“It has been too long since you have visited us, Cindira,” the forest sprite queen said in a surprisingly warm voice.

“I apologize I have not come sooner,” Cindy said as she bowed her head to the queen of her people.

“I will admit I was disappointed when you left. But, then, we all do strange things in the name of love. How is your human mate and your offspring?”

“My husband is well, thank you for asking. My daughter, however, is the reason I have come. She is far from well and in great need of help. I’ve come to petition you and ask that you allow any luminous sprite willing to help to do so.”

“You are a healer, and for our kind, quite powerful. Why do you need the luminous?” the queen asked as she rested her elbows on the arms of her chair and steepled her hands beneath her chin.

“Sally is beyond my ability to help. She needs the light of the luminous sprites. She was accosted by the Order. What they did to her is sick, and their magic is still at work in her mind. It’s dark, darker than I’ve ever seen. I tried, but I couldn’t drive it out. I will beg if I must. Please help me.”

“The Order,” the queen’s voice was ice cold as she spoke. “They have crawled out of their hole?”

“It seems so,” Cindy answered. “They’re on the move to gain supporters. They’ve already asked me.”

“You denied them.”

It wasn’t a question, but she answered anyway. “Of course. I would die before I worked with them.”

“Why do they want your daughter?”

“She is a gypsy healer, my queen. A powerful one. And she is related to me. My guess is that they hoped to use her against me to gain my compliance. But they underestimated her pack’s drive to rescue her and the power of those who care for Sally.”

“Pack?”

“She’s mated to a Canis lupus.”

“And now she is back with her pack, safe?” she asked.

Cindy nodded. “She is back, but I do not know how safe she is. The darkness in her is like a parasite. It must be excised.”

“I will allow the luminous to help. But I would like to meet your daughter. She is, after all, half sprite.”

Cindy bowed her head again and let out a relieved breath. “Thank you, my queen.”

“I will send out a call to the luminous and ask any willing to help to arrive within the hour.”

Exactly one hour later, Cindy was standing in the hall of the queen, surrounded by twelve luminous sprite females.

A sprite that Cindy recognized stepped forward, and Cindy smiled. “Diedre, it’s so good to see you.”

Diedre wrapped her arms around Cindy and pulled her into a warm embrace. “You have been gone a long time, sister. We welcome you back.”

Cindy stepped back and made eye contact with the others. “I have been gone a long time. Unfortunately, I return now under dire circumstances. I need your help.”

“The queen said your daughter is in trouble,” Diedre said.

“She is. There is dark magic at work in her mind. My healing is not enough. She needs light. Would you all be willing to share yours?”

They all nodded, but Diedre spoke for them. “We will. However, I must suggest we wait three days until the full moon. Our magic is more powerful on that night. We might as well give it everything we’ve got the first time around in hopes there won’t have to be a second.”

Cindy nodded. “I agree. I shall return then in three days’ time. My queen.” She turned to the forest queen who was sitting quietly watching them. “May I bring my husband and my daughter’s mate with me to your palace?”

“Yes, of course. I look forward to meeting them. Peace, Cindira. We will see you in three days.”

* * *

Two uneventful days passed, and Sally felt as though they should throw a party or somehow mark the occasion. No one was in a battle, no one was killed, as far as she knew Jen wasn’t stripping in public, and she hadn’t even had any bad dreams. Things were about as peaceful as they’d been before she’d ever even known werewolves existed. She and her mom had sat and talked about Titus for most of those two days. Costin intermittently offering how their son would have Jen’s daughter drooling and Jacque’s son feeling inadequate.

“I can’t believe they have kids too,” her mom sighed. It was early evening the day before they were to go to the sprite realm and the four of them were lounging in the living room after having eaten tacos.

“’Jen’s a great mom,” Sally admitted. “I’m mean she’s bat crap crazy, but she’s a really great mom.”

“And Jacque?” her dad asked.

“She’s a great mom too, but Jacque is more of a natural. Jen is less June Cleaver and more Jessica Rabbit.”

“It seems like you should be too young to know those references,” Costin chuckled.

“Dude, I watch television,” Sally said dryly, nudging him with her foot. “You can’t really be too young to know anything these days. All you have to do is look it up on YouTube or see if it’s on Netflix.”

“That’s true,” her dad agreed. “Once upon a time, when something went out of style on television it disappeared into the cosmos, now it just get’s stored on the internet.”

“Well, back in my hay day, internet would have been climbing into an actual net,” Cindy said with a grin.

Sally groaned.

“Too soon?” Cindy chuckled.

“It’s just weird,” Sally said. “But then, I’m married to a werewolf and have an adopted son who still doesn’t know what we are, so I guess really it’s not.”

“Just got to take the punches as they come kiddo,” her dad said. “If you don’t roll with them, you’ll get knocked out and then just think of all the fun things you’ll miss. Oh, this is a good show,” he added quickly as he paused what Sally had considered was his absent minded channel surfing. The show that had caught her dad’s attention happened to on the history channel and not something that kept her mind sufficiently distracted.

Sally couldn’t stop thinking about her impending trip to the sprite realm and the weird exorcism-thingy she was going to have done. Well, at least that was how she kept referring to it in her head.

“It’s not an exorcism, beautiful,” Costin said with a chuckle.

“What?” her mom asked, turning to look at her from where she and her dad sat on the love seat.

“My mate thinks she’s having an exorcism performed tomorrow,” Costin said absently, his attention still on the TV.

“Sally.”

She tried to groan as her mom’s voice took on the all too familiar why-on-earth-would-you-think-that tone.

“Why on earth would you think that?” her mom asked.

“And there it is, folks,” she muttered under her breath.

Costin laughed as his attention finally left the television. “You called it,” he said holding up his hand for a high five.

“I’ve heard my name said in that tone of voice for a long time, many times,” Sally admitted.

Cindy narrowed her eyes at her daughter. “Quit trying to avoid answering me. Why would you think you’re having an exorcism?”

“Because there is something in my head that needs to come out. Ergo, exorcism.” Sally shrugged.

Her mom made a motion to her dad and suddenly the TV was off, and both her parents were facing her and Costin.

“I feel like things just got serious, really fast,” Costin murmured.

“Like intervention-serious,” Sally nearly whispered.

Her dad gave them an odd look and then shook his head, and a small smile appeared on his lips. “You two were made for each other.”

Costin patted her thigh. “See, told ya.”

“Sally, I didn’t want to tell you at first, but I guess I need to. I don’t want us going out there tomorrow with you thinking there’s a demon or something inside of you,” her mom said, ignoring her dad and Costin.

“Tell me what?” Her insides tightened. Things just went from intervention-serious to heart-attack-serious.

“When I looked inside your mind, I found a form of dark magic.”

“I’m sorry, what?” she said sitting up straighter. Forget the heart attack, things had just reached Armageddon-serious. Dark magic, in her head? Why couldn’t her mom be like, ‘I found happy thoughts and unicorns butts in your head’?

“Whatever the Order did to your mind when they messed with your memories, they left something. I’m not entirely sure what it is, so I’m just calling it a fail-safe, a spell to be triggered if their plan didn’t succeed. That darkness inside your mind is what you’re constantly fighting. It’s not just memories. I don’t think the spell is necessarily causing all the bad thoughts, but I do think it’s magnifying them greatly and adding to them where it can. We will know more when the luminous sprites can get a look at it. Banishing darkness is their specialty, so they’re very familiar with the various forms of dark magic.”

“I was right. It is an exorcism,” Sally said, almost to herself.

“No,” her mom’s voice was firm. “Think of it more like a cleansing. Everything gets dirty, right? And so, everything need a good cleaning out every once in a while.”

“I get dirty. Want to clean me out?” Costin’s sultry voice filled her mind.

Sally burst out laughing, though she tried really hard not to.

“Do I want to know?” her dad asked.

Sally shook her head as she attempted to get herself under control. Leave it to her mate to help bring the drama down a notch or five. She turned to look at him. “Thank you.”

“Any time, Sally mine. That’s what I’m here for. Well-”—he shrugged and smiled smugly— “that and to be your boy toy.”

She patted his leg. “That you are, dimple boy. That you are.”

Her parents stood, both smiling at them but looking very tired. “One more thing before we call it a night,” her dad said. “That locket.” He pointed to her neck. “I found a journal from my … well … let’s just say many greats grandmother. She mentioned the locket. We know it has always been in the care of a gypsy healer, and it was blessed by the Great Luna. But the journal didn’t mention what power it contained, just that it somehow always ended up with whatever healer seemed to need it.”

Sally pressed her hand over the locket. “I guess it’s important I have it then.”

“Looks that way. You were supposed to end up with it. Who knows? Perhaps it will be a help tomorrow.” Her dad walked over and leaned down. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and patted Costin on the shoulder. “You two get some rest tonight. Tomorrow is bound to be tiring.”

“Night, Sally,” her mom said blowing her a kiss. “Costin, make sure to get her into bed at a decent hour.”

“No worries, Mrs. C.” Costin winked. “I’m good at getting your daughter into bed.”

Sally smacked him with a pillow in the face as her mom covered her ears and started singing. Her dad just laughed and led her mom from the room.

“Really?” she asked, turning her narrowed gaze on him.

“What?” he said, looking entirely innocent. “It’s a fact. I am good at getting you into bed. You guys are the pervs that took it to a sexual level.”

“As if you didn’t mean it that way,” she challenged.

“Never.” He gasped, pressing his hand to his chest and opening his eyes wide. “How dare you?”

Sally snorted. “Okay, don’t do that again. Ever.”

“Too much?”

She rolled her eyes and then stood. “Come on, I’ve got something to show you.”

Costin jumped to his feet and rubbed his hands together. “Now that is what I like to hear from my woman.”

She laughed as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, taking the stairs two at a time. “So eager to read a piece of paper?”

He paused just outside of her door. “Paper?”

“Ugh! Costin, put me down. Your shoulder is crushing my diaphragm.”

“What do you mean paper?” he asked, sounding like a forlorn child. “No smexy time?” he said as he slid her down his body until her feet were planted on the floor.

She shook her head. “Nope. Right now is healthy, relationship time.” Sally pushed the door to her room open and walked inside, trying not to laugh at the look on her mate’s face.

“But healthy, relationship time can lead to smexy time, right?” He shut the door behind him and clicked the lock in place.

Sally picked up a journal from the bedside table and sat down on the bed. She looked up at him and patted the spot beside her. “I’m not saying to rule it out or anything.”

His smile was back as he sat down next to her.

“Here.” She handed him the journal. “Turn to the page with the paper clip on the edge.”

Costin flipped it to the page, and his eyes began to shift back and forth across the paper. A slow smile began to form on his sensual lips. “When did you do this?”

She willed herself not to blush as she spoke. “While I took a bath last night.”

He chuckled. “So that’s what took you so long.” He held the journal out to her. “Go on then. Let’s hear it.”

Sally’s eyes widened as her mouth dropped open. “Y-you want me to read it out loud?” That sounded like the worst idea she’d ever heard.

“Of course,” he said and started tracing down her back with a finger as he laid on his side, propped up on an elbow. “We need to be able to talk about this stuff and communicate our needs.”

She huffed. “I am communicating, on this piece of paper.” She held the journal out, shaking it at him as if he didn’t know as to what paper she was referring.

“What if I go blind and can’t read?”

“I’ll learn to write in braille,” she said dryly.

“What if the pads of all my fingers were burned off and I couldn’t feel anything?”

“Depends. Am I the one who burned all the pads of your fingers off?” she asked and then laughed at the look of horror on his face. “What? How else would you get the pads of your fingers burned off? Wait.” She held up her hand as laughter continued to bubble out of her. “I know, you accidently burned them off because you’re blind, and Jen told you to brush the crumbs off of the stove and you did.”

The look of horror was gone, only to be replaced by a look that made it obvious he was questioning her intelligence. “That was lame.”

“You’re right. Pretty lame. And it probably made you really tired just listening because of how lame it was and now you want to go to bed.” She started to get up, but Costin snagged a piece of her hair and kept her in place.

“Read, Sally mine.”

She let out a low grown. “Fine.” After clearing her throat four times too many, she finally began to read. “You asked me to write down things that I needed from you. Here goes. I need you to smile at me, especially when you don’t feel like smiling, so I know I haven’t done something wrong. I need you to run your fingers through my hair, so I won’t be tempted to cut it off. I need you to tell me when I’m being a brat so I can stop because I want you to want to be around me, not just have to be. I need you to hold me when I cry. I hate crying, and if you’ll hold me I won’t feel like such a wuss. I need you to whisper sweet things to me when you make love to me. I need you to laugh with me and let me know you think I’m worth your laughter. Sometimes I need you to ask me to take a walk with you because it makes me feel like you enjoy being with me. I need you to be interested, if only long enough to be proud of me, in things that I’m interested in and do well. I need to hear your praise. I don’t know if you think I’ve done a good a job if you don’t tell me. I need you to tell me no when you know it isn’t what is best for me or our family. I need you to tell me yes when something is best, even if it’s going to be hard for us. I need you to want my opinion and care what I have to say. Most of all, I need you: your attention, your words, your time, your affection, your tenderness, your playfulness, your commitment, and your faithfulness.” When she was done, she sat staring at the paper, unable to will herself to look at Costin’s face.

“Thank you,” he said after several minutes of silence. “Knowing what you need helps me know how I can make sure you feel my love.”

“What about you?” She heard him shift and turned to look at him. He pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. “You already did yours?”

He grinned. “I take baths too.”

Sally laughed. “I’m sure you wrote yours soaking in the tub.”

“Hush woman and listen to my needs,” he told her playfully. “I need you to rub my feet.”

Sally’s brows rose. “Really?”

“Shh.” He pressed a finger to his lips. “I’m not done.”

She made a motion with her hand. “By all means.”

“I need you to hold my hand when I sit next to you. I need you to laugh at my jokes. I need you to respect me. I need you be interested in things I am interested in. I need you to wrestle with me.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but this time, Costin put his finger over her mouth.

“I need you to tell me yes. I need you to desire me. I need you to wear sexy stuff to bed. Or, naked works too.”

He put his whole hand over her mouth, which made her want to laugh.

“I need you to know you can always tell me what you need from me. And I need to know I have the same liberty with you.”

When he finally dropped his hand, he sat up and cupped her face. “I love you, Sally mine. And I will do my best to meet your needs. When I’m not, then by all means, bust my balls about it.”

“Jen’s more of the ball buster. I’ll just nudge you with my toe. On your leg, not your balls.”

His laughter rolled out of him and she joined him, and it felt so good to laugh with him. To feel alive, even though in the back of her mind she could feel the darkness taunting her, telling her it wouldn’t last. In that moment, she was going to grab hold of the light she found in their love and hold tight to it.

“Can I nudge you? When I need you?”

“Is that what’s happening right now?” Sally asked with a smirk. “Is this you nudging me?”

“That’s exactly what this is, beautiful. Lay back and let me give you what we both need.”

She giggled. “And what is that exactly?”

“Less clothing.”

Sally didn’t know what was going to happen to her the next day. She didn’t know if the luminous sprites would fry her brain with their light, causing it to ooze out of her ears, or if she’d turn into a walking demon, but she did know that, right now, in her old bedroom, she had her mate who wanted to love her. And she wasn’t about to let that moment with him slip by.