Free Wolf's Soul by Tierney O’Malley Page A

happened after a Shape-shifter died the fifth time. Right now, the information about becoming a Cancer was inconsequential. “I suppose there is good and bad about being human.”
    “You suppose? You say that as if you don"t know what it"s like to be one. So Kyra disappeared with the recipe for poultice and the sword. Now the poultice resurfaced.”
    “Yes. After hundreds of years.”
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    “Let me make a guess here. Kyra took the sword and poultice. Mom was a healer. Am I right to assume that Mom somehow got hold of the secret recipe for poultice and the sword?”
    “Baby, she didn"t just got a hold of it. It was passed down to her. Anna is Kyra"s descendant. That"s why Atos recognized her.”
    Marisol"s eyes grew openly surprised. “Shut up!”
    “I know it"s hard to believe it, huh?”
    “You sure about this?”
    “Baby, I am.”
    “Mom came from an ancient clan that used to be immortals. My god, Hollywood producers would go nuts on this story. But you"re not just telling me a story, are you?”
    “No.”
    “I want to believe you, but this is too much. Okay, say you"re telling me facts. Did Mom inherit the five lives?”
    “No. Baby, Anna wasn"t a shifter. Because Kurah was human her daughter Kyra was half-breed. By the time Anna was born, Youven"s blood became diluted.
    There were more immortals that married humans and I am sure their descendants still roam the earth. Some of them possessed special powers that somehow stayed in their DNA, which they couldn"t explain.”
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    “Special powers like what?”
    “Like the dreamers, foretellers, ghost seers, telepathists.”
    Marisol stared at him. For the first time, she became quiet.
    “Your mother knew all about her family"s past because she was one of the few that had a direct connection to Youven. Babe, Kyra kept Youven"s story alive.
    And like the history of Atos"s clan, it was passed down from generation to generation.”
    “Including the sword and poultice.”
    “Yes.”
    “But you said that the poultice only resurfaced because of Mom.”
    “Right. Kyra lived a long life, but when she died the poultice died with her, too. Her children and grandchildren tried but somehow failed to produce it.
    History said she did. But whatever she told her family didn"t work. They couldn"t mix the kind that heals wounds caused by the ancient sword. It was a mystery to both clans. No one heard about the poultice again until Anna. Your mother found what was needed to make a poultice potent.”
    Callum watched Marisol chew her bottom lip. It was obvious she was processing everything that he just said and it was apparent, just by looking at her furrowed brows, that she too was wondering about the poultice. What’s in that poultice that no one can figure it out?
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    “It"s impossible. Mom wasn"t pure blooded. When I help make it…Can"t be.
    This is all so weird. Hard to believe. You know, Mom was an adopted. She doesn"t have any relatives that I know of. Dad had only one sister. She died when she was fifteen. Kind of weird growing up not having cousins to play with.” Marisol drummed her fingers on the table. “Wow. I"m related to a Shape-shifter.”
    “Mark mentioned that your mother possessed the power to foretell the future.”
    “I didn"t know that. Was she able to see my future?”
    “Yes. She knew about yours and Marks. Except hers.”
    “She should have told Dad about Atos. Dad could have—”
    “Babe, Mark knew about his fate, but the when and where—no.”
    “What"s mine? Did Dad say? I bet he knew. Why else would he insist that I learn how to use the sword.” Marisol hugged herself then began rubbing her arms.
    “The sword of Youven from the clan Arcus.”
    “Yes.”
    “How come it took Atos years before he came after Dad?”
    “Atos didn"t know Anna had a family.”
    “Until he caught Dad. I was five when Mom died. Dad took over her job when I was ten. Dad waited five years before he started working as a vet again. I"m twenty-three now. It