Page 30 of Call of A Eagle
“Yes, please.”
“Sleep well?” Alma asked, her intense gaze still locked on me.
I ran my fingers through my tousled hair. “Better than I have in ages,” I admitted, accepting the mug of coffee from Lyra with a nod of thanks.
Our fingers brushed, sending a jolt of electricity through me and causing my eagle to stir.
Alma made a soft noise.
When I shifted my gaze to her, I noticed the knowing smirk tugging at the corners of her lips and the warmth filling her eyes. She knew what Lyra and I were without either of us having to say.
The woman was incredible.
“How are you feeling this morning?” I asked Alma after taking a sip from my coffee, concerned about her well-being after the ordeal she’d endured yesterday.
“Old,” she said with a chuckle before taking a sip of her coffee. “But I’ll survive. That young man was a force to be reckoned with.”
“He is. I’m sorry you were pulled into this. Both of you.” Guilt washed over me again. “That’s not something I wanted to happen.”
“We both know that, dear,” Alma said, reaching out to pat my arm. “I’m glad you came when you did, that you intervened. There’s a cold darkness inside that one. An evil.”
“Which is why I need to find Maribel. Please tell me you know where she is.”
Alma took a thoughtful sip of her coffee before responding. “What do you want with her?”
“In short, me and a few other shifters believe the man who attacked last night, Xander, is possessed by the spirit of a shifter who tormented us and others in town for a while. This shifter had the power to control other shifters’ minds. He was killed some time ago, but somehow his spirit ended up in Xander. Ineed to find Maribel because she might be able to help remove the spirit from him and send it to hell where it belongs.”
“Maribel is a powerful shaman and deserves respect,” Alma said, her intense gaze focused on me.
“I understand.” I held her stare. “And Xander is a threat to us all. I need to see if she can help us stop him.”
Alma studied me, her eyes probing mine as if searching for any hint of deceit, until she finally gave a curt nod.
“All right, then,” she said. “I’ll tell you where she is.”
Relief worked its way through me. “Thank you.”
Alma shuffled over to a drawer and opened it. She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and wrote something down.
“Maribel lives in seclusion,” Alma explained as she wrote. “She’s not easy to find, and she doesn’t take kindly to unexpected visitors. You’ll need to approach her with respect and make it clear that your intentions are pure when you reach her.”
She handed me the piece of paper. I glanced at it, reading the address scrawled in Alma’s handwriting. There were also a few brief instructions on how to approach Maribel—with respect and pure intentions.
“I will. Thank you.” I folded the paper and tucked it into my pocket.
Alma nodded, her expression serious. “I trust you, Waylen. But remember, Maribel is not one to be trifled with. She has her reasons for living the way she does, and her powers are not to be underestimated.”
I nodded in understanding of the gravity of her words. The Misfit Shifters would need to tread carefully.
“I want to come with you when you visit her,” Lyra said, speaking up for the first time.
I nodded, knowing my eagle wanted her to be with us too. “First, you need to meet the others.”
“The others?” Lyra asked.
“The Misfit Shifters,” I replied with a grin.
They were going to love her.