Chapter 423

I do my very best to imitate my mother in this moment, trying to fall into that deep mediative state she uses when she heals people. Because I have to go into my soul now, and into Gabriel’s, to try and help him. Ben – he’s handling the physical healing of Gabriel’s body.

But I’m here to concentrate on my new mate’s soul, and his wolf.

When my inner eyes open, I see that I am indeed in the world of my soul, my body appearing there next to my wolf’s in a way that it never has before, except perhaps in dreams. “Oh, hello,” I say, laughing as she bounds over to me and gives my face a few happy licks. I run my hands quickly through her soft, pretty fur – something that I’ve only done in pieces before, rushing a hand over it or grabbing it with my fingers.

Yes, here in my whole body for the first time, it’s different.

A little whine makes me turn, and I laugh when I see Jackson’s gigantic dark wolf standing there too.

“Oh, you’re here!?”

He huffs and steps forward, his head lowered towards me, as if to say where the hell else would he be. I laugh and scratch his head too, smiling when he turns his face into my palm in the same wolfish way that Jackson does in the real world. He gives my hand a playful nip before bounding off after my wolf, heading towards the edge of my soul where she stands, her paws shifting anxiously, looking over the edge.

I follow them there and peer across the little soul bridge towards Gabriel’s soul, seeing his wolf still there sunk into that pit of oil and tar, just his nose and his eye above the line of it like a crocodile. That is, if a crocodile also had pointy tufted ears that stuck out a little bit too.

My wolf whines and looks up at me, desperately wanting to help.

“I know,” I murmur, reaching over and patting her head. “I want to help him too.”

I take a deep breath and step forward onto that bond, the bridge between our souls.

But Jackson’s wolf wines and grabs my skirt with my teeth, pulling me back, crying anxiously in his throat, not wanting me to go.

“I have to,” I murmur, reaching out stroke a hand over his lovely, strong face. “I’ll be safe, I promise.”

He whines again, doubtful, but then huffs and drops my skirt. I hate this, Jackson says, directly into my mind. I smile and lean forward, pressing a kiss to his wolf’s face, but then turn to my wolf, who is already halfway across the bridge. And I follow.

The first thing I recognize when I stand on the steady ground just at the edge of Gabriel’s soul, the last bit not yet consumed by oil, is that it is…so much colder on Gabriel’s side, within his own soul. I glance back over my shoulder to where Jackson’s wolf stands, sniffing at the bridge, clearly trying to see if he, too, can cross. But it’s not his bond. Stuck, he howls softly, calling to us, and my wolf howls back to him even as we both turn to peer at Gabriel’s wolf.

Gabriel’s wolf gives a burbling sort of snarl that chokes him, even as he gives a last-ditch sort of lunge for my wolf, clearly wanting to pull her in. She steps away, lifting one foot up high and looking down at the oil in distaste.

“Save your energy, little wolf,” I say to Gabriel’s wolf on a sigh, going to my knees and already beginning to pull on my magics – on Luca’s wind, and Jackson’s fuel, and Gabriel’s own spark. “We’ve got work to do, and we’ll need your help on the other side.”

The blue flame appears in my hands, burning and bright, and my wolf spins in eager circles, delighted by the sight of it. Gabriel’s wolf shrinks away, floundering in the oil. I sigh and get to work, knowing that he might not have a great deal of time left.

I urge the fire to burn even hotter and then slowly reach it towards the dark substance that traps Gabriel’s wolf.

It doesn’t…quite burn, not really. It’s not true oil after all, and it doesn’t burst into flames or anything. Instead, it merely seems to shrink away, or to dry out, losing all of its power when faced with the Goddess’s heat and light. I begin to experiment when I realize how it works, my wolf staying close at my side, panting eagerly as the oil begins to recede. When I think that I’ve got a hold of it, I really let it rage, the fire burning wide and hot through the darkness.

Slow at first, but then faster and faster, the pit of oil in which Gabriel’s wolf has sunk begins to recede, leaving a dry hole behind. Piece by piece his wolf’s head appears, and then his neck and shoulders as he gasps for air. He snarls at the fire at first but then as the flame comes closer, and warms him, he gives the most pitiful little cry, reaching his snout towards it.

I reach for him too, leaning far out across the pit and taking his little snout in my hands as the fire continues to burn, shrinking the darkness inch by inch.

“There there, little baby,” I murmur, thinking of all the nice soft things my mother would say when we were kids, and we were hurt, or sad, or wanting. “We’ve got you now. We’ll keep you safe.” I take some of the fire and coat my hands with it, brushing it against his face, drying the residue of oil there until it turns into dark flakes – like mud or dirt – and then I brush it away.

By the time his face is clear and I clean the muck out from his tear ducts and his ears, most of the dark oily substance has receded from Gabriel’s soul. As I clean off his whiskers and scratch the muck from his chin, Gabriel’s sweet wolf looks at me with a great deal of shame in his eyes. So much that it makes me laugh.

“Oh, come on,” I murmur, scratching at the clean fur now between his ears. “It wasn’t your fault, darling. Nobody blames you.”

He gives a sad little howl, and across the bridge between our souls Jackson’s wolf gives a dark snarl, letting him know to behave. I laugh as my wolf comes to my side, eagerly reaching out for Gabriel’s wolf with her snout, wanting to help.

“You ready, boy?” I ask, reaching back behind his neck for his scruff with a flame-coated hand, still very careful not to let that oil come anywhere close to any of my flesh.

He gives a sad little howl, and then a nod, and so I grab his fur and haul him forward, pulling him as best I can out of that ditch into which he’s sunk.

My wolf helps too, taking some of my flame into her mouth and grabbing at his fur, pulling as Gabriel’s wolf pushes with his withered little legs, trying desperately to get out, to get free.

He’s far too light for a healthy wolf, but still very heavy for me, and it takes a great deal of effort to pull him free of the ditch. But finally he’s out, and standing on his own shaking feet, panting and looking around with fear and wonder. He tries to turn, to see more, but his legs give out beneath him and he falls to the ground.

“That’s okay, little baby,” I say, moving near and conjuring more flames on my hands as my wolf trots in proud circles around us. “We’ll get you fixed up soon.”

I work on the wolf, passing my hands all over his fur, drying out the darkness and the oil as my wolf discovers that she, too, can carry the flame. She trots all around his soul, drying out the nooks and crannies, ensuring that there’s nothing left – no darkness, no oil.

I have no idea how much time has passed, but by the time we’re finished I feel very tired. But still, my heart soars at the sight of Gabriel’s gorgeous grey wolf with his bright blue eyes, laying happily in his soul, his tongue hanging from his mouth as he pants and stares happily up at my face.

I laugh and scratch his ears as my wolf gives him a happy lick. “I don’t know what you’re going to do about that,” I say, nodding towards the big crater still in his soul. “But…I think my business is done here.”

I get to my feet and he looks at me quite mournfully.

“I’m sorry,” I say, truly meaning it. “But...” I look over my shoulder to where Jackson’s wolf still stands, peering anxiously across the bond bridge. “He’s been very patient. And I love him a great deal.”

Gabriel’s wolf huffs but then stretches out his nose, a whine sounding in his throat, his request quite clear. I bend close, taking his muzzle in my palm as he gives me a long lick, just once, up my cheek.

“You’re welcome,” I whisper, smiling at him.

And then I turn, my wolf at my side, and cross the bridge back to my soul.

Jackson’s wolf growls a little, pouty and moody, as we come back to his side. Instantly he gives my wolf a sweet, jealous little nip on her haunch and begins to rub himself all over her, wiping away any traces of Gabriel’s wolf’s scent.

“Possessive,” I scold, grinning, watching him with my hands on my hips.

Damn right I’m possessive, Jackson snarls in my mind. Get back here.

I laugh and do as he bids, leaving his wolf to his business and opening my eyes in the real world.

Jackson drops my hand and cups my cheek, staring into my eyes with his pretty dark blue gaze. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I say, beaming at him.

Jacks exhales, long and slow, resting his forehead against mine, his eye falling shut. “That was amazing.”

“It really was,” Jesse breathes.

Confused, I look up at him. “How do you know?”

“You were…glowing,” he says, nodding to me eagerly. “All blue. Like aunt Ella when she heals. And,” he shrugs, nodding down towards the Prince laying on the ground. “The results speak for themselves.”

For the first time I look down at my un-corrupted mate.

And find what looks like a new man staring up at me in shocked wonder. “Ariel,” he whispers.

“Hey, Gabriel,” I say, laughing a little as tears spring to my eyes. “It’s nice to meet you.”