P.A.W.S.

by Debbie Manber Kupfer

  “Is that your mother?”

  “That’s Nora, yes. She’s says she’s my mother, but I never knew my mom. I don’t know if it’s true.”

  “It’s true,” replied Jessamyn. “The scrying bowl never lies, and I asked it to show us your mother.”

  Miri gazed into the scrying bowl. Her mother was in a bedroom with a man. She was cowering on the floor and was in tears. It looked like the man had beaten her. He was tall and powerful and had a nasty sneer on his face.

  “Who is that?” Miri whispered.

  “That,” said Jessamyn quietly, “is trouble. That is Alistair.”

  Alistair. So that was the strange, powerful canine Miri had sensed, the monster who had turned Josh. She shivered.

  “Let us focus on your lost amulet. A lock of your hair, please, Miri.” At that, Jessamyn changed into hawk form and reached toward Miri and severed some strands of her hair with her sharp beak and dropped them into the bowl. In hawk form, Jessamyn concentrated on the whirling waters in the bowl.

  Miri held her breath, and then Jessamyn returned to human form and addressed her. “The news is good,” said Jessamyn. “As we hoped, Nora has not been able to bond with the amulet. It was not your grandmother’s intention that Nora have it, and so she cannot use it. Alistair, as you saw, is not happy about this. I’m not sure what his plan was for your mother, but we can safely assume that he thought the charm would work for her.”

  “Can we get it back?”

  “Yes, but first we need to find Alistair.”

  “I don’t understand. Wasn’t Josh rescued from Alistair’s place?”

  “Alistair has changed his pack den many times since then, and today’s den is protected by wards almost as strong as those protecting P.A.W.S. We suspect Alistair has a very powerful magician working for him.”

  “What about Mandy? She was just there. Maybe she can help?”

  “Maybe so, but I’m concerned about Mandy. It seems strange that she was left out here in the playground for us to find, and then shortly after, you were attacked.”

  That triggered a memory in Miri. She explained to Jessamyn about the scraps of cloth Josh had shown her that the zoo wolves had found in the playground. Miri reached into her pocket and gasped. One of the cloth scraps was in her jeans pocket, and she had no idea how it got there. She handed it over to Jessamyn.

  “Ah,” said Jessamyn, examining the cloth. “Now I think I understand.”

  She took the piece of blue cloth and laid it on the surface of the water inside the scrying bowl. Then she raised her silver scepter and uttered some words:

  “Taispeáin mo inneachar sár seo éadach gorm.”

  Jessamyn beckoned to Miri, and together they gazed into the bowl where the waters were rapidly whirling. Then several scenes flashed before their eyes: a young Nora handing the infant Miri, wrapped in a blue shawl, to her mother... David handing over the shawl to Alistair... Mandy lying bleeding alone in the park... Josh handing the scrap of material to Miri...

  “What does it all mean?” asked Miri, confused.

  “It is very clever magic,” said Jessamyn. “If I understand correctly, the cloth has been used as a tracking beacon. It is how Nora found you in the park. Hopefully, the wards around P.A.W.S. will not allow Alistair’s magician to peer within these walls, but we cannot be certain. As a precaution, I believe it would be wise to destroy this cloth.”

  She raised her silver scepter one more time and intoned a spell:

  “Scrios an croílár an éadach gorm.”

  With these words the cloth burst into flames and, within seconds, disappeared without a trace into the churning waters of the scrying bowl.

  “Go now, Miriam. Continue your studies at P.A.W.S., and understand we will find your amulet. You will once more be able to take your true form.”

  ***

  As Miri left Jessamyn’s chamber and walked back to her dorm room, she mulled over Jessamyn’s words. She truly hoped that Jessamyn was right and that she would get her charm back. She felt so very alone without her amulet, and so very helpless.

  Chapter 25

  The gray cat with the green eyes was talking to Nora again. “It’s not yours, Nora,” she snarled. “You have to return it.”

  “I can’t,” Nora pleaded. “He’ll kill me.”

  “He’s going to kill you anyway, Nora. Do you think, after he gets what he wants, he’ll let you live? Return the charm. At least let Miri live.”

  ***

  Nora woke up in a cold sweat, the snoring form of Alistair next to her. While he slept, she noticed that his form flitted back and forth, shifting from man to wolf and back. Sometimes it took on its halfway form, more feral than human. Nora wondered what his natural form really was. He explained to her once that he was bitten when he was very young, but rather than feeling it was a curse, he felt that he was reborn that day, that this was what he was always meant to be.

  Nora walked into the bathroom and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She had a black eye, and one-half of her face was swollen. She opened her robe and shuddered. She was covered in bruises and deep scratches, some of which still oozed blood. And then there was the scar, still bright red and burning, the shape of the cat charm branded into her skin.

  Alistair had hurt her many times before; he had always had a temper. But he was always sorry afterward, begging her not to go, saying he loved her and that they were going to build a whole new world together if she would just stick around. And when Nora was younger, she had believed him. She remembered when she was first pregnant, just 16 years old, yet she was so proud. Their child would be special, he said, powerful, a worthy heir to his ever-growing pack.

  Nora labored for fifteen hours with that child in the bedroom of their pack headquarters. Alistair refused to take her to the hospital. Not necessary, said Alistair. She would prove herself worthy of being his mate or she would die. It was as simple as that. But still he encouraged her. She was birthing his heir, after all, he said, the beginning of a new generation of werewolves that would rule the world.

  And then minutes after the baby was born, everything changed. The baby was a girl. Alistair was furious with Nora. Didn’t she understand? He needed a boy, a son to whom to pass on his legacy. A girl was no good. She would be too weak. She was just another mouth to feed.

  No, he reconsidered; she could still be of some use. Nora screamed as he grabbed the baby from her arms, her beautiful baby girl that she only knew for a few precious minutes before she was killed and consumed by her father.

  That was the first time Nora had tried to escape. They were still living in New York at the time, in an old house in the Bronx. She thought about going back to her parents’ house. She made it all the way up to the beginning of Delancey Street before Alistair found her and dragged her back to his den.

  He explained to Nora that night that if she ever tried to leave him again, he would slaughter everyone she loved – her mama, brother, old school friends, neighbors, everyone.

  As luck would have it, Miri was born during a full moon. Alistair was out on the prowl with his pack on the night of the birth of Nora’s second baby girl. As soon as she was born, Nora knew what she had to do. She wrapped the baby in her soft blue shawl and took the subway to the Lower East Side, taking Miri to live with Mama.

  Alistair beat Nora mercilessly the next day when he returned to the den and found out what she’d done, but at least Nora had saved her daughter’s life. Remembering this, Nora came to a decision.

  She needed to leave. She knew that now. She picked up the charm that was still sitting on the side of the sink. It felt cool in her hand now. She placed it in the pocket of her robe. As quietly as possible, Nora went back into the bedroom where Alistair was sleeping and picked up her clothes from the floor where she had dropped them the previous evening.

  She took them into the living room and dressed. Then she put on her leather jacket and transferred the charm into her jacket pocket. Nora grabbed her shoulder bag
and quietly let herself out of the front door.

  Chapter 26

  “Concentrate, Miri,” said Danny, for what seemed like the millionth time. “You can do it. I know you can.”

  “I can’t, Danny,” Miri replied. “I need the charm. I have no magic without it.”

  “You do have magic, Miri. I can feel it.” He came over and put his arms around her. Miri loved spending time with Danny, but still she felt like a fraud staying in the institute without her amulet.

  Danny was convinced she could find her special power even without the charm; that just coming from a shapeshifter family should mean she had magic. Miri was not convinced about that. In all her interactions with her Uncle David, it never seemed like he had an iota of magic, so if he didn’t, why should she?

  Nevertheless, every afternoon after Miri finished her morning classes with Professor Ainsworth, Danny continued to work with her. Miri really didn’t know why he bothered. She was hopeless. It was hard enough when she had the amulet, but now...

  Her best hope was still that she somehow got her charm back. Every night Josh and the other wolves had been trying to track down Alistair’s den, but so far with no luck. Mandy had been trying to help, but as the wolves blindfolded her on the way to and from their den, she truly had no idea where it was. Plus she was not a very good tracker yet, especially as she still had not learned to control her form.

  “It’s all right, Miri,” said Danny, gently. “How about we take a break for a while and try again later?” They got up from the bench where they’d been sitting and walked in silence for a while around the park. The weather was getting colder now. There was a chill in the autumn air. Miri was glad when finally they made their way back to the warmth of the institute.

  Danny gave her a light kiss on the lips and told her he had some work to finish up for Jessamyn before supper.

  ***

  Hugo Hogsworth, the P.A.W.S. chef, a shapeshifter pig who had learned to cook at the Paris branch of P.A.W.S., was bustling in the kitchen preparing dishes for the following week’s Thanksgiving feast. He was preparing double portions of everything, one for him to eat now, and another for next week’s feast! Miri wandered over to the kitchen and asked if he’d like some help. She remembered how she used to enjoy cooking with Omama so many years ago and how she also enjoyed helping Mrs. Brookes at Saul Emmanuel.

  Magic! Had her omama possessed magic? She thought about the pastries and the kugels, the soups and the stews. Yes, she was sure there had been magic in those pots and pans. She remembered that when she first went to her aunt and uncle, she had wanted to cook. One day, when Cynthia was out at her hair appointment, she decided to make a sponge cake. She separated eggs, blended, whisked, and mixed, just as she remembered her omama doing.

  What came out was nothing like her omama’s cake; so light and fluffy, one bite and you felt you were floating. Yes, there had been magic involved, Miri was sure of that now. Miri’s cake had no magic. It tasted flat and uninspiring, and caused her Aunt Cynthia to have conniptions when she came home to find a mess in her usually pristine kitchen. Miri had to clean up the mess and promise not to cook again, and her “cake” went in the garbage.

  Now, though, at P.A.W.S., Miri felt that maybe by cooking with Hugo, she could at least feel like she was contributing, and Hugo was fun to be around. He was a large man (and an even larger pig!) and very fond of Gilbert and Sullivan opera, which he liked to sing loudly as he sliced and diced.

  Today he was going through the whole score of The Mikado:

  “A wandering minstrel I—

  “A thing of shreds and patches, “Of ballads, songs and snatches,

  “And dreamy lullaby!”

  He sang as they chopped enough apples for twenty apple pies.

  “My catalogue is long,

  “Through every passion ranging, “And to your humours changing

  “I tune my supple song!

  “I tune my sup...”

  At that moment, Josh rushed into the kitchen.

  “Miri, Miri, you need to come with me, quickly.”

  Miri pulled off her apron and wiped her hands and followed Josh. He rushed straight to the corridor leading out of P.A.W.S. and then up the spiral staircase. Miri was wheezing by the time they reached the top, and she had to take a moment to take a puff of her inhaler.

  “Where are we going?” she asked Josh.

  “To the Turtle Playground. Quickly, we have to hurry,” he replied.

  “But what...” protested Miri.

  “You’ll see when we get there.”

  Miri felt a pang of apprehension but followed Josh.

  When they got closer to the playground, Miri noticed that there was a mixed group of animals and humans gathered around something on the ground. As Josh and Miri came into the clearing, the group parted to let them through. There was a moaning sound coming from the ground. Whoever it was was hurt badly. There was a lot of blood. As Miri stepped into the circle, she heard her name: “Miri?”

  Miri looked down into the face of Nora, so torn up that she was hardly recognizable. Her clothes were torn, and she was covered with bites and scratches, all bleeding profusely. What had happened to her? She had been beaten in the vision Miri had seen in Jessamyn’s scrying bowl, but this was far, far worse. Nora reached out to her daughter. Miri could see it was very painful for her to move.

  “Miri?” Miri bent down next to Nora as she reached for Miri’s hand. “I’m... sorry... Miri,” Nora said. Her speech was slurred, as she was having difficulty breathing. “This... is... yours.” And she placed the charm into Miri’s hand.

  Then, as Miri watched, Nora closed her eyes and lost consciousness.

  Miri stood staring at Nora while Josh took charge of the situation. He instructed Zamir and Sean to carry Nora to the infirmary at P.A.W.S. Miri followed in a daze, the charm clutched in her hands. Jessamyn was waiting for them at the entranceway to P.A.W.S. with her silver scepter. She mumbled a few words in the ancient language:

  “Ceadaigh an anam chun pas a fháil.”

  Zamir and Sean carefully carried Nora into the institute and took her to the infirmary.

  Mrs. Bumsqueak was waiting at the door of the infirmary. Her face looked very grave when she saw Nora’s condition. She told the boys to place Nora on a cot in the corner and started busying herself with some potions and salves.

  Miri gazed at the unconscious form of her mother. Why had she come back? Why had she returned her charm, when she’d obviously risked so much to get it in the first place? Mrs. Bumsqueak noticed Miri standing there and told her kindly, but firmly, to leave and let her do her job. Miri reluctantly left with Sean, while Zamir stayed to help the healer.

  ***

  There was a big, noisy crowd in the rec room, all discussing the new visitor. Miri avoided them and made her way up to her dorm room. Thankfully, Lilith was not there. Miri guessed she was probably down in the rec room with everyone else. Miri sat down at the dressing table in her room. She looked at the charm. It was getting warmer, and its green eyes were glowing. Carefully, she fastened it around her neck.

  Miri felt, well... the only way to describe it was euphoria. It was the greatest feeling of joy and strength that she had ever felt in her life. The warmth spread through her veins. It was as if, in the last few months, a part of her had been dead and now it was alive again.

  Miri closed her eyes, and the familiar form of the gray cat with the green eyes came padding towards her.

  “Welcome home, Miri. Welcome home, mein Katzel.

  I’ve missed you.”

  Miri transformed slowly, intentionally wanting to feel the metamorphosis in each part of her body. When she was done, she opened her eyes and gazed at the familiar black, furry face with its yellow eyes and one white whisker looking back at her in the dressing table mirror, the face she had been scared she would never see again. Comfort. There was so much comfort in this form. Miri found herself involuntarily purring with pleasure.

  He
r purring increased when she recognized in the mirror a familiar feline form entering the room, the beautiful Maine Coon that she realized suddenly she had fallen in love with the first moment she had seen him. He came up behind her and jumped up onto the dresser and gently started licking her fur from the top of her head to the tip of her tail.

  Now her purring was joined by his, and she felt it for the first time, the rawest of his emotions, all of it: pleasure, attraction, caring, but also fear and profound sadness. And love. Deep, deep love. And unconsciously Miri magnified those emotions and sent them back to him.

  Danny backed away with a start. He rapidly changed back into human form, and Miri, feeling deeply confused, did the same.

  “What was that?” he asked.

  “What was what?” she asked, not understanding what had startled him so.

  “You did something,” he said. “It’s hard to explain. It felt like you took hold of my emotions and kind of threw them at me.”

  “I’m sorry,” said Miri. “I didn’t mean...”

  “No, don’t be sorry,” said Danny. “I was just surprised, is all. I’ve never felt anything like that before.”

  “So, it’s not a cat thing? You can’t sense other cats’ emotions?”

  “A little, but what you did was much more than that. It was like you used my emotions against me. I wonder...”

  “What?”

  “I have an idea, but it’s late tonight. Maybe tomorrow we should go see my mother.”

  Miri suddenly realized how tired she was. She sat down on her bunk, and Danny came to sit next to her. She looked into his green eyes. Even as a boy, he was truly beautiful, she thought. How could he possibly love her? And yet she had felt it when she had entered his mind.

  Gently, Danny kissed Miri, and she dissolved into his arms, stroking his long, black locks as they kissed in a way much more intimate than any she had experienced before. Miri felt his hands start to wander...