While it was true that Heather used the rune shapes she saw in Denise’s books, it was her own magic that she ihe spells with, giving them a more healing aspect than a dead one. “I could have used lots of bck runed magic, Cire…” She opened her own palm and summohree tiny white wisps that pulled the e band off her fingers and caressed it like a fragile art piece. “Last night, Tatum’s home was attacked by the leader of… well those.” She poio the news once more. “What astounds me is that most of the public still doesn’t know they exist.”

  “We only see those things because we are awakened?” Cire posed.

  Nodding slowly, Heather looked at her sleeping daughter and reached out to hold her tiny hand. “Right. I think Carrie see them as well, I know Dusty does.” Hearing his name, Dusty finished lig his pte and barked softly approvingly at Heather, then walked uhe table and id on her feet. “Tatum was captured…”

  Almost as if the wind had taken Cire over, she began to glow a soft yellow. “...nothing survives.” Her voice came out mournful, sublimated with a hint of exasperation. “...Gaia provides.” Cire snapped out of her tiny trand touched the ring once more. “If nothing survives, how did you…” Unsure how to feel about the unnatural pulsing from the ring, Cire closed her fist defensively. “...did you get her…mind and spirit?”

  Spotting the worried look on Paul’s face, Heather paused. “How much does he know, Cire?”

  “Enough. Though, I am n to force him to awaken. If it’s Gaia’s wish, then she will provide the signs.” She looked up from Heather and waved to Paul. “Everything is alright, she’s like me.”

  “Damn mages.” The old man turned and waved at his server, “Cire, if you need privacy…I think we close up now. No one else is ing into the dihis evening, ial Heights has everyone.” He tossed a half-greasy rag into a bin, “Go o out of here. See you tomorrow?”

  “With luck, you sure will. I promise.” Cire took the dishes to the sink and washed them off. “You big teddy bear.” Cire wiped her hands and gave Paul a hug. “I don’t thiher is going to do anything.”

  Heading back to his small office with the cash drawer, Paul pulled out a crisp fifty and ha to Cire. “Just in case you need money for something. Be safe now.” He waved at Heather, “Nice meeting you, I hope to see you again Ms Addison, the town always use another doctor.”

  With a bow and a smile on her face Heather picked up Carrie and escorted Cire from the restaurant. “Have you ever been to the farm?” Heather pointed back towards the glow of the burning city. “It’s about twenty mihat way.”

  “No, I have only passed it on the way to, well, ial Heights.” Cire opehe heavy car door and slipped onto the well-used leather seat. “Surprisingly this is very fortable for being so old.” Cire smeared her hand over the leather seat, then locked the door. “Okay, that was strange…Sorry, I guess I be odd too.” She looked around, “Humm, belt. Nothing like the fifties.”

  Once she’d dohe best she could iing Carrie fasteo the back seat, Heather listeo the quick versation and nodded in respoil she’d gotten the car bato the rural highway and headed for her new home. “Alright, I suppose we are alone enough for me to tell you everything you wao know.”

  “I guess the pleasantries are over.” Cire quickly interjected.

  “No, I just don’t want it to be strange all the way to the farm. I mean you looked at me rather harshly back there.” Heather tucked some of her gray-brown hair behind her ear and resumed. “Let me address why Tatum is in the ring.”

  “I’m listening.” Cire reassured Heather and gazed out of the dark side window at the golden autumn maples that passed by.

  Still irely fortable with the topic, Heather used the remaining uplifting magic that Cire used oo resume the versation. “Shadewraiths. You even said it, nothing survives.” Heather paused and smiled, “...Except when there is a mage with magical healing.” Heather allowed a moment of silend then resumed. “Yes, I used the basiat ing back the dead, it is very neantibsp; However, Just like we were taught…think about what you want and it es to pass. I wahe ruo proted preserve, keep Tatum alive.” Heather handed Cire the ring once more. “I used her wedding band for familiarity to hold her mind and spirit.”

  “Amazing.” Dropping the ring into her upturned hand, Cire summoned her magid sent a small wave of reassurand optimism for Tatum’s spirit to tto and erase any despair that she’d detected. “That should give you a bunch more time before Tatum gives up.” Cire hahe ring back to Heather, “Just so I uand, you tied her spirit to an objebsp; Much like darkwalkers do to anchor themselves?”

  “We called them infiltrators, but yes. I used a version of the anchor spell to hold Tatum.” Heather ughed, “I know this might e as a shock, but I literally just learned what should have been on sehis evening.”

  “Which is?” Cire resumed watg the trees zoom by, and occasionally looked at Carrie. “She’s fine, adorable and sleeping fortably.”

  Shooting Cire a jaunty smile, Heather tinued her train of thought. “Magic requires Mind, Spirit and Body.” Heather ughed, “I know it sounds stupid that I didn’t know it, but I put my past with Deogether based on that simple premise.” Looking over taiher shrugged, “The shadewraith leader…” She hesitated, “...a white ghost, had all three. I buratum’s body and took her mind and spirit back.”

  “Okay, Doctor.” Cire teased and fluttered her brown eyes, “How do you pn to get a body for Tatum?” It suddenly occurred to Cire that she shouldn’t have mentiohe body to Heather, given that the two were still mostly strangers. “I…um…” Cire nervously tried to speak, “...I am not a f-f-fighter Heather…u defend myself?”

  “What are you..” Heather began and it dawned on her what Cire meant. “Heaven’s no, Cire. I am not going to try and steal your body…” Heather paused, “...I am not a neancer or entress, I think enting is e?” She ughed and in doing so awakened Carrie, who then started ughing. “Hello there baby girl, yh is so…”

  “...Uplifting and new.” Cire interrupted and turo face Carrie. “Wele back little one, did you sleep well?” She handed Carrie an oversized set of pstic toy keys to py with. “I hear babies ugh and think the world is good and wholesome. Like, how there be evil when there is a sound so cute?”