I admire safe food handling as much as the next person. Who wants lingering poultry bacteria on their kitchen counter, or even in the sink?
The thing was, though, Preeda was a vegetarian. And still she had a thing about bleach and alcohol-based hand sanitizers over soap and water.
None of this is here nor there. The fact is, Preeda and I get along really well most of the time. We leave each other alone and peace prevails as long as I don’t leave anything lying around, and she always warns me when there’s bleach on a given surface so I don’t ruin another blouse by touching it.
But it totally doesn’t explain how I might find myself walking into our kitchen one morning to find her laughing and chatting with my escort. I’d rarely heard Preeda laugh … ever.
The only explanation I could come up with involved me still dreaming, or else having crossed into a parallel universe. In either of these cases, I probably needed to get back to reality.
Instead, I leaned on the corner at the end of the short hallway to see kitchen and living room. White curtains were drawn against the morning sun. Still, the place was plenty bright and already warm.
Preeda sat at the table with her bag, dressed in slacks and gray blouse, face done, shiny black hair smooth and perfect. Her chair was pushed out, her legs crossed, facing Andrew.
Andrew, in his dusty cargo pants and red T-shirt from the day before, stood at the cooktop with a stainless steel skillet. Preeda would not allow non-stick into the apartment because of toxic chemicals leaching into food.
He was just following her instructions to grab a couple plates from the cabinet as I paused at the wall to watch.
Butter was sizzling in the skillet as slices of French toast finished browning. She would eat eggs and occasional dairy, though it was usually coconut milk, rice noodles, salads, and the best veggie stir-fries in the world.
“There’s just no substitute for immersion,” Andrew was saying. “If not this year, go the next.”
“That’s just what I say.” Preeda nodded decisively. “What is study without being there? What is a textbook compared to a conversation?”
Wait … this from the woman who followed study like some people follow the Cross?
“Like a notepad doodle compared to an oil painting,” Andrew said. “Have you looked into doing a year overseas?”
She sighed. “I can’t split my focus like that right now.”
“Just a visit then.” Andrew sat with her, bringing a plate for each: French toast, maple syrup, fruit salad of grapes, apples, blueberries, and banana.
They started talking about the food. Preeda was chuckling again when Andrew launched into an exhortation on the pure joy of a PayDay.
“The candy bar? You’re kidding.”
“They don’t make them like that at home. Poetry in food.” He kissed his fingertips.
She laughed. “They’re only sugar and peanuts.”
“A more perfect joining of souls was never devised.” He’d spotted me. “Coffee, Cassiopeia? Want breakfast?”
I couldn’t tell him I was so nervous about my day the smell of their breakfast made me feel sick.
“Just coffee. I’ve got it. Thanks, Andrew.”
“So what is it you’re doing while you’re here?” Preeda asked. “You’re off again? I thought you had to be back last week for your job that started next week? What’s the deal?”
“I don’t know.” I crossed to the kitchen to set a mug under the machine and switch it back on without replacing the grounds from her cup. Weak might be better right now. “The deal … keeps changing. But yes. Just a couple days, I think. We need to confirm that.”
“Confirm with whom?” She stared. “Your fairy godmother?”
“Father,” I mumbled through the hiss of steam.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you leaving a rent check before you go?”
Oh, shit.
“Yes. Don’t worry about it.” I retreated with my mug to fetch my backpack of dirty laundry.
“Cassia, I have a conference in Seattle tomorrow. I’ll take the train.”
No “Cass” or other nicknames around here. Hell, I was a bit surprised Preeda and I were on a first name basis at all. I could just see her calling me Allyn on principle.
“Oh, yeah?” I paused. “What is today?”
“Friday.” She was staring at me more.
“Right … well … we’ll be gone in a day or two so don’t mind us. I’ll leave a check. Do I have mail?”
“On your desk.”
“Thanks.”
“You day-trip to Seattle?” Andrew asked as I made my retreat. “Doesn’t it take all day just to get there and back?”
“It’s not worth a filthy hotel when I’m only attending for one day anyway. Go early, back late, done.”
“What’s the conference?”
“Neurobiology and functions of epitranscriptomes.”
“Sounds interesting—and just the time if you’re about to go back to school.”
“Oh, it’s fascinating.”
I hid from the fascination to get ready for my day: drink my coffee, check my mail, put in a load of laundry, then write a check for our landlord before I forgot. Fine. No problem. This time. But I was supposed to start working for a living in September.
Preeda was gone by the time I was also ready to go.
Andrew had just finished cleaning the kitchen and eating an apple. Again, he offered me something. I admitted I wasn’t feeling so great.
“Later,” I said. “I need to get this over with. And you can’t come everywhere with me.”
“I’ll wait outside like the loyal companion I am.” Andrew inclined his head.
“That was weird. You chatting with Preeda, I mean.”
“Why’s that?”
“So many reasons. Okay. Isaac says they’re good. Let’s go. You all right? Did you sleep?”
“Sure, darling. No need to fret about us when you have yourself to fret over. Did you look at your spellbooks?”
“I can’t think about that yet. One thing out of the way at a time. This whole running away from a dream career with no other prospects whatsoever after having gone through years and years of school and wanting this for half my life is making me feel a little … like … I’m going to throw up and pass out.”
“You know you can—”
“Don’t. I just want to go.”
He nodded, smile gone.
So much to do. So little time. So much commitment. I’d walked through that door. Now it was time to shut it behind me.
I could have made the apology email enough, yet I felt I owed these people seeing them in person and some real groveling. My would-be boss was at Tilikum Elementary School today. Anyway, maybe I needed that literal door closed for my own mental transition and resolution.
Andrew accompanied me in silence on the drive, watching neighborhoods glide past on our way into Goose Hollow.
He didn’t speak until I’d parked at the nearly empty Tilikum Elementary lot and was already climbing out.
“Cassia?”
I met his eyes but didn’t answer.
He opened his mouth, shut it, shook his head.
I started to close the door.
“Wait…” He looked from the brick building, already smudgy with the intense heat, to me, expression serious. “If you could be handed your heart’s desire right now, what would it be?”
I gazed back into his amber eyes, then nodded. We both knew it was rhetorical. The question was a reminder to follow what mattered: my strengths; heart and magic. Which meant my pack.
I walked in, shoulders back, head up, breaths short, to officially make my apologies, cancel my career, and start my life over.
Chapter 4
“Are congratulations or condolences in order?” Isaac’s first words upon our meeting for lunch made me smile.
Indeed, I was feeling better, a weight off, a choice made, stomach settled. Maybe I could
even join them in the meal.
“Too soon to tell,” I answered. “Still a lot to do.”
“Let us know if you need anything—if there’s any way we can help.” Showing me that he understood that my need for personal space here in the city had not been just about sleeping arrangements last night.
We walked through food truck options from their hostel, then, lunch bags in hand, a quick drive down to Tom McCall Waterfront Park where we could picnic and I could make phone calls.
Isaac, Andrew, Kage, Jason, Zar, and Jed spread themselves out to sit on benches, grass, or parts of walls and landscaping to inhale their meals. I sat in the shade of a cherry blossom tree, back to the trunk, oppressed by the 1:00 p.m. heat.
I nibbled my cold seaweed sesame salad while looking up numbers on my phone.
Ava? A young witch like myself, she was skilled with energy manipulation, particularly handling light. In private, or among other casters, I bet she hadn’t flicked on a light switch with her hand in ten years. But scrying? As far as I knew, Ava had never scried at all.
Stefan? The proverbial grumpy old mage, Stefan owned a bar on the other side of the river, Richmond district, kept a small magical library in his apartment above the place, and would know where to look for scrying help—even if he didn’t know answers himself.
Marc and Skye? A married couple, also in Goose Hollow, they seemed a likely place to start. Skye worked from home, though that didn’t mean I could catch her there. As a wedding planner, she’d be busy this time of year. Maybe stop by in the evening for tea when both were home?
Not like we were close, yet the caster community was so small we helped each other out when we could. Even the likes of Stefan, who’d grumble and mutter and talk about the good old days for casters—as if there was such a thing—but still host meetings for Portland-area casters.
I tried Skye first. Had to leave a voicemail. A bit awkward. I kept it brief, ate more salad, then Stefan.
“What?” he barked into the phone in answer.
“Hi, Stefan. This is Cassia from—”
“You think I can’t see that? Think I don’t know how to use a phone? Gods, you kids. Someone’s past fifty and you assume color TV is a new invention for us.”
“Stefan, I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m just in town for a couple days and I need help.”
“What else is new? Who doesn’t?”
“Do you know anything about being able to interrupt someone else’s scry? To block a scry? Or even spy on it, or alter it?”
“Like planting images?” A bit of the edge left his voice as he sounded interested.
“Yes. Maybe. Among other things.”
“Someone scrying you?”
“No, I’ve been trying to and suspect I’m getting blocked, maybe fed false—or at least just recurring—scenes also.”
Stefan actually chuckled. “Girl … what the hell’d you get yourself into? Who were you meaning to spy on who got wise to you?”
“That’s a good question. I’m trying to find someone. Now I have reason to believe they know it and they’re deliberately stopping me from scrying. Ever heard of such a thing?”
“Oh, gods, Cassia. You need to let that dragon sleep—”
“This is important. I’m trying to help someone. I just want to understand what’s happening with the scry and hopefully stop it. Even if I can’t find them, at the very least I want to block them from touching my magic.”
“We wouldn’t want to get handsy with one another’s magic, would we? Listen, girl, I’m no great shakes when it comes to scrying. Can you use magic to interfere with, change, block, or repel other magic? Hell yeah. Every day of the week and twice at midnight. That’s why we ward ourselves and homes. Scrying? I don’t know… I’m on my way out the door. My coven and I are going out to the coast for the blue moon. Back on Sunday if you want to talk.”
“This is kind of urgent. I’m only in town myself today and tomorrow.”
“Well…” He sighed. “You know the place. I can’t tell you anything I wouldn’t need to look up first. If you want to come over tonight and poke around the library, be my guest. My daughter’s here. She’ll look after Boxer and Napoleon and all the rest while I’m gone. She can let you in.”
“Thank you for offering that. You have the best caster library in Portland.”
“Yeah, and it’s not a lending library so make notes or take a photo of pages. These books don’t leave here.”
“No, if I stop by I’ll put everything back just how it was.”
“See that you do. And if you want my advice, stop.”
“What?”
“If someone’s getting into your scries or trying to stop you from scrying, just stop, girl. Poking damn dragons…”
“Maybe I could talk to your daughter also. What’s her name?”
“Katelyn. But she’s not going to help. Mundane.”
“Oh, I see. And … she’s staying in your place?”
Stefan snorted. “That girl wouldn’t know a magic flair from a lens flair. She thinks I’m big into Dungeons and Dragons—all those ‘books and crap.’ Don’t worry about her.”
“Okay. I can find her at the bar later? Or ask for Katelyn?”
“Sure, you won’t need to go far. She’s at the mall now—or the gods know wherever it is she goes—but she’ll be helping herself to free happy hour all night downstairs, the spoiled little leech. You can’t miss her. She’ll be on a barstool flirting with my staff.”
“Thanks, Stefan. I’ll stop by later. Could you let her know I might be coming? Give her my name? And have a great time at the coast.”
“Yeah, yeah, it’s not about a ‘great time,’ girl. It’s about magic. Whole world’s about magic. Does anyone care? Does anyone even know? By gods, I’d like to wring their mundane necks sometimes, the way they carry on. The way they think they know everything. The way they’re glued to their phones and their screens and their pills and their tiny little lives as if those things mean something.”
“Uh-huh… Thanks again. I’ll say hi to Napoleon.”
Muttering, telling me he was late, Stefan hung up.
One research library and one call out to Skye. Something, at least.
I finished lunch and checked a couple more items off my list, then turned up the ringer on my phone in case Skye called back.
I felt gazes on me and glanced up to see Zar sitting cross-legged on the grass ten feet away. He was plucking it and nibbling the blades while he watched me anxiously.
Jed paced fretfully some distance behind him. Off to my left, along the low wall at the waterfront, Isaac and Andrew waited. Kage and Jason lay on the grass a few cherry blossom trees away, keeping some distance from each other as well as me. They were aloof to one another now around American mundanes. None of these trees were blooming—all green instead of pink this time of year.
A woman walked past with a golden retriever straining to sniff at Kage.
A jogger went past in the other direction. In this heat?
Meeting Zar’s eyes, I smiled and pulled off sunglasses.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I said. “Needing a little space doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with you all. Come on.”
Zar scrambled across the grass to me. The others followed. He sat beside me while Jed shared my tree to lean on from behind like a rearguard. Isaac stood in the tree’s shade. Andrew sat and also plucked grass. Kage and Jason ended up by my legs. Jason lay on his stomach again, elbows in the grass, which he twisted up and nibbled. Kage sat and—glancing around to make sure no mundanes were nearby who might make trouble in a fit of jealous rage—pulled off my hiking shoes.
“Déjà vu,” I said, leaning my head on Zar’s shoulder and watching Kage with my feet. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” Kage tugged off my socks to rub my feet.
“Not you. All of you. And you don’t need to worry so much about being close in a city like Portland, Kage. That’s more a small town issue. I… What I
had to do today … about the school… It didn’t end up being that bad after all. Not now, anyway. It’s easier to say goodbye to something you love when you have something you’re going to that you love even more.”
“Cassia…” Isaac knelt down. “Just because you’re putting your career on hold for us doesn’t mean you won’t still have one. You’re going through a lot right now. That will change.”
“I know. But it doesn’t matter.”
“This Moon matters.” Zar spoke in my ear.
“That’s right. A magical acquaintance of mine just reminded me of that. Tomorrow’s the blue moon. A very special Lunaenott. A day you should be with family and…”
“We are,” Isaac said quietly.
“Can sing for Moon when we’re home,” Kage said. “We’re set to go.”
I glanced to Isaac.
He nodded. “Gabriel and I were able to arrange our tickets. Sunday morning. It’s a … very early flight. But we all got on one.”
“Wonderful,” I hesitated. “How early?”
“Six.”
“You mean … the flight’s at six? Or we have to be at the airport at six?”
“The flight is at six.”
“I see. Well. That means we have to be at the airport … at four in the morning since it’s international.”
“Blue Moon night means we’d be up all night at home anyway,” Kage said.
“Cass? We wondered, is there a park where we could see Moon tomorrow night? Then we could get a few hours’ sleep before we have to go.”
“Sure, Zar. There are great parks on this side of the river. I’m really close to one. We’ll go to Marquam.”
But what could they do? They couldn’t change there. Couldn’t sing unless it was in skin. They didn’t have the rituals that would surely be happening at home with their silver. Diana probably led the pack in some sort of ceremony like a priest.
The last full moon I’d spent with them was in a castle in Germany. At least this wasn’t that bad. Still…
Moonlight Lovers: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance (The Witch and the Wolf Pack Book 7) Page 2