Sweet Tooth and Claw

by K A Miltimore

  "She's in the parlor, with Bren and Maurice." Mel answered for the group.

  "That cat, there was something about that black cat. It moved like a cat but it never got tired, never panted after our long run. I'll admit I am not as young as I used to be, but I can still run and I gave that villain chase all over the yard. It never seemed to need a breath. Like it wasn’t alive." Zelda said, pausing to lick her paws clean.

  "Did you say black cat? Is that what killed Alice?" Louis asked, looking concerned.

  "Yes, it was black, with weird green eyes." Mel replied

  "Delphie, didn't that gardener guy say that he had a cat he buried in the back yard today? A black cat?"

  "Oh, mon Dieu, you are right, Louis. He did say that. I saw him dig the hole when I went out for my smoke this morning. You don't think it is that cat, do you?"

  "I'm going to find out." Louis said, striding toward the back door.

  ✽✽✽

  A few customers came in, the first of the day, and Mel put aside her concerns to handle their order. The women marveled at the showcase, stocked with the macabre Valentine treats. Ana fixed herself a cup of tea while Mel efficiently boxed up their orders of bloody heart cookies and demon cupids. When the pair had left, boxes in hand, Ana held up the small vase of blue flowers to Mel.

  "What are these doing hiding under the counter? They are too pretty not to display." Ana said, giving the wolfsbane a sniff. Mel felt her face blush and a knot of guilt in her stomach. She hadn't told Ana about her fainting spell or the flowers from Thana.

  "Posies left by someone, but Louis can't stand the sight of them. They are wolfsbane and that isn't a good thing for him. Speaking of Louis, it will be moonrise in a few hours and we need to find a secure place where he can sleep." Delphine said, taking the little vase from Ana's hand, and holding it over the garbage can. "Do you mind if I dispose of these, Mel?"

  "Go ahead," Mel said, relieved that Delphine had responded but her guilt weighed on her. She would tell Ana everything, but not right now. Things were too crazy to bring this up too.

  The front door bell tinkled again and Thana entered the shop, just missing the sight of Delphine tossing her gift into the garbage.

  "It smells wonderful in here. That must be gumbo in the pot." Thana said, giving everyone a shy wave. Ana smiled tightly in return, Mel noted.

  "Yes, it does smell wonderful, doesn't it. What brings you to the shop, Thana?" Mel said, waving in return.

  "I was on my way back from some errands and I thought I would pick up a treat or two for my mother. And perhaps an invitation for some gumbo." She smiled, sliding her blonde hair back away from her face.

  "We'll have plenty if you'd like some. It won't be ready for a few hours though." Delphine responded before Mel could say anything. The thought of Ana and Thana together in the bakery made Mel uncomfortable. Would Thana mention the fainting spell? Mel didn’t think so, but what if she did?

  "Thank you, I am sure I can keep myself busy studying until then. Helen has assigned quite a big reading list before the next coven meeting. How's your homework coming along, Mel?" The young woman asked as she placed her satchel on a chair and slid out of her black wool coat.

  "Oh, I am working on it. I'll get it done in time, I think." Mel remarked, heading back behind the counter to familiar territory. Somehow it felt better to have the counter between herself and the two women.

  "Mel, why is it so cold in here? I swear I can't feel my feet." Ana said, rubbing her arms vigorously and before lifting up her mug to take a sip of tea.

  "Hedy thought the furnace was broken but it seems to be alright. It's cold outside but it shouldn't be making this house freezing, even if it is an old house. It's really weird." Mel replied, fetching some boxes down from the shelf to load up for one of their deliveries that afternoon. Maybe she and Ana could slip away and make the deliveries. It would give her a chance to tell Ana about the fainting incident. Mel hated the guilt gnawing at her belly, as if she would be exposed any moment.

  "I thought for a moment that perhaps Adelaide was behind it. She always seems to make the room chillier when she is about." Ana said, settling into her chair.

  "I think it may be something more than a ghost," Thana said, pulling a large book out of her bag. The cover was dark brown leather, scarred with age. "I think it is something dangerous. A Lich." The witch flipped open the book to the bookmarked page and waved Mel over. Delphine followed on her heels.

  "I was reading this old book and I came across this passage. It reads 'A hallmark of a Lich is its ability to cast a pall over its quarry. This often manifests as unexplained coldness or a stench that cannot be relieved.'" Thana turned to book around so Mel and Delphine could read for themselves.

  "What's a Lich?" Ana asked from her table.

  "It's a creature, controlled by someone with dark magic, usually a necromancer. It isn't alive, it isn't dead, it is a thing that has one purpose. To carry out its master's orders." Delphine replied, turning from the book and gazing over Ana's shoulder. Louis was back from the yard, looking grim.

  "A Lich? Did you say a Lich, Delphie?" Louis said, wiping his hands on his sweatshirt for any remnants of dirt clinging to them.

  "Thana here thinks that explains the chill in the house. I don't know. What did you find, Louis?" Delphine asked, watching him head for the sink to wash his hands.

  "I found an empty grave. No sign of the cat. I think that answers that. The black cat either wasn't dead when the gardener buried it or it came back." Louis said, scrubbing his hands vigorously under the water.

  The pocket doors slid open and the group watched a puffy-eyed Hedy emerge, followed by Bren, who was carrying Maurice. Hedy gave the group a small smile.

  "What's happening out here?" She asked, looking at the worried faces filling the room.

  ✽✽✽

  "So, we have a resurrected cat roaming and possibly a Lich stalking the house. Do I have that right?" Hedy said, after hearing the filtered news from Delphine and Mel. They had omitted the conversation with the Director entirely.

  "I told you a necromancer was about, Hedy." Maurice said, now settled in the window seat, next to Zelda. The cat almost seemed to be guarding the old chinchilla.

  "That seems to be the case. I don't know about the lich but it would explain the chill over this house. It also explains how a dead cat can come back to life and kill..."Delphine paused, saying no more at the ashen look on Hedy's face.

  "I hate to be piling on to our troubles, but it will be moonrise in a bit and I need to find a place to secure myself. The last thing we need is any mischief from me after the change." Louis said. The group looked at him expectantly and he chuckled. "I'm not changing right now, folks. Relax."

  "A locked room, will that suffice, Louis, or do we need more than that?" Hedy asked, glad to have something to focus on. It had been a long time since she had helped Louis during the full moon.

  "Yes, a locked room should do the trick, however, I don't want to take a chance of messing up your lovely bedroom. Once transformed, I can be a bit unpredictable with furniture, you understand. Do you have a cellar or other space where I could camp for the night? Less likely to cause destruction that way." Louis replied.

  "We could set you up in the basement, although it probably wouldn't be that comfortable. We can put a mattress there and the door is quite sturdy." Hedy replied, hating the thought of banishing a friend to the dank basement. She'd rather he used the guest room and she deal with the consequences in the morning.

  "That's perfect. Nothing to break, nothing to fret over. I'll be fine, Hedy." Louis said, finality in his voice.

  "Let's go check out the basement and make sure everything is prepared." Bren said, leading the way out into the hallway. Hedy went back behind the counter to finish boxing up the order for delivery. She needed to take her mind off of Alice, off of a vengeful creature after a dear friend, and off of her pending meeting with the Director. This day had been one of the worst in recent memor
y and it was barely afternoon.

  "Right. Let's get these cookies delivered and try to end this day better than it started. Mel, do you mind taking the car and delivering the order to the A.O.R. lodge. Their party is tonight. Ana could go along with you to help carry the boxes." Hedy saw Mel's smile and wondered what that was all about. Maybe Mel was looking for a little alone time with her sweetheart. It was Valentine's Day tomorrow, after all.

  "Sure thing, Hedy. We'll make the delivery run. Maybe Thana, you could stay here and keep researching on the Lich?" Mel said, looking hopefully at Thana. It wasn't hard to spot the disappointment on Thana's face.

  "Sure. I can do that. I'll wait here." She said, flatly.

  "We'll be back in just a little bit. Then maybe we can go over what you found. We can always call Helen too, for advice." Mel said, stacking up the boxes that were tied with pink and red ribbon.

  "As clever as Helen may be, I doubt she is going to have knowledge that will help us with something like this," Delphine remarked. "But I might have something that will help. A book I brought with me. I'll get it." She headed toward the stairs.

  "Sounds like we have a plan," Hedy said, her voice sounding firm. "Let's hope it's enough."

  Chapter Twenty-One

  It seemed like forever since Ana and Mel had been alone, but it had only been a few days. So much had happened that Mel could hardly remember what it felt like to just relax and be happy and even silly with Ana. When was the last time they had goofed around, watched a movie, snacked on popcorn, taken a walk? It seemed like ages.

  "I'm so glad to be out of the house for a few minutes. I feel a little guilty saying that, but it has been intense around there lately. So much happening and most of it bad. It feels great to drive, with just you." Mel said, pulling the Corvair out of the garage, avoiding the slushy piles of snow that had been pushed to the edges of the road. The sky was a dark gray and she was sure more snow was on the way. Hopefully, they finished their delivery before it started up.

  "I understand what you mean. It is hard to be around such turmoil, especially if there isn't much you can do to help. At least we can make this delivery for Hedy and help her that way." Ana replied, leaning back into the seat. Mel had cranked the heater as high as it would go and it was finally kicking in.

  "I need to tell you about something that happened yesterday. I didn't want to worry you so I didn't text you about it last night, but I should have. I had an episode yesterday. I guess I fainted or something. I'm not really sure what happened, honestly. One minute I was in the library upstairs studying with Thana and the next thing I knew, I was on the floor. It was really weird. Nothing like that has ever happened to me. I should have told you." Mel said, keeping her eyes on the road, mostly to avoid looking at Ana. She hoped there wasn't disappointment on her girlfriend's face.

  "I'm glad you are alright, Mel. I do wish you had called me after it happened but I'm glad you told me now." Ana paused and Mel could tell there was more coming; something in the quiet and the way Ana had spoken.

  "But..." Mel said, prompting her.

  "There is no 'but' except don't you wonder if maybe Thana had something to do with it? You've never fainted before and then when you are alone with her, studying magic, you faint? That seems quite strange to me." Ana said, sounding almost accusatory as she spoke. Mel had never heard that tone in her voice before.

  "Why would you think that Thana had anything to do with me fainting? How could she even? That makes no sense, Ana. See, this is why I didn't tell you." Mel replied, turning the car to the right, toward the Ancient Order of Rhinos lodge. She was sorry now she had said anything. Things had been so nice just a moment ago.

  "I'm not accusing her, Mel. But you don't know her, you don't know anything about her. She appears in town and suddenly she is always around. I would think after the last few months, you'd be more cautious, that's all." Ana said, and Mel saw that she had turned her head toward the window, avoiding Mel's gaze.

  "I don't want to fight, Ana. I don't think Thana had anything to do with it, but you are right - I don't know her very well. I'll keep my eyes open, okay?" Mel said, worried that her voice sounded frustrated as she felt.

  "Alright, Mel. Please don't be cross with me. I'm just worried about you. That's all." Ana said, still looking out the window.

  “I appreciate that you are worried about me, really. And I am fine. But I will be more careful. I promise.”

  Mel parked the car in front of the lodge and the women began pulling boxes out of the trunk. They each were loaded down with several stacked and the last thing Mel needed was to slip on the icy sidewalk and crush the cookies. Slowly, they walked toward the lodge front door when a voice halted them.

  "Well, looks like Melanie and her honey are out for a stroll. Isn't that cute?" Mel recognized the voice of Stuart, her brother's friend. She hadn't seen him since he had hassled Ana at the school back in the fall.

  "We're kinda busy, Stuart. No time to chat right now." She said, continuing her walk toward the door. Could this day get any worse, she wondered.

  "Oh, do you ladies need some help? Or would that be offensive to offer? I wouldn't want to offend you, Melanie." Stuart said, his voice a mask of mocking.

  "Stuart, you don't have to try to be offensive. Just leave us alone, okay?" Mel wished she wasn't loaded up with boxes or she honestly might take a swing at the idiot.

  "You are working at that creepy bakery, the one on Griffin, right? You're running errands for that weird woman. You are lucky that I don't hit girls after that crack. If you are girls." Stuart laughed, apparently finding his joke funny.

  "Come on, Ana. Let's leave this idiot out here. Maybe he'll wander off and annoy someone else." Mel said, reaching the door to the lodge.

  “We’ll finish this conversation later. I’ll come visit you at work, Melanie.”

  She rapped her knuckles quickly on the door, hoping someone would hear her. Before Stuart could speak up again, the door opened and a tall man in a bright red fez stood in the doorway.

  "Ah, the special delivery. Excellent. I'll take those." He said, though by the slur in his words, Mel wondered if he would be able to handle the boxes. He seemed to like to start celebrating early in the day.

  Mel noticed that Stuart had wandered off, leaving them at the lodge door and she was grateful for that. A fist fight with an imbecile wasn't high on her list for the day. Boxes safely, or somewhat safely, delivered to the tipsy Rhino, the pair headed back to the Corvair.

  "Are we good, Mel?" Ana asked, before opening the car door.

  "Ana, yes, we are good. We are always good. I know things seem tense sometimes but I am going to try a little harder, I promise. Let's get back to Hedy's. It will be dark soon."

  ✽✽✽

  "You have everything you need, Louis? Enough water and food and blankets? I feel horrible about this." Hedy said, eyeing the basement with disdain. Why did all basements look like something in a horror movie, she wondered.

  "I am fine, Hedy. I have my lentils, I have my books, I have my everything. Once the transformation happens, I won't be too picky about creature comforts. It's all good. Don't worry about little old me. I'll see you in the morning. Go enjoy Delphie's gumbo. I'll be fine." Louis gave her a wave as she ascended the stairs, and she heard him plop onto the makeshift bed they had made for him close to the furnace for heat. She closed the basement door behind her and turned the key in the lock. It was a thick door and she felt sure it would hold. She left the skeleton key in the lock so anyone one of them could let him out at first light.

  "Miss Leckermaul, I heard about your recent loss, and you have my condolences. We haven't had a chance to have our conversation. My plan was to do so today but in light of events, I will speak with you in the morning before I leave for Brussels. I expect you would like to be with your friends this evening." The Director said, standing silently at the foot of the stairs. It was the first she had seen of him all day and in the chaos, she had almost forgotten.

/>   "Director Haugrsson, thank you for the kind words. And your kindness in letting me have the rest of today before we speak. As you can imagine, I am a bit frazzled. But things will be better in the morning. I will be ready to answer all questions and give you every assurance." She said brightly, hoping she looked confident. The Director's face was inscrutable.

  "Yes, well, we shall speak in the morning. Unless you need me for something, I am going to do some work in my room tonight. As you recall, I don't require any meals."

  "You may do as you wish, although you are certainly welcome to join us for a conversation. Please don't feel you must sequester yourself." Hedy said, putting her hands in her apron pockets to try to warm them.

  "Thank you, but I have much work to do. Let's plan to meet early in the morning. I have a plane to catch." He replied, stepping onto the staircase toward his room.

  She crossed the hallway and paused outside of the bakery. Inside, Ana and Mel were back and setting the table for dinner. Bren's voice carried into the hall, telling some tale that had Delphine laughing. It all reminded Hedy of some family supper, gathering around a table, telling stories and sharing a meal. Only in this family, there was a dear friend to be buried, another locked away in the basement, and warnings of doom all around. Yet even during this dreadful day, people were laughing and talking, finding joy with each other.

  "You look lost in thought, lovely lady." Michael said, having slipped into the hallway unnoticed by Hedy. He came over and gave her a hug.

  "It's been a terrible day, Michael. Alice was killed by a cat, the same cat Darro had buried earlier this morning." Hedy replied, almost too tired to say the words. Michael kept his arms around her and she tried to relax into them but she couldn't. With a small squeeze, she released him and stepped back.

  "Love, I am sorry to hear that. I know how much Alice and Zelda and Maurice mean to you. Are you sure about the cat? An undead cat?" Michael said, his face hidden in the shadow of the hallway. Hedy hadn't turned on the lights for the evening.