“It sounds like something the Aqcarians might do,” Meadow said. “They’re…odd.”
“Aqcarians? I’ve never heard of them,” I said. I handed out the paper plates, and we dug into the food. My mouth watered. While the food was good and hearty in Kalevala, it didn’t compare in diversity to the food over here.
Kipa blinked. “The name is familiar, but…”
“Here…Even in LOCK, we don’t have a good idea of their culture. They’re an ancient, reclusive race who are part of the Elemental Fae,” Trefoil said. “They can dissolve those beings they fear might interfere in their lives. They crave salt—they’re saltwater dwelling beings. They can live in fresh water, but they require salt if they’re without saltwater too long.”
I thought about it for a moment. “But what would they be doing in Puget Sound?”
“I don’t know,” Trefoil said. “But I’ll send you the information I have on them.”
I nodded. “That’s far more than we currently have,” I said. “Do you mind if I forward it to the others?” I bit into a potsticker, closing my eyes as the meaty, savory dumpling melted in my mouth.
“No, but don’t tell anybody where you got it, all right?” He closed his tablet. “Usually, people have to fill out request forms for info from LOCK.”
“I’ll copy and paste it so your name isn’t on the email,” I said. “They won’t know who it came from—I promise.”
I was tempted to open the email and read it, but even though I was as curious as a cat, I decided to hold off. I wanted to see what he had to say, but the stress of the day and the smell of the food made me push aside the desire. Instead, I turned my attention to our guests and the fact that we were home. That was the best medicine I could take for the rough day we’d just had.
CHAPTER SIX
After Trefoil and Meadow went home, Kipa armed the security system. I looked around for Raj, wanting to make sure he was comfortable in his new bed which was a large, fluffy bed big enough for a St. Bernard. Raj wasn’t quite that big, but I wanted him to have plenty of space. But when I peeked in the corner of the living room, I saw that he had already conked out and was snoring lightly, his favorite squishy toy cuddled under his chin.
Smiling, I closed the blinds. Next, I checked on the ferrets. Elise was staring out of the cage—a massive affair that gave them as much room as I could manage. There was a sadness in her eyes that worried me.
“Are you okay, Elise?” I asked.
She shivered, her sable-brown fur rippling. Templeton is gone.
Panicking, I reached for the latch. “What? What happened?”
No, she said, her words echoing in my head. I don’t mean he’s dead. I mean… He finally let go, Raven. He couldn’t hold on to his human side any longer. This afternoon he told me he was going to give in to the pull. That he’d be happier.
I opened the cage, peering beyond her. In the back, Gordon and Templeton were cuddling as they slept. They looked calm and peaceful. I held out my arm, and Elise crawled up onto my shoulder, then down into my arms. I carried her over to the table and sat, cuddling her.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I wish…”
Don’t say it, she said. We know you’ve tried. All these years you’ve tried your best. You’ve searched for an answer and you never gave up on us.
“I’ll still search. As long as you’re with me, I’ll try.”
I wanted to cry—the ferrets were special to me.
Decades ago, someone had cursed them, turning them into ferret form, and I’d found them out in the forest. I brought them home, and I’d been searching for a reversal spell ever since, trying to return them to their human forms. But each year it had been harder for them to resist the lure of sliding fully into their ferret forms. The hope and the memories had been so difficult for them to bear. Gordon had given in first, and now…Templeton.
“I love talking to you, Elise. Try to hang on.”
Elise let out a sigh. I’ll try. For a while longer. But it’s lonely now, without Templeton. It would be so easy to just give in and enjoy life as a ferret—to forget about the past.
“If that’s what you want, please let me know first. But until you’re ready for that. I’ll continue to search for a spell to negate the curse. I can’t promise I’ll succeed, but I promise to continue trying.” I hugged her, and she stared up at me, a faint glimmer of hope breaking through the sadness.
I promise, she said. I think I need to sleep. Will you talk to me more? I know you’ve been so busy, but it might help me hold on.
I’d slacked off during my training—it had been so intense and such hard work. Feeling guilty, I nodded. “Every single day that I can, we’ll talk for a while. Now, sleep and rest. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
As I returned her to her cage, I caught sight of Templeton. He shifted, stretching and yawning before he curled up with Gordon again. Elise slowly approached them, snuggling into Templeton’s other side. She gave me one last look before closing her eyes and drifting off. Teary, I latched the cage and whispered, “Goodnight, Elise.”
Kipa was waiting for me. His brow crinkled as I let out a sigh. “What happened? Everything all right?”
