CHAPTER 4 OZ #3
Me too. Though, again, was one shifter really enough to keep Mr. Moreno safe?
I put the URL into Mr. Becker’s web browser and handed it back to him. I’d checked out the form yesterday, and it was set up as if it was for Dungeons & Dragons players to submit character information. But if you were a Wonder or a magic carrier, you’d know what it meant.
From the kitchen we heard ice clinking against glass, then the sound of a blender.
A moment later, Mr. Moreno came back into the living room carrying two small glasses of bluish liquid.
One of them glowed with magic. I straightened in my seat.
I’d never seen magic outside of a person.
It shouldn’t be possible, so how had he done it?
Mr. Becker stared at the glass same as me.
Cora sat up, and, smiling, Mr. Moreno handed the glowing glass to her. “See what you think of this.” He sat in the armchair again and took a long drink of his own smoothie.
Cora took a small sip, then she smiled and gulped about a third of it down. “It tastes like fun!”
Mr. Moreno laughed. “Thank you. I should rename the recipe.” When he laughed, his entire face brightened, and I had trouble looking away.
Wait, his wig was slightly off center. It hadn’t been that way when he’d gone into the kitchen.
And his magic was depleted. Not to a dangerous level, but he’d need to eat before he went back to sleep. What had he put in Cora’s smoothie?
She finished the drink and handed her glass back to Mr. Moreno. He smiled. “Good job drinking all of it. I think a glass of fun is exactly what you needed. You might be tired later, though, so take a nap if you want to, and eat when you’re hungry.” He glanced at Mr. Becker, who nodded, wide-eyed.
“Is that it?”
Mr. Moreno smiled, his expression reassuring. “It’ll take a few hours to completely work. Make sure she has snacks and frequent meals for the next few days. As much as she can eat.”
Face crumpling, Mr. Becker sniffled as he gazed down at Cora, who’d snuggled into his side again. “I didn’t truly believe it was real. We were just so desperate. Her parents have been working around the clock to pay for her medical bills, and nothing the doctors did helped.”
My badger chittered and bounced in pride at what Mr. Moreno had done for Cora. I grabbed the box of tissues from the end table and held it out to Mr. Becker. He took a couple and thanked me.
“I’m glad you brought her to me.” Mr. Moreno’s lips twisted. “But please don’t tell her doctor.”
Mr. Becker shook his head rapidly. “Oh, no, sir. I won’t tell anyone.
” He cleared his throat. “We checked Cora out of the hospital against medical advice.” He rolled his eyes.
“As if she wanted to spend what time she had left in that place. I told her oncologist, since he couldn’t do anything else for her, I’d be taking her to a voodoo priestess.
” Mr. Moreno nodded, like this was a valid alternative.
And, really, what the fuck did I know? Mr. Moreno was a healer, so why wouldn’t a voodoo priestess be able to help Cora?
“I found one, but she told me Cora was beyond her abilities. She’s the one who gave me your address.
I’ll give her the website when we get home and make sure she sends people there instead. ”
“Thank you. I’m glad I could help.”
Standing, Mr. Becker reached out his hand for Mr. Moreno to shake. “You’re a blessing, sir. And I know you don’t take payment, but I make a mean Cajun steak rub. I’ll send you some.”
Cora was sleeping, so I offered to carry her to Mr. Becker’s car.
After I’d seen them off, I hesitated. Officially, I had no reason to go back inside the house, but I wanted to make sure Mr. Moreno ate something.
Nothing more. When I went inside, Mr. Moreno had moved over to the sofa and was leaning back with his head on the cushions.
“You want me to make you something to eat?” This was the longest I’d been able to speak since my kidnapping. I kept expecting my voice to disappear, but it hadn’t yet.
He opened his eyes. “No, thanks. That’s not in your job description.”
“Uh huh.” His magic was definitely depleted, and his face was gray. “You need food. Any requests?” I walked through the living room and rounded the corner to reach the kitchen.
“Wait, what? No! I’ll do it!” I heard him get up. Shit, he was supposed to rest. I turned around and held out my hand to stop him, but he came around the corner too fast and ran right into me. Somehow I ended up with one of his wrists in each of my hands.
I meant to apologize and release him, but fucking flames of magic ran up and down our arms, and I ended up squeezing tighter instead of letting go.
Mr. Moreno screamed and wrenched out of my grasp. The flames vanished, and he shouted, “What the hell? What was that?” He wiped his unblemished hands on his shirt over and over again, glancing up at me with a panicked gaze.
Me, I couldn’t take my eyes off the brand new, whisper-thin romantic connection between us.