"We will give you two space," Ruben says while opening the door. Lars follows after for the potential progress between Emmy and Imani.

Something slides near the paws of the blue cat. Emerald eyes notice the blank side of a card to draw out her message. Her eyes glance at her master who's sitting cross-legged.

Imani's steady breaths match her beating heart. Her upper body leans forward with eyes ready to listen.

The openness encourages Emmy to pick up the pen with her mouth. The officer's eyes widen from the circle her cat is drawing with precision.

Stroke follows stroke...

The finished face makes Imani's jaw drop. The dimples and the kind eyes. The image of her father's smiling face.

"Em-"

She stops herself to let her familiar "speak" without interruption.

Emmy's tail glows yellow while placing the tip of the pen on the face. As soon as the glow dims, she spits out the pen from her mouth.

"That he would be more than what I conjured him to be."

Lars' prior words break her heart. A warm embrace closes the distance.

Emmy almost pushes away before stopping. Two drops land on her head.

"I'm so sorry," Imani's whisper trembles down to her.

The emerald eyes shake from the heavy tears.

"I'm sorry I treated you like a tool."

Emmy's paws quickly wrap behind her head. Her furry head rubs against her master's cheek. 

Minutes of sniffling and purring later, a chunk of stress breaks off of the mountain inside of Imani's heart. After drying her face, she raises Emmy up to her eye level.

"You will always be my friend. Can you forgive me?"

A boop on her nose tells her yes.

A short chuckle leaves the officer's lips. "You are the best! I will follow your lead from now on."

Fizzle. The top orange stripe on the cat's back glows. Buzzzzz. Gentle sparks fly out before the stripe fades out of existence.

Pages flutter. Her eyes turn to her spell book that just opened to the first page. Three spells materialize on the pages with a simple sketch of her and Emmy. Her eyes widen from the figures moving for demonstration.

Her heart's desire is pulled to the third spell. The symbol of three circles with a line drawn through the middle hovers above the moving figures.

A stick figure on the ground is holding their right arm in pain. The hands of Imani's figure glow before touching the source of pain. The injured figure jumps up without hesitation.

Chills of wonder run through her body. A wide smile accompanies her beating heart. "WE DID IT!"

Emmy meows happily in her arms.

The shouting words reach the smiles of Ruben and Lars. Daan the small wyvern hisses happily for her.

The Lycan pats her on the shoulder. "I knew you could do it!"

Lars walks over to the bedroom door. "I will let Enzo know-"

"Don't", she cuts him off. "At least not yet. Let me try this spell out. I can finally heal your arm, Ruben."

The Dutch vampire raises a hand. "Wait. You need to establish a mental connection first. Without it, it can--"

Imani's jaw drops from the implication. "Sacre bleu! I could blow his arm off?!"

Lars waves his hands frantically. "No! It just won't work."

"Whew! How do I use it?"

He points at the symbol. "In Wiccan, it's the symbol for healing. Think of it while imagining his arm as normal again."

A deep inhale follows a determined smile aimed at Emmy. "Ready, partner?"

The blue cat jumps onto her shoulder. The link of sparkling magic weaves together the symbol with her imagination of her healed partner. A calming orange heat emanates from her palms.

Her honey-brown eyes look over them multiple times. The warmth of a gentle summer day in her hands. It starts to dim.

The small pats from Emmy remind her to keep the connection. She focuses her eyes on Ruben's arm in the sling. The light intensifies.

"Ready, Ruben?"

The Lycan turns to his side to accept her help. Imani applies a soft grip on his right tricep. Ruben lets out a moan. The warmth seeps down past the epidermis and into his veins. The remainders of silver venom in his bloodstream are eradicated from the healing touch.

The orange heat from her palms dissipates.

Ruben's jaw drops. With his left arm, he removes the sling. He closes his right hand and opens it. After swinging his arm through the air in a circle, he flexes his biceps while grunting.

Imani's eyes bounce from her hands to the flexing Lycan.

Ruben stops to embrace her. "I knew you could do it, partner."

Her hands barely reach across his back. "Thank you for having my back."

Meanwhile, Emmy nuzzles against his cheek.

"Always."

Imani finds her feet dangling from the lifting embrace. "Put me down!" She chuckles. Her feet connect with the wooden floor. With an index finger, she points at Lars. "Time to see which one of my theories is right about you!"

The Dutchman gives her a grin. "Just a second," while getting out his phone. Tapping.

A message comes back.

"Sorry, it will take some time. Waiting on the wife to be free."

"I'm meeting her too?"

"It's better together. It's always like that with her," he places his hands into a prayer. "I'm thankful to God for us meeting. So many blessings."

Imani's eyes blink more times than she can count. "A Christian vampire?"

"Even though I'm labeled as an enemy of my grandfather's group, it doesn't take away my faith. Plus..." His eyes turn to the side. "I found the truth that changed everything for me. But that is for later."

"Maybe I will solve it before then," her smile turns cocky.

"While we wait, let's head outside for that first spell. Alstublieft (Please)," the Dutchman leads them outside. He points at a cactus one school bus length from them. "Fire away."

Her black and white tennis shoes crunch on the sand for a firm foundation. From memory of the visual, she raises her palm with the conjoined symbol in mind. Two triangles sitting on top of each other with a line drawn down the middle of the bottom shape.

Fire. Metal. Let's use that.

Emmy purrs with her fur sticking up. The familiar weaves the magical connection...but nothing comes out. She tries again but to no avail.

Lars continues to observe for why it's not working.

Maybe this can work. Imani closes her hand, leaving an extended index finger. She imagines it as the barrel of her Glock. She concentrates all the police training at the gun range to connect with the magic. Sparks of blue emanate an inch from her pointer. She imagines it connecting with the cactus...

But it fizzles out.

She turns to the Dutchman. "Why isn't it working?"

He strokes his blonde mustache before stopping. "You're holding yourself back."

Imani's eyebrows shoot up.

"Restraint levels get their name as a challenge to progression. Chaos and order are polar opposites, but they can go hand in hand," he walks to her side. His wyvern familiar weaves the connection while his hand is raised parallel to the cactus.

The rocks around Imani's feet dance. Almost being picked up in the air. The dust kicks up around Lars' leather boots and medium blue shirt. He cuts his hand through the air to his right.

Slice.

The top half of the cactus topples off to the ground.

Imani jumps back while Emmy holds onto her jacket. "Holy shit! How did you-"

Her question is cut off from the sight. A sharp glove of wind currents travel around the right hand of the vampire.

"Magic is controlling the chaos to your will, creativity, and emotional intent. I channeled my anger into that attack. When you wanted to heal Ruben, what were you feeling?"

She clears her throat. "He helped me so much and I wanted to return that kindness. He's my best friend and I didn't want to let him down."

Ruben sheds a tear from her comment. "Don't make me cry."

Lars laughs while waving the air away. "You will always be a big softie," before turning to Imani. "That attacking spell requires anger...a focused anger to be exact. Picture that feeling."

Her heart thuds slowly. "I have nothing to be angry about."

Lars' eyebrow raises up. "You're lying. There has to be-"

"Nothing," she cuts him off. Her trembling hands betray her words. "Maybe I don't need this spell. I can focus on healing and maybe the defense."

The Dutchman lets out a slow exhale. "You must master the basics of all three 1st Restraint spells. Restraint 2 builds on those spells."

"I will find a way," she huffs. "Let me try this one."

Clasping her palms together, she visualizes a four-petal flower with an overlapping circle. She mentally conjures her loved ones, the people she wants to protect. She imagines the pain that Ruben went through to save her life from Jack.

I will not let that happen again.

Emmy's purring weaves the connection. Purple heat builds up in Imani's palms before she spreads her hands apart. The violet energy forms a sparkling, bubbly shield in front of her. The height reaching to the top of her curly hair.

A wide smile graces her face as Lars walks forward-

Pop!

One strong strike from his magical hand dispels her shield.

"Hey!"

"Didn't mean to burst your bubble," he slaps his knee after saying that terrible joke. His tiny wyvern covers his head with a wing out of shame. He cuts his laugh short. "Been a dad for a while. It was a good attempt on your defense. However, a strong magical strike like mine can break it. I recommend using it as a way to put space or borrow some time."

"Will do." Imani aims her finger at the cactus to try again.

Lars gently pushes it down. "Listen, you decided to get involved in this war. I will not let you get involved in the battle, but you would be a liability--" before stopping himself. He sighs. "Het spijt me (I'm sorry), that was my soldier side talking."

Liability....That's what I always am.

Her racing feet head back into the cabin. Ruben places a hand in front of Lars to give her space. He goes to comfort her, but his feet halt in place.

Enzo's yawn is cut off from Imani bumping into his side.

"Sorry!"

The cat familiar nuzzles against her head to comfort her mind.

"It's fine," Enzo sees the three remaining stripes on Emmy's back. "I see you broke into First Restraint. Congratulations," his dazzling smile brings her heart some peace.

Honey-brown eyes look away. "Thanks."

He notices the lack of happiness he expected from her. Cloudy grey eyes glance outside to see Ruben's right arm is no longer in a sling. "You healed him. That's great news. Something to celebrate."

"I wish," she scoffs but bites her lip to stop the rest of her words. Her heartbreak warns her not to confess.

He rejected you, so what's-

"You don't have to share if you're not comfortable," his words break up her intrusive thoughts.

"Meow!" Tell him, Imani.

"My parents taught me to refrain from acting out in anger. I...was a bit of a rebel--"

"I can imagine so."

A laugh breaks through her lips.

"Sorry, continue."

His warm words open the door more. Her heart takes a leap of faith, hoping he will catch her if she breaks.