Page 45 of Reclaiming His Lost Mate
Each person carried an air of distress. The witches who had used the raw frostvine leaves in their spells were drained of energy, their eyes sunken and their spirits dimmed, while the shifters sat around, their skin looking feverish and clammy.
While Lyvia oversaw healing the witches one by one, I concentrated on brewing teas to calm the inflammation the shifters weresuffering from with kulvitch and spray-lilies. I had successfully brewed a batch of tea that cured the handful of shifters who were suffering from the same inflammation Penny had had.
At midday, a knock sounded on the boutique’s front door. My heart sank. I thought all my suffering customers had come to me, and I’d successfully contacted the others who had bought creams but hadn’t used the tester pots, still warning them not to use the creams just in case. I discarded the herbs I had been cutting up, bracing myself for whatever new challenge this was.
But as I washed my hands, preparing to go and greet whatever new unhappy customer had arrived, Lyvia came through from the garden where she was using the earth to treat the witches and announced, “That’s reinforcements.” Her amber eyes sparkled like the sunshine pouring through the back door.
Confused, I left the shifters I was tending to, sipping their curative teas, and came into the shop to see a strikingly pretty woman with the same deep, ebony hair as Lyvia, standing at the door. Her curtain of glossy hair was so similar to Lyv’s, they could almost be sisters. But her eyes—a striking jade green—set her apart. She had a similarly enigmatic quality to her eyes as Lyvia, and I was sure just from that she was a witch, too.
“Selina,” Lyvia said, shadowing me as I opened the door. “I’d like you to meet my friend, Seraphina. She’s staying with me at the moment.” As Seraphina’s honey perfume filled the air, my wolf could tell she was a shifter, too.
Seraphina’s smile radiated comfort as she held out her hand. “It’s lovely to meet you, Selina. Lyvia said you could use another pair of hands treating the witches,” she offered, her voice rich and calm. “I’d be happy to pitch in with my magic.”
“Really?” I brightened, grateful for the relief in the storm. “That’s so kind of you. What do you need to get started?”
“Do you have palliks?” she asked.
“The sleeping herb?” I hesitated. The last thing I wanted was for the already weakened witches to fall asleep. “I don't want to knock anyone out.”
“In potion-making, it allows the spellcaster to connect to theotherworldly. The tiny bit of palliks is just for me and whichever witch I’m restoring. It’ll help bridge the connection with the Moon Goddess’s power.”
The thought of connecting with Igaluk’s strength invigorated me. I clutched the Aventurine necklace I wore, my own link to the Moon Goddess. “Great. I’ll get some from out of the back. The kitchen’s all set up with anything you might need—to chop and mix,” I added, walking her through our set-up.
Seraphina raked a thoughtful hand through her long hair. “Just the palliks, thanks. I’ve got the crystals I need otherwise.” She gestured to the satchel she carried.
As Seraphina fetched herself a cup and steeped a tiny leaf of palliks in some hot water for her and her patient to drink, she watched me mix up the next batch of tea I was preparing.
She looked around at the shifters and witches, her attentive look telling me she was taking in their symptoms, even as her soft smile and eyes greeted them with kindness. “Hi everyone. I’m Seraphina. Selina’s asked me to help restore you fellow witches to full strength. We’ll have you all out of here in no time,” she said, confidently. I felt my shoulders relax a little as I thanked Igaluk for sending another capable helper my way.
“Let’s not be too quick about it,” Penny said. “It’s kind of fun, this impromptu tea party.” The shifter had been cured, but she’d stayed to keep her friend Hannah company, who was currently nursing a second cup of tea. The inflammation in her face was definitely going down, I noticed with relief, but it was taking time. Hannah looked peeved at the idea that this could be described as fun. But Penny had already announced to everyone, a few times, that she was enjoying getting out of the admin tasks on her desk at work.
Seraphina seemed to read the room better and cut through the tension by asking, “What are you putting in the tea, Selina?”
“Kulvitch—to bring the inflammation down and spray-lilies to counteract the bitterness,” I told her.
“Oooo, I’ve never used kulvitch,” Seraphina said, watching me chop with an obvious interest in her eyes.
“How’d you get into herbalism?” I asked, wondering if she was likeme, and it was something she’d learned from her mother. There was a strong tradition in most packs that one’s parents passed down their wisdom. The healers and herbalists of most packs were, generally speaking, on the matriarchal side.
Seraphina’s gaze became momentarily distant. “My mother was a witch. She taught me both herbalism and magic.” As she spoke, a flicker of something—perhaps sorrow or regret—crossed her face, quickly masked by a practiced smile. “And previously, I studied at Silver Moon University,” she added, her voice steadier as she spoke about her studies.
The Silver Moon University was renowned for its heritage in herbalism and magic. My curiosity sparked about the enigmatic woman in my kitchen. I wondered if her connection to the Silver Moon Pack was just through the university or if she belonged to that pack. Their lands were in the far north of Alaska, even harsher and more remote than Matsuna. Their glaciers were filled with precious ores and some of the rarest herbs, too. Indeed, the rare frostvine leaves that had been infected with this dark magic had come from the Silver Moon lands.
But before I could sate my curiosity, Seraphina announced, “That’s the palliks steeped. Would one of you ladies join me in the garden for your healing treatment?” The nearest witch stood up but was so weak she needed Seraphina’s support.
I stifled a grimace as another pang of guilt shot through me. My customers were ill because of my faulty products. I tried to channel my frustration into chopping the herbs, letting the releasing scent envelope me as I reminded myself that we were setting things right.
When I next glanced up from the new batch of tea, Seraphina had set up another crystal circle in the garden alongside Lyvia’s. The ancient incantation in the language of the Moon Goddess soon became a kind of comforting rhythm as the two witches continued to cast their magic over the depleted witches, who, one by one, joined them in the circles. “Saya uki kaumma tapiktuk.”
With each syllable, a pulse of energy thrummed through the earth, resonating through the kitchen and the rest of my shop. Finally, by lateafternoon, our joint efforts had successfully cured the shifters and witches, and our impromptu tea party dispersed.
Both Lyvia and Seraphina looked tired from their magic usage but seemed reluctant to leave me as the last customers left. “We’ll help wash up, Selina,” Lyvia offered.
I was tempted to keep them with me. The energy from them was like a light amidst the darkness. The snippets of conversation that Seraphina and I had shared during our healing session had made me keen to talk more with her. I sensed there was so much that we could teach each other. Her questions about the herbs I stocked and my questions about the types of magic she infused them with had piqued my curiosity, and I was very much looking forward to getting to know her more.
But I insisted, “Absolutely not. You both need to go home and rest or reconnect with the earth if that’s better.” Currently, that was my plan. I’d managed to get a message to Tom this afternoon, who had, thankfully, been in the area and done me the favor of picking Mia up from school. He’d already texted to say he was on his way back with her.
Lyvia fixed her stare on me and must have seen my determination as she agreed but said, “Call me if you need anything, okay?” They both gave me a hug before leaving, and as I saw them out I sensed that Seraphina and I were going to be fast friends.
