Free Healing Hands (The Queen of the Night series Book 2) by Laura Emmons

knotted silk thread method of creating a beaded necklace and Evan went home. I finished unpacking my boxes and realized, as I crawled into my bed, we only had one day left to emotionally prepare ourselves to say goodbye.
    ***
    I had to walk down to Fiona’s store around midday to pick up more supplies for Corey’s necklace. Madison, a pretty twenty-something store clerk who had a thing for Evan, gave me a dirty look from behind the counter. I ignored her.
    ***
    By late afternoon, I’d found a solution. Corey had to wear strings of beads as ankle bracelets on both legs. He hid them under his socks. He put two more strings in each of the front pockets in his pants and he wore the necklace. With the combination of stone energy, his magic was completely camouflaged.
    ***
    Reverend Pruitt, the Episcopalian minister from Holy Trinity, dropped by to go over the details of Mom’s service with Corey and me. We listened dutifully, until the reverend got to the part of the service held graveside, and then Corey blew up. “I don’t want to go!” he shouted. “Why do I have to see her put into a hole in the ground?” 
    I looked at Rose for an explanation.
    “Because it’s your last chance to say goodbye,” she said tersely. “You’ll regret it someday if you don’t.”
    “I didn’t say goodbye to Dad,” he grumbled.
    “And do you regret it?” she asked softly.
    He slumped forcefully back into the couch cushions. His expression glowered at her, even as the tears poured down his face. The reverend continued to talk about what we could expect.
    ***
    After dinner, Corey and I curled up together on the couch in the den and watched Mom’s favorite DVDs back-to-back until we couldn’t keep our eyes open.
    “We managed to keep going after Dad,” I squeezed his hand and said quietly.
    “I know,” he replied. Then he yawned hugely, and we both went to bed.
    ***
    I woke up the next morning with a scream lodged in my throat. The nightmare faded quickly, but bits and pieces stuck in my mind. Arianrhod, with her silver skin and long navy hair, chased me. Her gown, made from the nighttime sky, flowed around her. I was standing on top of Bald Mountain and she chased me down the mountainside. I kept slipping on the loose shale. Several times I tripped and fell, but I scrambled back up and kept on running. Sweat dripped off my face and strung my eyes. A silver hand reached out to grab my shoulder and I woke.
    Shaking off the fear still gripping me; I padded out to the bathroom and ran into Corey.
    He looked at me. “I feel like doggie doo doo,” he said.
    “I know bud,” I said empathetically, “but we’ll get through it. We have to.”
    He nodded sadly. Then he looked into my face. “You look like doggie doo doo.”
    “Nuh uh!” I gasped and peered around him to look at myself in the mirror. Fiona had said the whole clan would be at the service.
    Corey barked a single chuckle. “Gotcha,” he said and sauntered out, leaving me alone with my fears and my reflection. I knew he only teased to distract me from my grief. It wouldn’t work.
    ***
    Evan and I had discussed his role in advance. He intended to keep his distance from me at the funeral. It wouldn’t help me to assimilate into the Berkeley Springs High School culture if gossip had already been spread about how I chased Evan, a Seer, as my mom had chased my dad. The clan strongly believed Healers and Seers should not mix. They wouldn’t accept we were only best friends at face value. Therefore, he would not show any emotion or make any gestures which might be misconstrued as romantic in front of the clan. I’d agreed. Today I would be strong by sheer will alone.
    ***
    The choir stood in front of their special pews in the chancel before the altar. The organ played its first notes and they started to sing. I am the Resurrection and the life sayeth the Lord. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me