Chapter 372 – Holy Water

Ella

Rafe and I stood behind the clinic's counter, watching the door, waiting for the priestess. I shifted anxiously, and Rafe whimpered in my arms, mirroring my unease.

"It's okay, little baby," I murmured, glancing down at him. I smiled at his unhappy face, a surge of love washing over me. "We're going to get you home soon," I whispered. "We'll wrap you in a warm blanket, sing you to sleep. Everything will be fine."

Rafe calmed slightly, and I breathed deeply, returning my gaze to the door, hoping I hadn't lied. I desperately wanted this ordeal to end. The door clicked, then opened. A happy cry escaped me as the priestess entered, carrying a small basket.

"Oh, thank God!" I exclaimed, rushing to embrace her, carefully holding Rafe to the side.

"Oh!" she said, surprised by my enthusiasm. She chuckled. "Perhaps 'thank Goddess' would be more accurate," she corrected, gently disengaging.

So grateful she was here, I smiled. "Yes, sorry. I'm just so happy you came!"

"Of course, Luna!" she said, touching my cheek. "We're always happy to help." She paused, glancing at the onlookers. "Is there… somewhere more private?"

I realized we were quite a spectacle: a blood-stained woman hugging a robed priestess wasn't an everyday sight.

"Oh, sure!" I said, pulling her toward the exam rooms. Luckily, we ran into Hank leaving Cora's room.

"Hank!" I said, smiling excitedly. "This is one of my mother's priestesses—she baptized Rafe." Hank nodded to the priestess, muttering a greeting. She responded politely before I continued. "Is there somewhere private where she can help me unbind the gift?"

"Sure," Hank said, his eyebrows raised. He opened the door to the room next to Cora's. "Do you need anything?" he asked, eyeing the priestess warily.

I found his scrutiny odd but ignored it, eager to proceed. The priestess had sounded confident on the phone. If this worked, I could help Cora and ensure the baby's safety.

"I think we'll be fine," the priestess said smoothly. "Privacy might be best," she added with a shrug.

"Of course," Hank murmured, stepping back and watching us enter the room. The priestess smiled kindly before locking the door.

"Do you really think you can help?" I asked eagerly, bouncing Rafe.

"Well," she said, placing her basket on the exam table, "it's not something we do every day," she laughed. "But we've worked with people whose wolves are tangled. The Goddess finds a way to…" she hesitated, "unbind? Unwind?" She chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Apologies, Luna, I lack the right words. The Goddess's powers are a mystery."

"I'll say," I murmured, examining her supplies—mostly clear jugs of water. "What's this?"

"Holy water," she said, placing the last jug on the table. "From the spring where we baptized your child. It provides a greater connection to the Goddess."

"Oh," I said, my eyes widening. I nodded, unsure but willing to cooperate. "Okay. What do we do?"

"Ideally, we'd have a tub, pool, or spring," she said.

I grimaced. "We don't have anything like that here." She'd asked if I could come to the temple, but I couldn't leave Cora. She'd agreed we could improvise.

Thankfully, she remained positive.

"That's all right," she said, picking up a jar. "We'll just get a little messy, yes?" She glanced at the door. "Your doctor friend won't mind…interrupting?"

"No," I said honestly. "Hank will understand."

"Okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "We need to saturate you in the water. Then, we'll evoke the Goddess and ask her to unbind you."

"Okay," I said. "Should I sit on the floor?"

"Probably," she shrugged. "So you can be soaked and sit in a little pool of water." She laughed. "It's much more dignified in the temple, but it's highly effective."

"It's okay," I said, laughing. I sat on the floor, but the priestess hesitated.

"Actually," she said, "it's best if you don't hold the child. He's unbound, as far as we know."

"Oh!" I said, hesitant. I hadn't let Rafe out of my sight, but I understood her point. His energy might interfere.

"Give him to me," the priestess said softly. "I'll take good care of him, as I did at his baptism."

"O-okay," I said, handing Rafe to her and settling down unhappily. I wished Sinclair were here—for both of us.

Rafe cried in the priestess's arms as she opened the jars and circled me, chanting softly, pouring the water over me until I was soaked. I gasped as the last drop fell. Rafe cried harder, and I frowned, wanting him back. I shivered, denying myself the comfort of holding him. The holy water was cold. The priestess stood before me, chanting.

Before she could begin, we heard the door handle shake, then the lock turn. Hank quietly entered, leaving the door ajar.

"Everything okay?" he asked, frowning at my soaked state. "Ella, what are you doing?"

"It's a ceremony, Hank," I sighed, exasperated. "We'd prefer to be alone," the priestess snapped.

"Oh," he said, studying her. He cocked his head at Rafe's cries. "I wonder if I can help. Your hands are full. Let me…hold the baby."

The priestess frowned as Hank reached for Rafe. "Give me the child."