Now
When Cassandra finally reached Rick’s balcony she practically crash-landed, her body shifting in the air from bird to human. She felt a rough hand caress her hair, and at first she felt exposed, shuddering in sudden fear.
“Shh-shh be calm my little helper. Tell me is it done?”
She tried to speak but all her vitality was gone, so she nodded imperceptibly for him and lulled off into sleep.
Rick smiled to himself and dragged the unconscious body into the room so she wouldn’t be spotted from outside. It was nearly midnight and he only had the night before the spell around the couple wore off and the jaguar would be free from the holding spell. He knew that if the guardian was as powerful as he suspected she would still feel the earth’s pain under her, even with the holding barrier. Th
