm yet soft. “And you’ll need something from Xander—a feather from his raven form. Ravens are tied to the dead—to the spirit world. That’s what holds his connection to Lucius. He’s the messenger and the vessel.”

“The messenger and the vessel?” I repeated.

What did that mean?

“Exactly. Ravens are messengers of the dead, which could explain why Xander, a raven shifter, was the perfect vessel for Lucius’s spirit to return in.”

My head spun.

Had Lucius known this? Was that the true reason he’d chosen Xander as his second in command?

Even if it was, it didn’t matter. Lucius’s spirit would be pulled from him soon enough and sent to where it belonged. There would be no coming back from this.

“I’ll get what you need,” I promised, even though I knew getting a feather from Xander’s raven wouldn’t be easy.

“Good. Rachel will accompany you,” Maribel added, glancing toward her niece. “She knows the quality required for each item.”

I glanced at Rachel, noticing the unease flicker across her face. Still, she nodded in agreement. I didn’t blame her. Maribel didn’t seem like someone you argued with. Beneath her whimsical, enchanting exterior, there was a sharper edge, one I had no desire to encounter.

“We’ll start gathering what’s needed tomorrow morning,” Rachel said. “Depending on how this storm unfolds.”

Maribel waved her words away. “The storm will drift by soon, leaving hardly a trace behind.”

I admired the woman’s confidence, but that wasn’t what the weatherman said about it. Rachel appeared to feel the same.

“Tomorrow morning, then?” she reiterated.

“Sounds good.” I nodded.

“I’ll meet you at the grocery store at nine.”

“I’d rather pick you up. If that’s all right? No sense in us riding around in two separate vehicles and wasting gas,” I said. “Plus, you have that donut on.”

“Right. Okay,” she said before shifting her attention to Maribel. “Can you watch Serenity for me? I don’t feel comfortable bringing her along for something like this. Xander seems dangerous.”

She was right to think that.

“Of course,” Maribel said, walking toward where Serenity sat beside Rachel on the couch. “We’ll have all sorts of fun—just like always.”

“Yay!” Serenity shouted, standing to jump up and down on the couch.

Rachel scooped her up. “None of that. We don’t jump on the furniture.”

Maribel took Serenity from her, a wide smile stretching across the old woman’s face. “We’ll dress up in feather hats and have a tea party with hot chocolate and graham crackers.”

“Yes, please!” the little girl shouted.

I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face.

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