Court of the Shifter 5 Chapter 1

I woke up to the sound of roosters and hens clucking for their breakfast, and I blinked my eyes open to gaze around at my surroundings. Calantha, Willow, and Luxe all lay beside me curled around their pillows with the blankets tucked under their chins, and each beautiful face looked so peaceful and blissfully unaware of the medieval version of an alarm clock.

Our bed was a large circular pile of furs and a straw stuffed mattress, and the bed was situated in the back of the rectangular living space we currently called home. A fire pit sat closer to the entrance at the other end of the dwelling, and our belongings were strewn about the sides.

I yawned and stretched my arms over my head, but still the girls didn’t rouse. It seemed I was starting our morning routine on solo mode today, but I didn’t mind. We always had plenty of time to lounge around and chat in the afternoons after lunch.

After I slipped out of the bed and into some decent work clothes, I tiptoed down to the entrance, but I grabbed a chunk of bread and a sausage on my way out. The sunlight was brighter than it should be this close to dawn, but I wasn’t sure how seasons worked in this world. After the last few days, I wondered if that stint of rain was finally over, but this close to the glacier, it could go either way.

I was just glad it wasn’t snowing.

The bear woman who cared for the flock of chickens was leading them back to the edge of town to throw grain into the dirt. Otherwise, their poop would be scattered all across the walkways, which always led to chicken droppings in people’s houses. It seemed like everyone was hard at work, and I watched a couple of my neighbors and fellow Night Folk tribe members beginning their day.

I glanced around at our neighboring dwellings, and I spotted Trod leaving his home. I lifted my arm in a friendly wave, and the broad shouldered scout returned the gesture. The burly bear shifter had requested we build our temporary house close to his so he could be closer if we needed anything, but I just enjoyed being around someone I now considered to be a good friend.

We caught up to each other at the bonfire closest to our homes, and we went about our usual routine of spreading out the previous night’s banked coals. Once I blew them to a cherry glow, Trod piled on the tinder and logs, and a few moments later, we were warming our hands over the flames.

It had been over a week since we’d defeated the wizard with the bear talisman, and my women and I had settled into our daily habits like we’d always been a part of the Night Folk tribe. We’d traveled across the Shyfeterran wilderness to find the elusive, nomadic bear shifters, and while they hadn’t exactly welcomed us with open arms at first, we’d won them over pretty quickly.

I’d originally met Trod when I’d taken him prisoner to grill him about his tribe, but he didn’t hold a grudge. In fact, he’d taught me a lot about the Night Folk ways, and he’d been by my side while we both fought for the future of the tribe.

“Those chickens are getting loud,” I complained with a wry shake of my head. “Are they supposed to get up that early?”

“They know the time better than us,” Trod chuckled. “But they’re getting louder because they’re getting bigger. This is a good thing, my friend, because it means harvesting is drawing closer.”

“Harvesting?” I raised one eyebrow in a quizzical manner.

Trod took a single finger and sliced it across his bare throat while he made a sound sickenly similar to the real thing.

“I see.” I cleared my throat. “And, uh… Why is that a good thing?”

“It means we will be leaving soon,” Trod said, and a sad look flashed across his face before he gave me a shrewd look. “Are you coming with us?”

“I… I don’t know.” I frowned. “I hadn’t considered that you might leave here any time soon.”

“We’ve already been here longer than we usually stay in one place,” Trod explained. “We stayed because of you.”

“Me?” My eyebrows rose in alarm.

“You’ve given us a great gift,” Trod said. “You’ve freed us from a curse we’ve endured for generations. The entire lineage of Night Folk gives thanks to you. We wanted to give you longer to live with us so you could see what you can expect in the future.”

“I see.” I pressed my lips into a thin white line while I wrung my hands over the flames for a moment. “Did the chief sign off on that?”

“It was his idea.” Trod laughed and clapped me on the shoulder. “Take the day to think about it.”

“Thanks.” I flashed him a grateful smile. “I’ll let you know my decision tomorrow.”

The conversation moved to discussing our plans for the day, and I realized I might never experience a normal day with the Night Folk again if we chose to return to Ordrya, so I wanted to savor every moment just in case.

After Trod and I left the bonfire, I went to the tunnel entrance and slid down the rope into the cavern. I greeted each horse and brushed them down while they ate, and I finished by giving them each a chunk of apple. Then I climbed up the rope hand over hand to exercise my upper body, but this time, the wench attendants were not as impressed as they’d been the first time I’d done so.

“Any plans for the day, gentlemen?” I asked once I pulled myself out of the hole in the cavern ceiling.

“There’s a turkey hunt coming up after lunch,” one of the bear shifters said with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Is that something you’d want in on?” the other puller asked. “I don’t think I’ve had the honor of hunting with you yet.”

“I’ll ask my family and see if they have anything going on first,” I said. “But that sounds pretty awesome, so I’m going to try to make it.”

Once I was back near the village limits, I headed to the meadow on the southern end of the settlement, and I spotted my three gorgeous women immediately as they stood next to the group of bear shifters I was training today. I crossed the distance to the three of them, and Luxe gave me a strong hug as soon as she saw me.

“You left without saying goodbye,” the polar bear woman said with a mocking pout. “We missed you.”

“Here’s your breakfast,” Willow chuckled as she handed me a warm bowl of food, and my wife tilted her chin up so she could give me a kiss.

I gave her three for good measure, and she giggled.

“I’m sorry I slept so deep,” Cal said as I turned to her. “You really wore us all out last night.”

“It’s good for you.” I winked. “Keeps your stamina up.”

“Well, let’s hope you can bring the same kind of encouragement and enthusiasm to your trainees today,” Willow said as she planted one hand on her hip.

“After you eat,” Cal urged.

“The bears know the drill,” Luxe said. “They’ll do their warm ups just like you’re always asking them to.”

“I’m sure,” I chuckled, but I obediently scooped up the scrambled egg bowl in my hands.

The eggs were mixed in with chunks of sausage, peppers, and other vegetables, but best of all, there was a smattering of cheese covering the entire thing. My stomach growled as I lifted the first bite to my mouth, but it didn’t take me very long to devour the delicious meal.

Even though the Night Folk lived a very different lifestyle than any of the girls were used to, they’d adapted seamlessly to our brief stay among the nomadic tribe. I wondered if they would consider traveling along with the caravan or if they were ready to return to the posh environments of Ordrya.

The warriors were indeed doing their warm ups and stretches in the large area of tamped down grass we’d claimed to do our daily exercises, and I chuckled to myself as I remembered how this all came to be. I’d been lounging around doing nothing for a couple of days after our victory, but I grew antsy and restless, so I began to do a series of workouts to occupy my time and hone my muscles.

After I’d spent the morning going through my routine, a couple of young warriors approached me and asked if I would show them how to do what I was doing. One thing led to another, and by the following day, almost the entire tribe were ready for me to show them how I maintained my abilities and strength.

I hadn’t meant to start a whole class, but I did enjoy their passionate efforts to improve themselves. I’d never seen anyone work harder than the Night Folk, but I knew their lifestyle was not for the weak. Every member of the tribe carried their own weight and then some, and I had to admit, they had a pretty sweet setup.

Was this something I could spend more time doing?

We got what we came here for, and yet, my affection for the Night Folk caused me to linger. It seemed from Trod’s words that the feeling was mutual, but I didn’t like the idea of me holding them back from their normal routine. I knew there was a migration pattern they followed, but I wasn’t in on the finer details of the timing.

Would I ever find them again if I left?

I wasn’t so sure. It had taken a lot of clues and luck to find them this time, but there was no telling when the Night Folk would trust another outsider. I could understand their hesitation after the minstrel and the basket weaver had both helped us locate them, but we wouldn’t have been able to find the tribe without them.

Once I stood in the center of the circular lawn space, I cleared my throat and rubbed my hands together. The bear warriors stopped what they were doing and gathered round, and the girls all joined in on the huddle.

“Time is weird,” I said in a thoughtful tone. “You wake up one day and suddenly, you’ve run out. While there were ways to see it coming, you still get caught up in the moment, but that’s life. Right?”

I confused murmur swept through my trainees, and my three women shot me quizzical looks.

“Okay, let me try a different approach,” I said as I raked a hand through my hair and thought about what I was trying to say. “I didn’t ask you to show up today. I didn’t ask you to show up yesterday. Yet you did. Each one of you has your own reasons, but you all bring everything you have to the practice field each day. You don’t quit. You don’t cry. You keep going. Time marches on.”

A few people gave me sentimental looks while others’ eyes filled with determination, but the three women had all broken out into understanding smiles.

“What I’m trying to say is I appreciate each and every one of you for showing up and making a difference.” I made eye contact with each of my trainees. “You have shown a warrior’s spirit every single day, and I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you, sir,” one of the younger warriors murmured, and the rest of the crowd echoed his words.

“Okay,” I said, and I clapped my hands together to change the energy. “Let’s get into our partner groups and practice stance one.”

My trainees lined up in their neat little rows, and I walked between them to adjust stances and murmur encouragement. I was teaching them a combination of yoga and karate moves, but once we paired up to spar, I could see a visible difference in their performance. Soon, I’d have a dozen men capable of beating me in the fighting pit if there were ever another Ordeal.

Would my lady companions have to perform in the Ordeal if we decided to travel with them?

Maybe I could stall their departure in some way, but I knew all things came to an end eventually.

Besides, I still had other duties to attend to as Ulvant. Both in Shyfeterran and Vosreterra.

I made sure to spend plenty of one-on-one time with all my students, but I got a little handsy when it came to my three women. I ran my hands over their curves tenderly, and they bent obediently to my touch.

Before I got too excited about our connections, I led the group on a jog through the woods. We’d beaten a small deer path into a more navigable route, and everyone worked hard to keep up with my pace. I’d memorized the bends and turns, and I challenged myself to go faster each day. It was no surprise when I left half the group in the dust, but I was always pleasantly shocked by who managed to keep up.

Calantha’s speed was superb, but there were a few of the bear warriors who managed to stay right behind the lightning quick vampiress. Willow usually stayed back as rear guard to both encourage the stragglers and take it easier on her pregnant body. Her stomach grew a little each day, but it would be several more months before I got to meet my child. Luxe pushed herself hard, but she always seemed to be a few hundred feet behind. Still, the polar bear woman never let it affect her attitude, and I watched her give it her all day in and day out.

After the jog, we teamed up for sparring, and I joined Calantha in the center of the field so everyone could see our moves. I’d become well acquainted with the vampiress’ fighting techniques, but she still managed to surprise me every once in a while. I liked to use her to demonstrate so she would seem more approachable to the Night Folk, but I knew curing racism was no easy feat.

This medieval fantasy world still had a long way to go, but with me at the helm, we were on the right track.

Unlike the stamina and strength building exercises, the warriors were allowed to shift during the sparring sessions, so everyone looked forward to the announcement to team up.

“Alright, everybody,” I said in a loud voice for all to hear. “You know the drill. Stick to the moves we’re practicing, take turns being the aggressor and the defender. Raise your hands if you have any questions, and stop at the first sign that someone actually got hurt. We’re not here to kill each other. We’re here as a team.”

“Yes, sir!” was shouted from every single trainee, and my chest puffed with pride.

Calantha got into ready position, and we began to illustrate the moves we expected the rest of the group to maneuver that day. There were some old favorites I knew they would enjoy as well as a couple extra I found necessary to give them a real leg up in their fighting skills, but everyone kept close attention to every move the vampiress and I made.

Soon, there were grunts and shouts echoing across the meadow as each team tried to overpower their partner, but after a little while of one-on-one fighting, I paired them up for doubles. There was a bit of a tag team effect, but it was a good exercise just in case they were ever depending on one another for their lives.

This continued on for a while, but I called for a water break once I noticed the majority of my students were red in the face. Everyone let out a relieved sigh and lined up at the water barrel.

Willow and Luxe helped serve the thirsty trainees, and I took a few quick gulps of water before we returned to practice. As I was headed back to my position in the center of the field, one of the young warriors tapped me on the elbow.

I turned and grinned at the young man I’d watched develop his skills over time, but I couldn’t help remembering how he’d floundered through some of the moves in the beginning. He had brown dreads framing a tattooed face, and while his arms were thin, I knew they were stronger than they appeared.

“Davi, isn’t it?” I asked. “What’s up?”

Right on cue, the bear shifter flicked his gaze to the clouds, and I chuckled.

“I just wanted to say thank you for lifting the curse on our tribe,” Davi said.

“Hey, man, it was my pleasure.” I grinned and patted him on the shoulder. “Besides, it was a group effort. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without every single warrior who went with us that night.”

“I was there,” Davi said. “I… I thought I was going to wet myself. It was my first battle. I didn’t know what to do.”

“Well, you do now,” I pointed out. “I bet you could almost take me down if you tried hard enough.”

“You’re just saying that.” Davi blushed and looked down. “Anyway, I just wanted to tell you about how you changed my life forever, and I will never forget you.”

For a moment, I wondered if the young man knew about the decision I had to make, but once I thought about it, I realized it hadn’t been implied as top secret information. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I remembered special moments over the last few days when the tribe members were giving me gifts and being extra friendly.

Perhaps they’d been trying to convince me to stay with them.

Either way, this was a conversation I needed to have with my lovely companions, but I didn’t want to spoil what could be their last day with the tribe. I glanced over at them and saw them laughing with the bear warriors near the water barrel, but then I turned my eyes back to Davi.

“I’m not just saying anything,” I said. “I mean it. You’ve shown real determination and a passion for self improvement. You’re going to be a valuable asset to this tribe for many years, and I want you to feel like you’ve earned your place among the other warriors.”

“Thank you, sir.” Davi pressed his lips into a thin white line as he blinked rapidly to clear the emotion from his eyes.

“You’re welcome.” I clapped him on the shoulder again before I gestured to the field. “Shall we continue?”

Davi nodded, and I called everyone back to their positions.

The final part of the day’s practice session was a one-on-one sparring session with me personally. After they attempted to overpower me, they would do cool down stretches until everyone had a turn. The trainees usually took the opportunity to gossip with one another about the trivial aspects of tribal daily life, but I always enjoyed listening to the background chatter of happy voices while I assessed the abilities of the warriors.

Davi lasted longer than he ever had before, and I clasped his forearm in mine to congratulate him on his effort.

“You did good, kid,” I said. “Keep it up. Even if you have to do it all on your own.”

“What does that mean?” Davi frowned. “Aren’t you coming with us? My mother said we were all leaving soon, but she insisted you would stay with us since you were a part of the tribe now.”

“What are you talking about?” Calantha asked as she came up behind me. “We aren’t staying here?”

“No one is,” Davi said.

“What’s going on?” Willow asked as she appeared at my elbow. Luxe was a step behind my wife, and I sighed as I realized I was about to have the conversation I was stalling on.

“Remember how the Night Folk are a nomadic tribe?” I asked, and the three women nodded. “Well, they’re going to pack up the village and move on to the next location on their migration path.”

“It’s a little different every season,” Davi interjected. “We like to keep things quiet and untrampled.”

“It was pretty challenging to follow the small amount of tracks they left behind,” Willow said in a thoughtful tone. “So, what did you mean by stay with us?”

Davi glanced from me to the three sets of questioning eyes staring at him, and I decided it was time to save the poor man before the women verbally eviscerated him until he spilled his guts.

“The tribe has asked me to choose between traveling with them and returning to Ordrya.” I clapped my hands together. “I told them I’d have an answer by morning.”

“Why waste the time?” Cal asked with a confused tilt of her head. “Do you want to torture them before you rub salt in their wounds?”

“That’s a tad extreme of an analogy for this situation, but no.” I gave them all an apologetic smile. “I wanted to wait until tonight just in case this actually was our last day with the Night Folk. I wanted you to have some nice memories before we announced our decision.”

“What decision?” Luxe frowned. “It’s kind of an obvious choice. Of course we’re staying with the Night Folk.”

“Um, no,” Willow argued as she lifted her hand to stop the polar bear woman. “I will not be giving birth in the wilderness of Shyfeterran. I’m going to be with the attendants at the hospital with my mother and father nearby.”

“Exactly,” Cal said as she gestured to my pregnant wife. “The princess has spoken.”

“What is it Eli is always saying?” Willow lifted one intimidating eyebrow. “It takes one to know one?”

“Whatever.” Cal crossed her arms and lifted her nose in the air. “I only meant I agree with you on this. That’s two to one, so it looks like we’re heading back to civilization.”

“What about my vote?” I chuckled. “I think we should give this a little more consideration before we give the chief any reason to be offended. I want to stay on his good side now that I’ve put myself there.”

“Yeah, and what about my shifting ability?” Luxe asked, and her eyes watered briefly before she fluttered her eyelashes and regained her composure. “Even though the rest of the tribe were healed, I am still broken.”

“You’re not broken,” I said, and I rubbed her back in a reassuring manner.

“This seems like more of a family conversation,” Davi said with an awkward smile as he made a farewell gesture and stepped away.

“Let’s head home for some lunch and talk about this some more,” I said. “Everyone can take a turn speaking their mind, and we’ll make the decision together as a group.”

“Alright,” Cal huffed. “But I think it’s simple. We got what we came for.”

“Not all of us,” Luxe countered.

A strange look crossed Calantha’s crimson eyes, and if I didn’t know better, I would have thought it was empathy. The vampiress had come a long way from her shifter hating habits, and she was changing minds left and right.

Soon, Shyfetteran and Vosreterra would be allies against the rest of the world. I would make sure of it.

I wasn’t sure what lay beyond the boundaries of the two realms, but I longed to discover everything this world had to offer. Once I fulfilled the prophecy, I could travel anywhere I wanted to, but I’d be a father soon. I had more than myself to think about, so I wanted to weigh all my options.

Once we were back in our house, we all grabbed onto our mugs of warm tea and gathered around the firepit. I looked around at the three uniquely beautiful faces before me, and gratitude filled my heart. No matter where we went, we were a family, and I knew we’d always be there for each other.

“Now,” I said. “It’s time to hash out our differences. Each of you can take a turn arguing your case, and then we’ll put it to a vote.”

“Your choice will definitely be the defining factor,” Luxe pointed out. “So, what do you want to do, and we will go from there.”

“Well, I really see each side’s value,” I admitted with a shrug. “On the one hand, Willow’s request to give birth in the palace where she grew up is a reasonable one. Yet, they also say raising a child takes a village. We have that with the Night Folk.”

“What about the entire reason we came to Shyfeterran?” Calantha said with a disbelieving shake of her head. “We got two talismans, and there are no leads pointing to the next one. It could be anywhere.”

“You’re right,” I said. “I have total faith that we will find them, but as you said, there aren’t any clues popping up right now. Who knows, maybe the Night Folk’s migration path will take us to some valuable or necessary information.”

The girls were all quiet for a moment as we all took time to gather our thoughts, but then Willow cleared her throat.

“We can always come back to visit them again,” my wife said. “And Luxe, we will find a way to help you. But Eli, Calantha, and I have responsibilities as the future rulers of our kingdoms. We can’t just abandon them to follow the Night Folk into the wilderness forever.”

“I know,” Luxe sighed and dropped her eyes. “I had just… wished to find out what was wrong with me before we returned to Ordrya.”

“Speaking of that,” I said. “Why don’t we go give Ester a visit and see if she has any ideas?”

“You mean like a final examination before I never see her again?” Luxe pouted.

“Like never giving up,” I said, and I flashed the polar bear beauty an encouraging smile.

“Should we vote, then?” Cal asked as she looked around at the rest of us.

“Raise your hand if you want to stay with the Night Folk,” I said.

Luxe’s hand shot up, and she set her chin to a stubborn angle, but the other two remained motionless. I kept my hands cradled around the warm mug nestled in my palms, and I gave the polar bear woman an apologetic smile when her gaze turned to me.

“We will figure out what’s going on with you,” I promised. “But Willow and Calantha are right. We need to return to Ordrya.”

Luxe nodded silently, but I could still see a flicker of disappointment in her brown eyes, so I decided to try and cheer her up.

A short while later, Luxe and I walked the short distance to Ester’s temporary living space inside Madam Ova’s dwelling. Ester was the town healer of a nearby settlement, but she’d been extensively trained by her predecessor who was friendly with the Night Folk. Once the chief was cured by her concoction made from my blood and looked at her journal full of notes written by her mentor, the grizzly man had warmed up to the outsider.

Chief Sif reminded me often that he would not accept anyone else from the outside world, but I didn’t argue with him. Their ways were handed down from generation to generation, and I couldn’t change everything.

We stepped inside the hospital-like dwelling where Ester and Madam Ova worked in tandem, but the two women had formed a friendship once they discovered their common interests, and we found them laughing over teacups in the dining room.

“Hello ladies,” I greeted with a friendly smile. “I hope we’re not interrupting.”

“Not at all, Eli,” Madam Ova said as she gestured for us to sit down. “I’ll fetch some more mugs.”

“If you don’t mind,” Luxe said in a quiet voice. “We’d like a moment to speak with Ester.”

“Oh.” Madam Ova smiled warmly. “My apologies, I’ll just go finish up some of my other chores.”

The chief’s mother left the living space, and Ester shot us a confused look.

“What’s with all the secrecy?” the fox shifter healer asked.

“Not secrecy,” I said. “Just privacy. This is a little embarrassing, but we need your help, or at the very least, your advice.”

“What’s wrong?” Ester frowned as her eyes flicked back and forth between the two of us.

I gestured for Luxe to go ahead, and the polar bear woman took a deep, steadying breath.

“I still can’t shift like all the others can,” Luxe admitted in a small voice. “I think there’s something wrong with me. Or I’m still cursed somehow.”

“How old were you when you lost your abilities?” Ester asked as she pulled out her leather bound journal.

“I don’t ever remember being able to shift fully,” the polar bear woman said.

“And your parents?” Ester asked. “They’ve been fully healed from lifting the curse?”

“I’m not originally from around here, and my father has never had any issues,” Luxe said. “And… And I don’t know much about my mother.”

“I see.” Ester patted the back of Luxe’s hand.

“So, what do you think?” I asked. “Can we make up another one of the concoctions to see if it will work on Luxe?”

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to try,” Ester said, and she flashed me a worried look. “But I don’t want either one of you to be upset if it doesn’t work.”

“We know you’re trying your best,” Luxe said. “I just want a chance.”

“I’ll need more of your blood, Eli,” Ester said in a ‘this is your last opportunity to back out’ tone.

“Not a problem,” I said, and I held up the palm of the hand she hadn’t sliced open the last time. At least now I’d have matching scars on both hands. “Ready when you are.”

“You’re very brave,” Ester said, but she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at me. “What’s your secret? I still can’t stand the sight of my own blood.”

“But you’re fine with mine?” I chuckled. “Everyone’s different. I can handle a little pain, and I’ve seen enough blood to be desensitized to it entirely.”

“I see.” Ester stood up to fetch the necessary equipment to capture my blood, but she returned a short while later with everything she needed. Once the healer had gathered a generous amount of my blood into a small bowl, she began to add in the rest of the ingredients, but then she shot us a pointed look. “This could take a while.”

“We’ll wait.” I smiled. “This is important.”

“Do you need it today?” Ester’s eyebrows rose in alarm.

“Yes,” I said. “The sooner the better.”

“I’ll need some of the ingredients,” Ester said, and she scribbled a short list of things on a blank piece of her journal paper before she tore it off to hand it to me. “The sooner the better.”

“No problem,” I chuckled. “Be right back.”

Luxe and I spent the next hour or so searching the forest for the healer’s list of ingredients, but we worked together to speed things up. Once we had checked everything off the list, we returned to the healer’s dwelling and handed it all off to Ester, and then we found a comfortable place to hang out and wait.

“What do you remember about your mother, Luxe?” I asked in a curious tone. “You hardly talk about her, and I don’t remember your father mentioning her much either.”

“She was different from most of the people in Ordrya,” Luxe said, and her eyes filled with sparkles of emotion. “My father used to say he’d tamed the wild beast inside of her, but I can’t imagine her ever giving up that part of herself forever.”

“Is it hard for you to talk about all of this stuff?” I asked, and I rubbed her hand between both of mine. “We can talk about something else if you want.”

“No, it’s alright.” Luxe gave me a small smile. “You know, this whole journey has made me feel closer to her than I ever have before. She was a traveler, an adventurer, before she met my father.”

“Wait a second,” I said, and I shot straight up. “Luxe. What if your mother was a Night Folk tribe member?”

Luxe’s eyes widened, and she stared at me blankly for a long time. Finally, she shook her head and gave me a wry smile.

“It’s possible,” she allowed. “My father told me stories about odd things she would do, like eat with her hands or wear the same dress two days in a row.”

“Wild,” I chuckled. “She must have been completely feral before they met.”

“Shut up,” Luxe giggled as she swatted me on the shoulder. “It’s not funny!”

“Alright, alright,” I said as I held up my hands in surrender. “But it’s worth a thought. Maybe if she left the Night Folk before she met your father, then the curse passed to you.”

“Then why wasn’t it lifted with the others?” Luxe asked.

“A glitch?” I shrugged. “Maybe because you’re not full-blooded Night Folk? I just hope the concoction works.”

“I can’t believe I have to drink your blood.” Luxe pretended to gag.

“It’s mixed with other things,” I argued.

“Judging from the ingredients we gathered, that’s not going to help much,” Luxe pointed out.

“It’s ready!” Ester’s voice echoed from down the hallway.

The two of us hurried into the dining room to find Ester holding up a small vial of shimmering silver liquid. The proud smile on the healer’s face gave me a lot of faith, and I hoped Luxe felt equally confident.

“What are you waiting for?” Ester laughed as she passed the vial over to Luxe. “Drink up.”

“Thanks.” A reluctant smile graced the polar bear woman’s face, but she obediently uncorked the bottle and lifted the rim to her lips. Once the contents poured down her throat, Luxe made a sour look as she shook her head.

“How do you feel?” I asked.

“Give me a moment to rid my mouth of that nasty taste,” Luxe rasped.

I chuckled as I reached for the cup of tea Luxe had been sipping on, but Ester and I waited patiently while the polar bear woman drank her fill. At long last, my lover took a deep breath and closed her eyes. There was a calm peaceful expression on her face, and just like every time I saw her, I couldn’t help but admire her beauty.

For a long moment, nothing happened, and my heart pounded against my ribcage as I hoped against all odds this would work. Ester and I exchanged a couple impatient glances, but then Luxe exhaled softly and opened her eyes.

The polar bear woman’s face began to grow strands of thin white hair, and the bone structure beneath the rapidly lengthening pelt shifted until my lover’s nose and mouth had stretched into the long snout of a polar bear. Then the young shifter fell onto all fours as her entire body shifted into its full animal form.

“Hell yes!” I clapped enthusiastically. “I knew it would work!”

“I didn’t,” Ester admitted. “Luxe isn’t Night Folk, and even though she had similar symptoms, her environment has been completely different from the tribe members.”

“But the concoction also cured Chief Sif,” I pointed out.

“Exactly,” Ester said. “I created the recipe with his ancestry in mind.”

Luxe slid back into her Nulmancer form before she sat down beside me, and I rubbed her back as I flashed her a proud smile.

“I knew you could do it,” I told her as I rubbed my nose affectionately against hers.

“But why did it work?” Luxe asked as she blinked at me. “I’m not Night Folk.”

“But your mother could have been,” I reminded her.

“That would make some sense,” Ester mused. “If the curse was passed to a halfling of Night Folk after the curse was established, then its possible it operated in a different manner.”

“In any case,” Luxe sighed. “I am so so grateful to you both for doing this for me.”

“I can’t have us leaving with a quest left undone,” I teased.

“You’re leaving?” Ester frowned. “I suppose I did see the signs. Harvesting, extra hunting shifts, that sort of thing.”

“We’re going back to Ordrya,” I explained.

“Soon, but right now,” Luxe said in a suggestive tone. “The two of us are going back to our house to take care of some… business.”

I swallowed hard as soon as I realized her implications.

“Go, go,” Ester giggled. “Enjoy your health. I suppose I should pack anyway.”

“Thank you, Ester,” I said, and I gave the shifter healer a warm hug. “For everything.”

Then I followed Luxe out of the healer’s dwelling and across the village to our own, but both of our steps were rapid as we hurried to privacy.

Luxe certainly knew how to show a guy her appreciation.