Everyone in the living room was talking at once. I skirted the mayhem until I found Joe, who was standing on the front porch. A fire engine had blasted its way up the street to stop next door. After a few minutes, we headed down to the sidewalk to meet a fireman walking our way. He told us that although they were checking for hot spots, it looked like the strike had just split the tree and toppled it. There didn’t seem to be any flames.
After he headed back to the lot, I snuggled against Joe, the rain dousing us, plastering our hair and clothes close to our bodies.
“Brigit doesn’t need her grave anymore. She and Brent are together. The cycle is over and they’re off on whatever adventure awaits them next. Do you mind if we uproot that yew once and for all?”
“It seems as though the lightning had the same idea,” he said, sliding his arm around my shoulders. “You know, don’t you, that I’ll love you forever? That if anything ever happens to me, I’ll come back with Nanna and watch over you and the kids.”
And right then, I realized—on a gut level—that we were both in this for good. That Joe was the only person I could imagine spending my life with. Life would never be the same, and I welcomed the change. Come ghosts and goblins, harvests filled with old bones, Joe and I would see the adventures through together, days by day, year by year, side by side.
And when the time came, maybe we’d be lucky enough to walk through the veil together. But that day was a long way off, and right now, I felt like celebrating. I looked at my ring and broke into a stupid grin.
“Let’s go inside. It’s my birthday, and our friends and family are waiting. I want cake and ice cream and lots of espresso and I want to show off this gorgeous hunk of rock!”
Joe laughed. “You caffeine freak, you. Come on, Ms. O’Brien. Your party awaits.”
We had a lot to celebrate. Samantha was safe, Brigit and Brent were at peace, and I was going to marry the man of my dreams. I took his hand as we walked up the sidewalk to the house.
“Come on Files,” I said. “Let’s go home.”
And we did.
Charm to Call a Lost Pet Home
When a valued family pet disappears, many people don’t understand that it’s one of the most traumatic experiences that you can undergo. But there are many things you can do on a practical level, and I recommend all of them in addition to this magical charm—remember, if you don’t do the work on the mundane, the magic won’t help.
Make color fliers of your pet and post them all over the neighborhood for several blocks.
Give fliers to veterinarians in your area just in case someone brings in your cat or dog—vets do pay attention to these.
Offer a reward, but don’t specify how much in the flier. There are people who will try to take advantage of grieving owners.
Check the local animal shelters to see if your pet is there. Don’t rely on a phone call. Check every day that they’re open.
You might also want to call your city’s street department to ask if they found any animals on the side of the road—a gruesome thought, but it can at least put to rest some disappearances. Closure is always better than wondering what happened.
Rent or borrow a humane trap from your local ASPCA or local pet rescue organization and learn how to use it. It may seem heartless to try and trap your own cat, but it does work for a lot of people, and it won’t hurt them.
If you use perfume, spray it around your yard in a trail leading up to your door. This will be a familiar scent for them to follow.
Engage the neighborhood kids in trying to find your pet. Children are notoriously good at searching out lost animals and understand your worry more than some adults might.
Search every hidey-hole, no matter how small. Cats are experts at sneaking into tight places.
Remember: Your pet may be so scared that he or she won’t come when you call. Be patient: Sit out in your yard and talk to them as if they were there next to you. Use gentle tones.
Visit the ASPCA’s Web site online for more tips and hints (www.aspca.org).
And lastly: Don’t give up. Two of our indoor-only girls were missing last summer and I fell apart—totally went to pieces. They got out accidentally and Samwise and I were worried sick. Two days later, Luna showed up in the backyard, dazed and hungry. But for a while, it felt like Meerclar had been swallowed up by the faeries—she showed up at the door a couple of times but when I ran to let her in, she vanished back into the night. Two weeks later, our neighbor caught her and brought her home to us. I am forever grateful for his kindness.
For the charm, you will need:
A picture of your pet
A statue or figurine of a cat or dog (match it to your pet’s species)
A can of cat or dog food
Six quartz crystal spikes—small or large, but approximately the same size as one another
1 oz. catnip (for both cat and dog)
A piece of blank paper and a red ink pen
A brown or green pouch with a red ribbon
On the piece of paper, write your pet’s name in firm, bold letters across the top. Beneath this, print your name, address, and the words:
Return you home now, safe from harm,
By the workings of this charm,
Hear my call, come home this day,
Safe the passage, safe the way.
My love protects you while you roam,
And keeps you safe for your trip home.
Fold the paper and hold it, concentrating on your pet. Visualize your pet walking through the yard, up to the door, and into the house. Send this energy out to your pet, then place the paper in the pouch and add the catnip. Tie the ribbon firmly and place the pouch on top of your pet’s picture.
Set the can of food next to the picture, along with the statue, then circle everything with the quartz, pointy ends facing out (like sunbeams). Each day your pet is gone, come to this altar and visualize it coming home, while you repeat the charm.
Hold hope in your heart, and do everything you can on a practical level to find your friend. I wish you well with this—it helped our girls find their way home, I’m positive of it.
Bright Blessings, the Painted Panther Yasmine Galenorn
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
A HARVEST OF BONES
A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author
PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / December 2005
Copyright © 2005 by Yasmine Galenorn.
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Acknowledgements
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Charm to Call a Lost Pet Home
Yasmine Galenorn - Chintz 'n' China 04 Page 25