Chapter 19

I stared into the mirror in the bathroom attached to my borrowed bedroom and pushed my glasses up my nose. I hadn’t grabbed makeup. Did I need makeup? Why was I so nervous?

Well, okay, Katsuro was an extremely powerful supernatural being, and I hadn’t even known vampires existed until just recently, so I had a pretty valid reason for being nervous. That wasn’t it, though. My stomach fluttered and I cursed myself for a fool.

Pulling off my glasses, I put them on the counter and turned on the water. I splashed the cool liquid on my face. Damn it, he could smell emotions, right? I was so out-classed. I should just get over it and turn myself in. There was no way I could run forever from the supernatural.

As if sensing my distress, Nimbus pressed against my leg and rooed softly. I reached down to pet him, and barely had to bend to scratch his head. Little dude wasn’t so little anymore. Kneeling, I buried my fingers in his soft fluff and pulled him close.

“Hey, buddy. It’s going to be okay, right?”

He grumbled softly and gave me a quick nose kiss.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

He dropped his jaw in a doggy grin before his ears perked and looked toward the door.

“Shit,” I muttered. “He’s here, isn’t he?”

Nimbus trotted over to the door then vanished.

“Fuck!” More startled than alarmed, I hurriedly opened the door. My fluffy dog waited on the other side, his curled plumage of a tail wagging back and forth over his back. That explained a few things. Why hadn’t anyone told me nimbuses could teleport? Was I the only one who knew?

It seemed like only a few days ago my puppy was just that, a puppy. Now he was taller, fluffier if that was possible, and teleporting. As much as I’d rather enjoy his puppyhood, the sooner he was old enough to defend himself completely, the better off we all were.

“I told you to come alone,” Bridger was saying to Katsuro.

When I walked into the entryway, the sexy vampire stood there looking just as amazing as ever. His longish black hair was pulled back like normal, and he wore a deep red button-down shirt that looked like silk, along with black slacks. I wanted to find out if his shirt was as silky as it looked. Shaking my head, I tried to banish those thoughts. Now was not the time. Would there ever be a time?

Next to him stood Clare, my boss, the awkward-looking woman who I liked so very much. She stared at me owlishly for a moment before grinning.

“Hannah, my dear, let’s get you fixed up.” She held up her arm, drawing attention to the basket looped over her forearm. She ignored Bridger, instead taking my arm and leading me into the complex like she’d been here before, which, from Bridger’s reaction, I was guessing she hadn’t.

“She showed up at the coffee shop and insisted she was coming along. Have you ever tried to tell that woman no?” Katsuro sounded a touch astounded.

I laughed as my boss led me out of earshot. Nimbus kept right at my side, bumping into me occasionally. I let my fingers trail in his soft fluff.

“So, the biggest problem right now is that you have no way to defend yourself against the supernatural. Therefore, we’re going to unlock your potential,” Clare said as she opened the door to the inner courtyard and led me outside. Bridger and Katsuro had caught up to us by this point, but she shut the door in their faces.

“My what now?”

“Your potential, dear.”

“Potential for what? Shit luck?”

Clare laughed. “Magic. Many people have the ancestry and genes necessary, but few have the right triggers early in life to unleash this power and therefore it is never realized. But you are lucky in that you know me. And more importantly, I know Anita. She’s very powerful, and she gave me exact instructions.”

I recalled the young black woman with the pink hair who wore a knitted gray shawl every time I saw her, regardless of what she wore for clothing.

“I hadn’t realized she was a magic user.”

“Yes. Her family is very wise in the old lore. She descends from hedge wizards who have kept their magic alive all the way back to prehistoric times. It’s quite rare to find a family with so much continuity. Especially with all the turmoil in the world. Part of their secret is their ability to commune with their ancestors. I believe they learned it from Asian mystics.” Clare carried on while she set a circle of candles on the ground and put a small brazier in the center with a tiny clay pot over it. “Now, the unlocking happens right away, but the unfolding and your discovery take time. I’ve brought a book for you to read that will help you understand what is going on inside of you as this develops, and once you’ve fully bloomed, Anita will train you. Until then, she suggests you work on instinct.”

“That sounds dangerous.”

“Less so than you might think. Your instincts are to protect yourself and those you love or care about. The magic will react appropriately. Your nimbus is also growing stronger by the day, and between the two of you, it will go well. Perhaps not always easily, but at least you’ll have the ability to protect yourself. Then you can come to your men as more of an equal, despite their burning desire to protect you.”

I laughed at that, startled. Then sobered. “Men?”

“Oh, honey, you are so fortunate. Four good men. Most of us are lucky if we find one.” She patted me on the arm. “Now, let’s begin.”

I wanted to question her further, but she’d moved on to the ritual.

“This is actually not terribly complicated. Sit in the circle cross-legged there.” She pointed, and I did as instructed.

Clare sprinkled a packet of herby-smelling leaves in the small clay pot, then took a long match, lit it, and touched the flame to the fuel in the brazier. Using the same match, she lit all the candles around me and stepped back.

“I’ll be right over here, dear,” Clare said. “When you’re ready, pour the water into the clay pot and drink the contents, leaves and all. Then stay calm and quiet until the door opens.”

“The water?” She hadn’t put any water in the circle, I was sure of it.

Clare grinned at me, her owlish eyes gleaming with mischief.

Nimbus rooed softly, then trotted back a short distance and lay down, his eyes fixed on me. I took a deep breath and glanced at the brazier. Sure enough, a clear glass full of water sat next to it. What the hell?

Steam rose from the clay pot, though I had no idea how that was possible. Hands trembling slightly, I picked up the glass. The light from the candles filtered through the impossibly clear container, seeming to pool in the water within until the glass appeared to contain liquid flame.

Getting the feeling that I shouldn’t wait too long, I carefully poured every drop into the clay pot, though on a normal day this might have caused the clay pot to crack. Still, I did what I was told.

The aroma from the pot intensified, curling into my nostrils and seeming to seep into my pores and flow through my veins. It was a scent I couldn’t even identify, though it contained hints of cinnamon, iron, earthy loam, and a smoky scent that reminded me of a touch of Bridger. It also carried the musk of my cloud puppy and a lighter, fruity scent. These scents shouldn’t combine so wonderfully, but to me, in that moment, it was the aroma of my life and the best thing I had ever smelled. I inhaled deeply and forgot my last fear that the clay pot would burn me when I picked it up off the brazier.

It was cool to the touch and the liquid within the exact perfect temperature. I drank the contents down and my consciousness seemed to follow it until I was focused on a spot deep inside myself, all other concerns forgotten.

For a time, I simply floated there, basking in the aroma of my life and the feeling of safety and contentment. Everything was dark, but I was not worried, simply happy to exist.

Moments or days might have passed in that dark bliss, but after some time, I gradually became aware of a new feature in the dark. I turned my awareness and beheld a door. It had a stone frame and solid wooden planks banded in iron. The handle was a simple iron loop, and the outline of a familiar-looking dog was burned onto the planks. I took the iron ring in my hand and, on impulse, said “Friend.”

The door creaked open easily when I pulled, and I stepped through.

“Have you considered what you are doing?”

A masculine voice startled me, and I whirled around, but the door was gone. In its place stood the most magnificent animal I’d ever seen. He was clearly a nimbus, but his markings were different from my nimbus. His overcoat was long and lustrous, a mix of white and the deep gray of a storm cloud. His tail was curled over his back, and it was long and heavily feathered. He regarded me with electric blue eyes. I desperately wanted to run my fingers through that feathery fluff but didn’t dare.

“Excuse me?”

“The ritual you are undertaking. Have you considered the consequences of unlocking the magic within you?” He padded forward until he was standing in front of me, then sat. The dog’s mouth moved when he spoke, though how he managed human words, I didn’t know. Magic, probably. When he sat, his head was level with my chest so that we looked at each other nearly eye to eye. My fingers again twitched with the need to bury them in his fluff.

He huffed laughter. “Go ahead, friend of the nimbuses. You may touch.”

“Thank you.” I indulged myself, trying to be respectful of his person, while also giving him a good scratching. He was grinning, and his magnificently plumed tail wagged.

“We do so enjoy humans,” he said once I’d finished, though I kept my hand on his shoulder and hoped he didn’t mind.

“I’m glad.”

“We are grateful you found the little storm cloud you call Nimbus. He was in dire need, and you more than rose to the occasion. We find you worthy and will aid you should you truly wish to unlock your potential. But be aware the path will not always be easy, and you will have to study hard to master the power you hold.”

“Will it help me keep him safe until he is in his full power?”

“Yes.” The adult nimbus leaned his head against my arm.

I could feel the power he contained, but also his playful and soft spirit. It was as if there was a spark of connection between us.

“Do you think I will regret it?”

He huffed playfully. “No, I do not. There will be times you wonder what you were thinking, but overall you will be content with the decision. Perhaps even happy with it. However, you have other paths. The men will protect you and Nimbus and keep you both safe if you submit to them. You have others in your life now that will keep you safe without submission, but the peril will be greater. You may choose to run, and that may also be an answer. Nimbus will protect you when he reaches his full storm. But this path gives you the greatest power. Power is not always the answer, however. You must choose to take on the responsibility with the power. Any road you take from this point will be the correct answer, but this is a branching and the branch you travel now will change your life completely, no matter which direction you take.”

I shivered, and he leaned into me. “There is only one option for me,” I said. “I must be able to protect the ones I love and care about, along with myself. I’ll willingly take help, but I don’t want to be helpless.”

The adult nimbus touched his nose gently to mine before stepping back. I reluctantly took my hand from his fluff.

“I am Twister,” he said with a regal bow of his head. “Nimbus is too young to be your guide on this journey, so I will aid you. I’m one who has gone on from the mortal world and no longer has a physical form. But I exist within the storm, and I choose to join your path if you will have me. I’ve already spoken with Nimbus, and he approves.”

“Twister, I’m honored. Thank you. I accept.”

Twister’s doggy grin widened. “Then go through the door and we will meet again soon.”

I turned to look where his attention directed me and beheld another door. This one seemed to be grown from an apple tree. The tree was in full fruit, and I touched one of the red-gold apples in awe. It came away into my hand and, unbidden, I took a bite.

The explosion of sweet, crisp, wonderful flavor gave me strength, and I touched the round knob on the door in its trunk.

It opened, and I stepped through.