Page 20

Here we Go Again.

River.

All good things must come to an end, I don't believe in that, I believe that the good comes with the bad and you have to accept that, in life you'll be tested, provoked, intimidated and put down, laying down and just letting it happen will not help anyone though, in order to preseve the good, you must fight for it and keep fighting for it.

I sighed wanting to take a break, I had not rested, since the day Julian got his title and everyone else assumed their new positions in the pack.

"Bye luna River!" The children I was with yelled before running back to the suburbia that was the Forester Pack, I had been teaching them about the first shift, how to handle it, what to expect after and the occasional late shift, or what they all dread, not shifting at all, it was a topic I tabled for a later day.

Julian was out of town for a week, he had business meetings, three meetings with two different packs and a treaty signing, you may wonder how I know, I had been the one handling his schedule so that he wouldn't mess it up, his organizational skill was horribleso I had to help.

This also meant the day to day of the pack fell on Kirk, who literally needed the 101 of managing his own time, between school, pack and love life, I was dreading getting involved but soon it would fall on me to intervene, so I lessened the load before he imploded on his own.

"Good afternoon luna." I'm greeted by the pack's almost chief doctor, Clarke's mother hadn't stepped down yet, she still thought Clarke needed a bit more training and an actual certificate, I was highly amused.

"Clarke." I replied as he began walking by my side.

"I know you and I have barely made that much conversation over the years, and that's my fault, I know that, but I would like to rectify that, I realized I need to be more open with you, my mother made me realize I've been too passive with possibly the most skilled healer in the pack—.

" He paused in his explanation and I chuckled.

Finally he was coming around. "I know you have your reasons, that's okay, we can start now, tell me how I can help.

" I replied and his lips stretched into a grateful smile, he pulled out his tablet and on the screen was a patient file, as I read it I realized why he was unable to treat the patient successfully.

"You treat him, he comes back again with the same affliction, and not only him there are now multiple others with the same problem?

" I exclaimed with a question and he nodded right then.

"Can you get a sample of blood, or the infection when it finds a host, when you get it bring it to me, if you can't find me, give it to Riley or Chad, I will do a magical analysis on it and should have a proper diagnosis of what's going on, for now I'd suggest you investigate where these people live, what do they eat, what sort of environment do they live in, check everything, that's how you find the source of the pathogen that's causing the infection, with lycans I'd start with meat.

" I explained everything and relief seemed to flood his features.

"Oh my Goddess, you're a genius, thank you.

" I nodded to his praise as hesaid his goodbye and left speed walking to the make shift pack infirmary, the medical centre I had commissioned to be built with its eight floors was almost complete and soon it would open it's doors to the pack.

I waved at more pack members as I made my way toward my house, as I was passing by the training grounds I was pelted down by Riley's frantic emotions, he was scared most of all, then angry, confused, it all came down on me as I opened myself fully through our bond.

"River, I can't find her, I can't find Zaya.

" He panicked and I couldn't calm him down all I could do was try help him.

"Where are you?" I demanded and a loud howl echoed in the pack, I wasn't the only one who was stunned, the pack members who were training also stopped and looked to me, I didn't wait to answertheir questions just allowed my magic to take me to my brother, I shot up into the sky and flew directly to where he was, below lycans and wolves had also shifted and followed my direction from the ground, I increased my speed as Riley called out for me.

"She's hurting River." He whimpered as I found him with Brent and his father, my brother's father in law.

I didn't mean to be dramatic as I floated down, but the pack members that had followed me all stood around the three men as I made my descent.

"I'm here." I told Riley as my feet touched the ground and he latched onto me.

"River, it hurts." He whispered as he groaned in pain, but this wasn't his pain, there were no physical wounds meaning this was Zaya's pain, he could feel it and if it was this bad on him, how was she doing with it.

"It's alright sweetie, it's alright, I'm gonna make it better.

" I spoke softly, using my magic to alleviate the pain.

"Absonom." I whispered as he fell limp in my arms. "What happened?

" Kent demanded as he looked stunned by Zaya's sudden disappearance.

"Everyone fan out, find any trace of Zaya within and outside the pack territory.

" I ordered the pack members and they howled before taking off in different directions.

"We were training and he just started feeling pain, we thought he was shifting but he didn't." Brent explained as I placed my hand on the ground, as my magic spread out an icy pentagram with overlapping runes and trigram symbols appeared.

"It's Zaya isn't it, it's why you told them to find her.

" Kent finally spoke making sense of everything.

"Try to calm down, Riley's pain wasn't his, there are no physical wounds on him, meaning his mate is the one in pain and if it was that bad then Zaya must be in a lot more pain, and we need to find her soon.

" I explained to the two lycans whose eyes hardened in resolve.

"I have to go find her." Kent announced before shifting into a wolf and taking off into the woods.

Brent wanted to follow. "Constò." I whispered freezing him in place.

"Did you just magick me?" He growled out.

"My sister is out there, I need to go help her!

" He growled even more loudly. "Listen to me, I need your help here, I can track Zaya using a locator spell, once I find her we can go rescue her, searching blindingly will take longer, and I also need help with a spell to alleviate her pain as well through Riley, I can do all of that on my own as you search blindly, but my way is faster and will potentially help her till we find her.

" I explained to the lycan who stopped struggling and nodded just as I dropped my spell.

"How can I help?" He finally asked. "Get Kirk to bring Chad here, in the meantime I need you to find all the rock salt and ash you can find,plus a bowl of water.

" I explained, after I did his eyes glossed over, he was talking to Kirk, after he was done, he took off headed for the pack houses.

"Hold on babe you'll be okay soon." I comforted my brother as I placed another palm on the ground conjuring a summoning circle, a golem crawled out of the circle, it stood at six feet, slightly towering over me, pulling a knife from thin air I sliced my palm open, creating a crystal bowl with my magic, I bled into it until I was satisfied.

"River!" I heard Chad shout as Kirk was running toward me in his wolf form, Chad ontop holding on for dear life.

I would be amused if I wasn't in the middle of a spell.

"Do you know metaphysical transfusion spells?

" I asked him the moment he ran up to me.

"Yes, they require a go— damn that's a huge golem, also several ingredients, I brought my bag just in case, I will set up the spell.

" He asserted as he began preparation.

"Kirk gather a few warriors who aren't already out there looking for Zaya, tell them to assemble for anything, as soon as I find Zaya's location we go to her.

" I told the beta who nodded and took off.

"This is all the salt I could find." Brent mumbled as he and a few others brought bags of salt and the rest of what I asked for.

Ripping Riley's shirt open I wrote the runes I needed on his chest and forehead, I used the remaining blood in my bowl to write the same corresponding runes on the golem.

"Help me spread the salt in a circle around the golem and Riley.

" I asked the pack members and they didn't hesitate to help, putting their fascination of my spell aside, I was truly thankful for that.

"Ehnukat masorio voltehur." I heard Chad cast the spell that strengthed the bind he was placing between Riley and the golem.

"I need something of Zaya's." He called out and immediately Brent took off two of his necklaces and handed them over to Chad, the witchboy didn't say anything, grabbed Brent's hand and sliced open his palm.

"Bleed over it." He ordered the lycan as he chanted a spell that had his eyes completely turning white then back, he was getting good with his magic.

After he was done he stepped out of the circle, I took the ash and poured it at the feet of the golem, them poured the water around Riley.

"It's a chain spell, so I will need help, Chad you'll repeat after me, everyone hold hands, do not let go until the ash turns into embers, and fair warning this will hurt.

" I explained as we all sat down and everyone held hands tightly.

"Animas khetu et mortem, Revertum solcis egnus et tetra, Phetina vortu generis et vignus.

" Chad and I cast the spell, chanting it over and over until smoke rose from the ashes, it continued like that as the lycans truly held together until ash became ember, a burst of magic came from the golem and it rolled back into Riley.

The spell had been successful, the golem would take the pain that Riley and Zaya felt whilst it drew energy from nature and poured it into Riley and through the objects Brent bled on, she would be healed too.

"What now?" Brent asks as everyone waited for our next step.

"We need to find Zaya, and whoever did this to them, and kill them. "

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Saint_Jay