Laughter. It was the best kind of medicine, in my opinion. Liam, Augie, and I took Davis out for all the adventures he requested to go on. Caleb and Aiden stayed back to help the witches set up, which we appreciated. We’d been into town for ice cream at the small parlor we loved so much. Davis had gotten a banana split with more toppings than I thought he could eat, but he somehow managed while commenting about not being sure about the food choices in the afterlife. I quickly replied it was too soon to joke about such things, but he continued on anyway.
We followed that up with off-roading in the ATVs, then fishing at the pond. Davis’s last request was to sit out under the stars with ice-cold beer and tell stories. Caleb and Aiden had shown up along with Rick, Sam, Tommy, and several others. S’mores were made, plenty of beer was drank, and stories that caused our bellies to ache with so much laughter were told. Overall, it had been one of the best days I’d ever had.
Davis’s face was glowing. I’d never seen him smile so much or be so carefree in all the years I’d known him. It made my heart happy to know I helped put that look on his face. It also made me feel more at ease with the situation, seeing how sure he was of everything. If I had thought for one second that Davis doubted his choice to switch his soul for my father’s, I’d have fought him on the decision. But he’d been in good spirits all day and seemed to even look forward to later.
Augie leaned in and whispered, “You did good today, Tay.”
“Thanks. Seeing him how he is right now, that’s how I wanted to remember him. Not lying in a hospital bed. It wasn’t right.”
He squeezed my hand. “No, it certainly wasn’t, but this is perfect.”
“Is it weird I feel nervous about seeing my dad?” I asked. “It feels like it’s been months instead of weeks. So much has happened.”
Augie nodded toward Liam. “Are you afraid he won’t approve?”
“No. I mean, maybe. There’s the whole logistical issue. I guess because I don’t know where we stand, I’m not sure what to tell Dad.”
“You two still haven’t talked about that?” Augie shook his head in irritation at me. “I know you’re good at avoiding stuff when you want to, but this can’t be avoided or you’re going to get your heart broken. Then, I’m going to have to hurt Liam’s face for hurting you and he’ll likely hit back harder. It’s not good for any of us.”
I laughed at that and grinned at him. “Nobody is getting punched in the face. We’ll work it out sooner or later.”
“Sooner, Taya. I mean it. I want to see you happy. Don’t avoid this for so long that you miss your shot at happiness. I’m even willing to play mediator if you’re too chicken to handle Liam on your own.”
He was baiting me, and I wasn’t going to fall for it. He knew I couldn’t back down from a challenge and he’d just thrown one down.
“I’ll handle it, I promise. Your mediation services won’t be necessary.”
From the corner of my eye, I caught Zarai and Lex headed toward us, meaning our time had run out. This was it. I took a trembling breath and stood up to greet them before they could join us.
“We’re ready,” Zarai said when I approached them outside our group circle.
I glanced up at the sky, and the moon was out in full force. Bright yellow without a cloud in the sky to obstruct the view. I wasn’t ready, but I never would be, so it didn’t matter. I just had to breathe deeply and deal with it.
“Okay, we’ll make our way there now,” I said. “Thank you again. We can’t show our appreciation enough for your help with this.”
“We need to correct what our sister has done. We’re happy to help with this.”
I turned back toward the group and Davis met my gaze. He nodded at me, understanding without me needing to explain, which I was grateful for.
Davis cleared his throat and called for everyone’s attention. “What you all have done for me today means more to me than words can explain. Most of us have been family for decades; some of you not as long, but you’ve become family nonetheless. My only request is that you don’t cry for me today. There is no other way I’d rather go out than sacrificing myself for our alpha.” He glanced around at everyone, pausing to get his bearings.
“I love you, guys, but enough with the mushy stuff and sad faces. I’m ready to do this and get our alpha back where he belongs, with his pack. Then, I want you all to continue our mission and finish Declan. Give him the suffering he deserves.”
Clapping and cheers began as everyone stood up. Davis had been carried to a chair earlier, and instead of taking him out of it, Rick, Sam, Tommy, and Augie each took a corner and lifted Davis up on their shoulders like royalty. A few others circled around them as we headed toward the ceremony site.
The air held a mixture of emotions, but Davis continued to smile, so I did my best to do so as well.
Liam came over to me, taking my hand in his. “How are you holding up?”
“I’ll be okay. Just need to get through tonight and worry about the rest later,” I replied confidently.
We walked behind the rest of the group and made our way to the site that had been set up earlier. I still hadn’t seen it and was blown away when I did. The clearing had been transformed into something straight out of a fantasy movie. Everything seemed to be perfectly in place and magical.
Wooden torches were lit, creating a flawless circle. Within the ceremony site, two stone platforms had been created from rocks around our property. My dad was already lying on one, and Davis would soon occupy the other. Several ceramic pots were placed around the stones, and smoke rose from them in various shades of purple, blue, and green. Each one must have had different ingredients in it, causing the fog to be different colors.
Once Davis had been laid on the stone by Augie and Rick, Lex began placing gems in various spots on his body. Liam and I walked closer as I wanted one last hug, and I was also curious about the colorful gems.
“What are those for?” I asked Lex.
“Gifts. Think of it as icing on the cake. We want to make this as seamless as possible and thought offering a little extra couldn’t hurt.”
“Got it. As long as it works and Davis isn’t in pain, then I’m good with whatever.”
Lex smiled brightly while flicking her bright red hair back, then walked away. She was certainly an interesting witch, never saying more than what was needed.
I let go of Liam’s hand and leaned down toward Davis’s face. “Thank you for this. It’s more than anyone would have ever asked of you.”
“No thanks necessary. Just continue to make me proud and be the alpha one day I know you can be.”
“I love you, Davis.”
“I love you, too.”
I gave him one last squeeze and turned to walk away. There was no sense in prolonging it. It would only make it harder for both of us, and I didn’t want to do that to him. He deserved for me to be strong for him like he was being for the pack.
I grabbed Liam’s hand, but Davis tugged him back. “If you don’t treat her right, I will haunt you until your dying days.”
My jaw dropped. I had no words, but Liam certainly did, and they equally surprised me.
“I appreciate the warning, but it’s not necessary. I don’t plan on ever hurting her or letting her go.”
Shit. We really needed to talk.
Davis nodded, seemingly happy with that answer, and we went to stand outside of the circle. We weren’t allowed within it unless we wanted to risk being taken to the spirit world. As much as I’d love to visit there, I didn’t want anyone dying to bring me back.
My heart was still pounding from Liam’s earlier words, and I began fidgeting with a random string hanging off the bottom of my shirt. It gave me something to focus on other than what I had been avoiding.
“Are you okay?” Liam asked.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yup.” Nope. I was a chicken shit.
Zarai and Lex began the ceremony then, stopping Liam’s questioning. Augie joined us and took my hand opposite Liam. My best friend and my something more. I had all the support I needed as I watched the ritual begin.
Silence descended upon the group gathered around the circle of torches. We watched in stunned silence as the witches did their thing. Some of the wolves may have been around long ago when Zarai was here before, but I’d never seen magic performed before. It was positively enchanting.
She and Lex were dressed in long flowing dresses of the same deep, emerald color. Flowers adorned their hair and odd drawings swirled down their arms in twirling motions. They each walked through the colorful fog throwing some sort of herb, which caused the mist to rise higher and higher until we could no longer see the stone dais.
My heart constricted when I couldn’t see my dad or Davis, but no screams came from Davis, so I attempted to reign in my concern. Augie and Liam’s grips both tightened on my hands at the same time. My racing heart settled some, knowing I had their support no matter what happened.
As soon as both bodies were covered, Zarai and Lex began to chant over and over again. “We offer one for another. Please accept our sacrifice and offering.” I lost count of how many times they repeated it, because the more they did, the faster it came out until it was nothing more than mumbling.
The mystical fog continued to rise until it topped out about twenty feet above. It appeared as if there was an invisible dome keeping everything locked in nice and tight. I watched in amazement as the purples, blues, and greens mixed together beautifully, creating a kaleidoscope of colors. I stepped forward, drawn to the magic, but Liam pulled me back before I could make contact.
“That’s probably not a good idea.” He grinned at me.
No, it definitely wasn’t.
Minutes passed as we enjoyed the light show that very much reminded me of the northern lights. It was certainly one hell of a sendoff for Davis and welcome home for my dad. Finally, the mist broke through the dome and shot into the sky. White light joined in, coming down from the sky and merging with magical fog. It was so bright, I had to avert my gaze toward the ground until it was done.
Once everything settled, I held my breath, waiting for some sort of movement to tell me it worked, but nothing came. I hadn’t asked Zarai what to expect, and I was mentally kicking myself in the ass for not doing so. She walked toward my dad’s platform, hovering her hands over his body with her eyes closed.
She pulled back, making eye contact with me. “Your father will wake soon,” she said with a smile. “The ceremony is done, and you can join him now.”
I didn’t wait a second longer. I raced toward my father, grabbing his hands with mine. Silent tears trailed down my face as I waited for him to open his deep ocher eyes. Liam and Augie both joined me, quietly waiting for the same thing.
Minutes passed, and I feared something had gone wrong. My chest tightened as tears began to come for a whole new reason. If Davis died for no reason, I was going to show the world what a crazy shifter truly looked like.