Free As Love Shifts by Kat Barrett Page B

face filled with sweetness and innocence. Ever hadn’t seen him smile since he was a few weeks old and his expression filled her with a sense of joy that she had never experienced before.
    “Lash.” The word came out as a gasping breath of air, tears welling down her cheeks. “Hey, baby.” Ever was terrified to touch him, afraid that he would turn and try to tear her throat out if she hugged him.
    Demetri touched her arm. “Is he okay?”
    She looked at him. “I don’t know. He called me Mommy. Oh god, Demetri, he called me Mommy.” The singular statement filled her with a sense of joy and Ever tentatively picked him up.
    “I cold.” He was shivering, his tiny body trembling in her hands. Ever braced herself for the worst and pulled him to her chest, grabbing the coat and wrapping it around his tiny, naked body. Unlike the other three children, Lash had not grown and thrived and he was noticeably smaller than his siblings. He cuddled into her skin, tears dripping down her cheeks at the feel of her child. He was not growling and trying to bite her. He was hugging her, warm against her skin. She looked down at Demetri and finally noticed that he was still lying down.
    “Are you hurt?”
    “Yeah, pretty badly.” She scooted around on her knees in the mud, keeping Lash close to her as she lowered him to her lap. Putting her hand to Demetri’s head, she began a slow sweep downward, feeling for whatever injuries were present. When she hit the back of his ribcage, she felt the two broken ribs and flowed energy into them with the thought of grafting the bone back together. It happened quickly and she refocused her mind on feeling him rather than healing. Ever felt the throb of his heart under her palm, the sensation strong and steady. His lungs were filling and emptying just as they were supposed to and she ran her hand down his spine. At the base was a cracked vertebra, the sensation of the crinkle in the bone sending throbs of painful spasms into her palm. She healed the crack, soothing the irritated nerves to help ease his pain.
    Demetri groaned. “Oh damn that felt good. I think that my right leg is also broken, but that is minor compared to what you just healed.”
    Ever suddenly realized how much pain he must have been in while he was holding the log upward to keep it from crushing her and Lash. It was an amazingly brave and noble gesture. She used her power to heal his leg, the drain on her body making her weary. Demetri sat up slowly, the wind slapping his wet hair against his cheeks. She was very glad that she had tightly braided her hair to keep it under control. “Can you get up?”
    “I think so.” Demetri folded his legs and got to his feet. He moved about, seeming to test everything to see if it was working properly without pain. “I’m okay I think. We need to get moving. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but the wind seems to be turning faster.” He held his hand out and Ever took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet.
    Lash growled. “What’s wrong, baby?”
    “He wrong.”
    “Lash, that is Demetri. He helped to save your life when the witch took you. He helped save Mommy’s life by helping her spirit to get back into her body. Demetri is sweet and he loves you. You should love him, too.”
    He turned innocent eyes to her, tilting his head. “I should?”
    “Yes. He is Daddy D. That’s what your brothers and sister call him.”
    Demetri took her hand and began to lead her between the trees. Ever squeezed his fingers, glad for the handhold as nature lashed around them in a fury. Branches were falling all around them, whirl winds of fall leaves flying upward to hit them in the face and stick to their clothing. As the clearing came into view, Ever released a small sigh of relief. The door was only a short distance away. She looked at Lash. “Can I trust you not to bite me or anyone else if I take the muzzle off?”
    “Yes.”
    Ever was actually surprised that he hadn’t already taken