"Then what happened to it?"
"It dissolves in my tummy. It's cold like...like ice cream."
"Have you done this before?"
He nodded. Liam and I glanced at each other in surprise. "When, sweetie?" I asked.
"When Sammy visited he fell and scraped his knee and I helped him heal really fast. We didn't tell anyone."
He looked down at the ground, probably feeling guilty. I tilted his chin up so he'd look at me. "What you did for Jay and Sammy was wonderful. You have healer magic, and that's an amazing gift. Liam and I have it too. But will you please tell one of us from now on if you think you need to use it? It's important that you tell us before you do anything." If he tried to heal a serious injury, he could cause real harm, plus possibly injure himself in the process.
"Sure Mommy." He was grinning again. "I gave Jay a present on my birthday!"
Jay smiled back at him. "I got a present for you too, but you can't get it 'till your party. You're gonna think it's awesome."
"So he takes after Witchy Woman, huh?" Kyle gave my son an appraising glance and mouthed, "Spooky". Witchy Woman was his nickname for me when I used my healing gift.
Charlie frowned. "Mommy, I need my present so I can learn a song before Daddy wakes up. I only have until later and it's almost later now. I promised him I'd learn a song and play it."
"He didn't mean that you had to learn a song in six hours. He just didn't want to get you the instrument if you weren't willing to practice. It takes time and hard work to learn a song on the guitar. And your fingers have to get used to the strings."
"I watched a video on the computer on how to do it." My son shrugged, confident that one could learn almost anything by going online.
"Daddy's going to give you lessons, honey."
His beautiful lavender eyes were wide with pleading as he took hold of both of my hands. "Please. You can take back any other presents you got me." He must have practiced this pleading expression in the mirror.
I looked from Charlie to Liam, who was standing behind the little imp laughing quietly. I sent to him mind to mind, "Please get it." He nodded and disappeared, choosing wisely not to comment.
Kyle on the other hand, couldn't resist. "Watch out, womankind," Kyle laughed, pointing at Charlie. "Don-Juan-in-training, here. He's already got you wrapped around his finger."
"Hey, I'm a Don Wand too!" Jay scowled at his father.
"Nah, you're a Ninja warrior, remember?"
"Oh yeah, that's cooler than a Don Wand."
"Mommy? Can I take tai chi too, with Uncle Kyle? I wanna be a Ninja Don Wand."
"I'll talk to Daddy about it." At this point I was fighting back laughter with every ounce of my will.
"Okay." He looked hopeful.
Liam arrived with the smaller sized guitar in a case wrapped in birthday paper, which Charlie tore through in seconds. "Happy Birthday, Charlie." I crouched, kissed his head and hugged him tightly, the guitar getting in the way a little. Neither of us seemed to mind as he hugged me back. I took in his scent with a slow deep breath, ambrosia to my nose: cheetah mixed with vanilla along with a refreshing hint of fae magic.
"Thank you, Mommy." He kissed my cheek so sweetly. "C'mon, Jay. Let's go watch the guitar video again."
"Sure. Cool. We can rock up." He tried to make some kind of rock and roll symbol only it looked more like the boy scout salute.
They ran off to Charlie's room, laughing and talking excitedly, Farrell following close behind. Kyle walked off to the side, putting a call in to Peter to tell him about the latest adorable thing their son had done. When I'd first met Kyle, he'd been full of fun, but also moody and immature at times. With the addition of Jay into their household, Kyle had grown up, becoming a terrific Dad and probably a more responsible mate to Peter. Still, I was glad his sense of humor hadn't changed. I liked goofing around with him.
With a loud sigh I looked toward the sliding kitchen door where they'd entered the house. "He's growing so fast," I said to Liam. "Last year I was worried because he wasn't growing normally. Now I'm relieved that he's well, but it bothers me that he's also more independent. How long before he doesn't need me?"
"He'll always need you. I still ask advice of my mother and look forward to the time that I spend with her. Charlie will feel the same." Liam reassured me.
I smiled at his kindness. "Thank you. I guess I needed to hear that. What about his being able to heal so young? Is it dangerous for him?"
He gave a very human shrug. "When you and I heal, we send our magic to repair the injury or act as a tonic. We don't take the pain into our own bodies."
"He said he swallowed it."
"Ingesting the pain into himself where it dissolved and, I believe, fueled his own magic, is very much the demon approach."
"Then his body must be learning how to deal with his bloodlines in combination. The healer and demon are working together. That's probably a good thing, right?"
Liam nodded. "In this instance I have to agree. We'll watch his aura carefully. A compassionate nature can be a disadvantage during wartime. If he takes the pain from someone who is grievously injured, he may not be able to cope."
"He's five years old." I put my hands on my hips and glared at him. "Compassion is a trait I'd never discourage. Let him keep his sweet innocence for as long as he can."
Liam scrutinized me for a moment before speaking. "Will you tell him about his father soon?"
"Garrett is his father." Liam knew better than to continue on this particular subject when I was in stubborn-mode, so he simply shook his head and kept his mouth shut, the two of us agreeing to disagree.
I helped Liam pick up the scraps of paper and ribbon strewn around the patio by the light breeze. Charlie had been so thrilled when he'd opened the package, I wished I'd thought to bring my phone so I could have captured his expression with a photo.
Reaching for the same shredded piece of wrapping paper before it blew away, my gaze locked for a moment with Liam's, bringing forth a smile, relief etched across both of our faces. Witnessing the little guy run off without a care in the world had put our disagreement in perspective.
It had been a difficult and sometimes frightening few years and we'd all had moments when we were convinced that Charlie wouldn't be waking up the next morning. The sun warming my face, I took in a deep breath of wildflower scented air and grinned at my friend. On this perfect September morning, Charlie was a healthy five year old, about to enjoy his first real birthday party. This was going to be a good year for our family.
***************************************************************************************************
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
OTHER BOOKS BY GAYLE PARNESS
BONUS PREVIEW OF TORN APART BOOK 6
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