Legend Has It Book II ~ Complete

Chapter 19 Happy Birthday

BETA CHANCE

I did not plan to kiss Phoebe, but I knew I had to do something quick when she became paralyzed with embarrassment. I swore she would never have to endure another birthday song again when I saw the color completely drain from her face.

Having her look into my eyes was either the dumbest or the smartest thing I’d ever done.

::Mate or not, we need to distract her!:: Magnus insisted. He had a lot of respect for Phoebe.

Phoebe sat blinking for a moment before she finally stole a peek at her ring. That ring had been my biggest challenge, but I was pretty proud of my interpretation of the Death Moon symbol Gen had designed. I found the perfect moonstone and set it in prongs that looked like anchors. Two tiny wolves with tiny diamonds for eyes surrounded the setting.

“Chance,” Phoebe whispered. “It’s beautiful.”

“I’m glad you like it. Your candles are burning and people are flocking to see.”

“Oh,” she blinked, as if finally remembering where she was. “Ok. Thank you.”

I held her hand while the audience cheered after she blew out her candles and cut the first piece.

“Um,” someone called out. “I’m either drunk and seeing double, or there’s two moons.”

Folks stepped away to get a view not blocked by the oversized canopy we sat under. The attention was finally off Phoebe. Most of it anyway. Our immediate friends and family pulled up a chair and dug into the cake as if nothing else mattered at that moment.

“So. Phoebe. You’ll get to meet Magnus soon. He wants to know if you want to take a ride.”

“Seriously? I can ride him?”

“You’ll be his first passenger, but yes.”

“I can’t wait!”

{~>*•**•**•*<~}

PHOEBE

I’d ridden a wolf several times; usually dad’s wolf, Ivan, though sometimes one of my uncles or brothers.

Magnus, however, was by far my favorite. His cinnamon fur was the softest I’d ever felt and his back was neither too wide nor too narrow.

Though I couldn’t MindLink Chance, I could MindLink Magnus. He had looked at me with his glass green eyes and called me a firebird.

When my brother cried out in pain mid shift, Magnus was right behind Gen to rush to Phoenix’s side.

::There’s a fire to the left for you to use.:: I’d somehow known what Magnus was suggesting to do, but I couldn’t have explained how or why.

I MindLinked the others to be on standby if we needed more and drew from the fire. I drew and Magnus somehow channeled the fiery power to Gen who absorbed it and wrapped it with her own around my brother.

We sparked like a fountain on the Fourth of July and when Phoenix was through the worst of it, one of the Water Elementals—Cal?—doused us.

I looked around as we ran towards the jagged edge of Death Moon. Auras of nearly every color were represented, though several were silver, like the Moon’s rays. I realized most of the silvery ones belonged to Gen’s relatives.

::The silver ones get more from the Moon Goddess.:: Magnus explained.

::You can read my mind?:: I worried Chance would know my every thought.

::I can only read what you focus on. It comes through in one word syllables for the most part. I sensed the word auras and saw where you were looking. The powers of deduction.”

::Ah. Sounds like a little Empathy, too.::

::Yes. This will serve us well until you get your wolf.::

One more year to go. Chance and I would have our own house in another world by then.

If the two dozen of us here tonight have enough to channel back into the land.

I wasn’t sure what we needed ‘enough’ of, but I knew Evil had severely depleted the reserves.

The descendants of the O’Cleirigh’s, the same family that may have performed a long ago wolf removal ritual, were here to help. They had some, as did the MacFlanagans, the Kellers, the MacCarthys, the O’Briens and more. Morianne and Byrdie, too. It was just the two dozen of us headed out into the night.

I spotted Kaya and Toby, Parker’s tuxedo wolf. Ahhh, she was the water source I’d felt. I remember now. Her blue aura reflected iridescently off Toby’s rose gold aura.

::I wonder if Gen or Chance could achieve that color in a bracelet. It would be a good gift for Kaya.::

::We can sure try!:: Magnus replied.

Alpha Silla and a few other wolves I didn’t recognize greeted us outside the trees I knew still separated us from The Big Ass Crack. I hadn’t been here, but I knew.

Good. They had some, too.