“Wait.” I pulled the moonstone from my pocket and placed it on the table.
Gabriel gasped when he saw it. He extended his hand toward it, and I could see his fingers itching to touch the stone. I nodded my approval, and he pressed his fingers against its surface. I could see some of the tension in his body physically drain out of him. It must have been quite the sacrifice for Gabriel to give up his moonstone ring for my brother. This was probably the longest he’d been without one for centuries.
For half a second, I wanted to snatch the stone back—afraid Gabriel might try to steal it from me like Talbot had. But then I shook my head, realizing it was the wolf’s selfishness that would make me feel that way. I watched in silence for a few more moments while Gabriel soaked in the hopeful power of the stone.
“How did you find this?” he asked when he finally pulled his hand away from it.
“Talbot was hiding it from me. I just found out that he’d had it since yesterday. I … I wanted to seriously hurt him when he told me.” Maybe there was something to all this anger stuff. “I want you to take it to Daniel,” I said. “I want you to cure him with it. I don’t know how.”
“Neither do I. Not really. I have my speculations. I believe the process may be much like how we tried to heal your father—concentrating energy into him—but using the moonstone as a filter. Alas, I know that I am not the one who can bring him back.” Gabriel picked up the stone and handed it back to me. “Only you can.”
I bit my lip and closed my hand over the stone. What if I tried to change Daniel back and only made things worse, like I had with my father? “Why me?”
“The connection the two of you have—I believe you are Daniel’s anchor. His tether to what makes him human. I believe only you have the ability to bring the human side of him back.”
I nodded, realizing that I had already known what he’d just told me. I was the only one who could do it—just like I’d been the only one who could cure Daniel a year ago.
The first time I’d experienced the connection between Daniel and me—months ago when he brought me to the Garden of Angels—it had felt like we were tethered together and I was his lifeline. Like I was the one who could pull him to safety.
“Your anger is trying to sever that connection. It is even more imperative now that you deal with it as soon as possible. You must not try to change Daniel back until you have—or I am afraid you will lose him forever.”
I swallowed hard, unable to respond. Even though I had the moonstone now, Gabriel knew I wasn’t ready to use it.
I knew I wasn’t ready.
Daniel’s howls grew louder. Perhaps he knew it, too.
“I must bid you good-bye. I will protect Daniel tonight, but I will be gone in the morning.” He stood and bowed to me, bending from the waist with one hand over his heart, as if addressing royalty. “I have faith in you, Divine One. I know you and Daniel are destined to do great things for the Urbat.”
And then he was out the door before I could even muster up an argument to his beliefs. Instead, I let myself be grateful for his help.
I’d have it for only a few more hours.
Chapter Twelve
DO THE MATH
LATER THAT EVENING
Dad being worse off now because of my botched healing attempt
+
Finally having the moonstone and not being able to use it
+
Fearing my anger was driving Daniel away, and not knowing how to get rid of it + Knowing Gabriel, the one person I had left to rely on, had to leave or else my town might become a paranormal war zone