A Peculiar Time in 1944 - A Millard Fanfic (Miss Peregrine's Home) #wattys2020

Chapter 82

"Early in life we recognize certain talents in ourselves and we focus on those to the exclusion of others. It's not that nothing else is possible, but that nothing else was nurtured." {Reynaldo, pg 258 book 3}

AURORA POV

Before Mr. Bentham could explain anymore Nim rushed back into the room.

"Pardon for the interruption, sir. But Mr. Sharon has returned with the two other guests you requested."

Emma and Jacob? Aurora stood, eager to see her friends but politely waited until Mr. Bentham had PT pick him up with his massive paws and carry him into the foyer. Then she followed the odd man, still keeping her distance from the grimbear no matter how tame his owner said he was. She hoped the others would forgive her for running out on them the way she did and she hoped they hadn't worried too much for her sake. Then she turned a corner and saw the large boatman, he'd be hard to miss with his tall stature and ominous trench coat but when she saw her friends all sense of politeness and manners went out the window.

"What did you do to them?" she demanded as she saw Jake and Emma. Emma was being held up by one of Bentham's associates while the boatman supported Jake. Both were unconscious and badly wounded. Addison was nowhere in sight and Aurora heard the man looking over Emma mutter something about a double concussion, broken rib and torn shoulder. As bad as Emma was it was still better than Jacob who looked dead.

"Saved their asses is what I did sweetheart." Sharon replied, "Which is more than you did after runnin' off and causin' more trouble. If I hadn't called in a favor your friends wouldn't have left Smoking Street in this good condition."

"Kim." Bentham addressed the assistant holding Emma, "Why not put the lady down in that chair there and fetch Reynaldo and Marion."

oOo oOo oOo

Reynaldo and Marion were the healers who worked under Mr. Bentham, while Sharon and Kim settled Emma and Jake into beds so they could heal Aurora was introduced to the odd pair.

"I'm Reynaldo." The young man said holding out his hand. He had brown skin and bright eyes and wore a silk shirt with a wide brimmed hat and he was leading the healing woman as if she were blind. "And this is Mother Dust. I speak for her."

The only visible parts of Mother Dust were her left eye and left hand. The rest was hidden beneath acres of fabric: shawls, scarves, a dress and a bell shaped hoop skirt. She seemed to be missing her right hand.

"Pleasure to meet you both." Aurora said then turned to Reynaldo, "She can help my friends?"

"She can heal anything with a beating heart." He assured her, "We know what we are doing."

Then he led Mother Dust into Jacob's room, for he was the one who sustained the worst injuries. It looked as if he'd used his body to shield Emma from whatever or whoever had beaten them.

"Now she will make the dust." Reynaldo explained, "Stand back and be careful not to breathe it in. It will put you to sleep instantly." Reynaldo strapped a dust mask over his nose and mouth while Aurora covered her face with the long sleeve of the shirt she wore, then the boy untied the shawl that wrapped around what was left of Mother Dust's right arm. The stump beneath was only a few inches long and it came to an end well above what would have been her elbow. With her left hand Mother Dust began to rub the stump, which released a fine white powder that hung in the air. Holding his breath Reynaldo combed the air with one hand and collected the dust. Aurora watched fascinated at how the other healer worked, she was so entranced by Mother Dust's abilities that she forgot any notion of asking if the woman wanted help. Then she remembered what she'd done to those men in the alley and looked down at her palms, she wasn't sure if she could still heal people after what had happened.