Wolf Tracks - Bianca D'Arc Page 0,58
far from her hand, but she didn’t reach for it. She tested her knees and ankles, shifting her weight from side to side.
“Oh, that feels marvelous!” Miss Felicity walked a few steps then turned. “Thank you, dear. You really have a gift. I’ll be right back.” With a new spring in her step, she practically danced out of the parlor and down the hall.
Helen had to smile. Miss Felicity seemed so happy to be able to move again without pain. Helen loved it when she could give a gift like that to someone. She sat back in her chair and took stock of her own energy levels, marveling at how much she still had to work with. Helping Miss Felicity didn’t even dent Helen’s energy reserves, which was pretty amazing.
She heard the door down the hall open, and Miss Felicity came out of the powder room, only to be intercepted by Felicia. Helen could hear the conversation.
“Where’s your cane, Gran? Do you want me to get it for you?” Felicia asked, sounding concerned.
“It’s in the parlor, and no, I don’t need it. That Helen did something amazing. Look at my knees,” Miss Felicity said in an excited tone.
“Wow,” Felicia said after a moment. “They haven’t looked that good in years.”
“They feel even better,” Miss Felicity enthused. “I feel like going for a run.”
Helen got up and went to the archway. “Not yet, Miss Felicity. I still haven’t had a look at your arms, and I’d like to discuss further work we can do to make this a more permanent change.”
“Permanent?” Miss Felicity walked quickly down the hall to Helen. “You mean there’s more?”
“Much more,” Helen assured the old lady, ushering her back toward the couch. Felicia followed her great-grandmother into the room, standing in the back, watching with interest. “Now, I presume your shoulders, elbows and wrists are also painful, right?”
“They are,” Miss Felicity admitted.
“If you’ll allow me,” Helen said, taking hold of one of Miss Felicity’s hands, she set to work. The inflammation wasn’t as bad, but the joints had worn down and showed signs of damage, including thin cartilage and a lack of lubrication, which was probably very painful. Helen did the work of beginning repairs.
Her gift could actually regrow cartilage and repair soft tissues, as well as mending bones, but it sometimes took repeated treatments. She started work on Miss Felicity, with the idea of doing two or three more sessions to achieve the full effect.
Helen finished with Miss Felicity’s arms and then discussed the options for further treatment. “I can make these changes permanent in just two or three more treatments. Otherwise, it’ll wear off over time,” she told the older woman. Felicia was still in the room, listening, as well. “What I’m doing is encouraging the cartilage to re-grow and fill in the bare spots where you have bone grinding on bone. I’m also reshaping any areas that have been damaged by the passage of time and repetitive motion. When I’m done, your joints won’t give you trouble for a good long while.”
“It’s a miracle,” Felicia whispered. Helen smiled at her.
“It’s just my particular flavor of magic. Healing is what I do.” Helen shrugged, glad to be able to give Miss Felicity this gift of her magic.
“And this doesn’t drain you?” Miss Felicity looked hard at Helen, as if searching for any telltale fatigue.
Helen put both palms on her thighs and thought about it. “Honestly, this is strange. Normally, this kind of thing would take a lot out of me, but for whatever reason—maybe it’s working with shifter metabolism as a boost to my natural abilities—I’m not really feeling drained at all right now.” Helen shook her head in wonder. “I’m not going to question it. I suggest we just use this and get you fixed up as well as we can while I’ve got the zip to do it.”
Miss Felicity chuckled. “Whatever the reason—and I think it might have something to do with a certain young male you’ve been keeping company with—I agree with your plan. I feel so good right now, it’s like you took fifty years off. I don’t mind being greedy and saying I’d like to feel this good for as long as possible.”
“It’s not greedy,” Helen assured her, studiously ignoring the reference to Jim and their budding relationship. “Everybody wants to feel good. I’m just glad that sometimes, I can help them achieve that goal.”
They made plans to meet up again the next day, after breakfast, and then Helen took