The Healer

Chapter 7

Lila gave Emma a hug goodbye before she, Darius and Orin got into the van. 

"Be safe. And I know what you're thinking. You'll follow orders as long as Darius isn't in danger. Anyway I can talk you out of that?" 

Emma gave her an innocent look. 

"I have no idea what you mean," she said and Lila sighed. 

"Mates. I'll never understand it," she groaned. "Just try to stay out of trouble." 

Emma nodded and turned to Darius who was currently kicking Orin out of shotgun. 

"That's Emma's seat," he growled. "Get in the back." 

Orin threw his hands up in surrender and clamored into the back seat and Emma sat in front. They drove for about three hours when Emma began to feel strange. 

"I know Emma," Darius said. "I feel it too. It's a large gathering of Cannomads. They're making our wolves uneasy." 

They continued on and drove up a hill. There was a small house on top of it. 

"Here we are," Darius said. 

"Whose house is this?" she asked. 

"A former pack Seer. His name is Victor. He gave up his position after his child was killed and his mate turned Cannomad. He'll have information." 

They pulled into the driveway and got out of the car. Emma was surprised to find that the uneasy feeling was fading. No Cannomad had passed by this area. 

Before they could knock the door opened. A man with gray hair that didn't match his youthful face appeared. 

"Darius, Orin. Welcome. And who do we have here?" he asked, tilting his head at Emma. "Ah, the healer. A very strong one. And an empath as well. You've been doubly cursed," he said, shaking his head sadly. 

"Victor," Darius snapped. 

"Oh, she knows what I mean, don't you little one?" Victor said with a smirk. 

"Sorry Emma. I forgot to mention that he's also going senile in his old age," Darius said. 

"And just how old is that age?" Emma asked curiously. 

"Oh who knows? I stopped counting after I reached my fourth century. Now, come in, come in. I suppose you need information before you go looking for whatever it is you're looking for," Victor said, opening the door. 

They stepped in and Emma could only hope that her mouth didn't drop. His house was a hoarders dream. Piles of books and papers were everywhere. She couldn't even see the floor. Thankfully there was a small path that led to the living room, which compared to the foyer was tolerable. If only it hadn't been cluttered with cats. 

"Sit. We have much to discuss," Victor said, gesturing to the couch. 

"What do you know?" Orin asked as he removed a cat from the couch and sneezed. 

"Garret has succeeded in raising an army of those vile shifter zombies," Victor answered. "There's was about four hundred of them on the first ferry boat taking them off the island. The second boat leaves tonight to pick up the rest." 

"How is he controlling them," Emma asked. 

"A powerful were-witch named Julia. She has the magic to bind souls. Even souls as destroyed as a Cannomad. Garret wears a talisman that gives him power over them. I assume if you destroy the talisman, you destroy the spell. But you'll have to destroy the witch to make sure she doesn't recast it," Victor replied. "He's using fifty of the strongest as his personal protection. I don't see how you can get to him."