A fluffy white cat was sitting gracefully on the floor just inside the open door. Her tail swished slowly behind her. She gazed at me with striking green eyes that peered all the way to my soul.
“No fucking way,” I whispered. “Hello!” I reined in my excitement. I reached out to the cat to pet her. She allowed me to scratch the top of her head one time before she ducked away and hopped onto a stool.
That one scratch felt like a prize.
“Is it finally my turn to get chosen by a cat? I’ve been waiting for this day!”
The cat’s ears shrank back to her head at my volume. I lowered my voice. “Sorry. I’m just excited.”
For long moments, we just stared at each other.
“Do you… want to just hang out here?” I asked the cat.
Her whiskers twitched. Her fluffy tail swished twice. I took that as an answer.
“Right. Cool. Okay. What do I do now?”
The cat curled up on the stool and closed her eyes.
“Do you have a name?” I asked, suddenly nervous. “Am I supposed to give you a name?” I thought about it for a second.For some reason, I had the feeling that I already knew her name. Like it was undeniable. “Casper?” I asked.
Her eyes flicked open. She blinked at me slowly. And then she closed her eyes again, looking quite comfortable.
I smiled. “Casper,” I said quietly to myself. What a fitting name for such a cute but intimidating little critter.
Sprites, cauldron sludge, dragon eggs, and now a cat—this place was beginning to feel like a zoo.
I secretly loved it.
Moonvale’s streets were bustling as I met with Fiella and Redd for morning tea and pastries. Lemon ginger tea with berry tarts today. Scrumptious.
The air was crisp and smelled like icy apples and leaves, a telltale sign that the mild season was firmly in the past. We sat on crunchy grass in town square park as we ate. Leaves were beginning to fall, clustering in small piles as gusts of wind brushed them aside.
“So,” I said to the two vampires. “Ready for tonight’s festivities?” I wasn’t exactly sure what they would be getting up to—and I certainly didn’t want any of the blood-sucking details—but I was nosey enough to want to hearsomeinformation.
Redd nodded as he swallowed a large gulp of tea. “We’re ready. It’s going to be fun.” He glanced at Fiella from the corner of his eye as she smiled smugly. I held down a gag.
“I’ll try not to be grossed out by that.”
“Shut up, Kiz,” Fiella laughed. “We saw Tandor in the woods last night. He’s going too.”
This piqued my interest. “Oh?”
She gave me a knowing look. “Yep. He’ll be running with the wild folk while you witches do… whatever it is you do. What are you doing?”
I waved a hand. “Oh, rituals and stuff. Nothing crazy.”
It was pretty crazy, actually. We performed the biggest rituals on Hallow’s Eve. Anything that required an abundance of magic, a pooling of power, would be performed. We would ask the Old Gods to continue supplying magic to Moonvale’s lands, we would banish evil spirits, we would seek health and longevity for any folk of ailing strength. Whatever needed to be done. We would chant and toss offerings into the cauldron until our throats went raw, if necessary.
Fiella interrupted my thoughts. “Have you talked to him?”
I quirked an eyebrow. “Have Italkedto him?”
“Since you returned.”
“No.” I tried not to let my unease show on my face. “But I’m about to.”
Fiella pumped her fist in the air. “That’s my girl. Go get your man.”
