Chapter 11

An hour later,I had managed to lift the pencil about four inches in the air. Grams called a halt to the lesson when she saw that I was literally sweating.

"That's enough for now. Think of this as a magical gymnasium. We'll get those muscles into shape, but it's going to take time. I want you to take a five-count deep breath, hold as you count to five, then breathe out to a count of five."

I did as she asked, realizing I was a little dizzy from the work. Learning to work magic was so connected to our blood right as witches that we couldn't explain it to anybody else. It was like trying to explain how to see colors to a person who had never seen colors, or explaining how to explain how to smell to someone who had never smelled anything in their life. If the power wasn't there, it was impossible to describe how to use it.

I stood and stretched, catching myself as the room began to spin. After a moment, the vertigo stopped. "Whoa…I feel like I've been through the wringer."

"That's not surprising. While you have the power, you have never had to practice the discipline." She opened the slow cooker and stirred the stew. "About three hours and this will be perfect. Meanwhile, it looks like the rain's taking a break. Why don't you go out and catch a breath of fresh air?"

Eager to take a break, I slid on my vest and headed for the door. "I think I will." I left the door open, but the screen door closed, and clattered down the front porch steps. All around were the signs of the storm. The wind had left boughs scattered across the driveway, little potholes were filled with muddy water, the sound of raindrops echoed as they fell off the leaves and needles to the ground, and birds sang their evensong, their chirping ricocheted through the empty driveway. And everywhere, I caught scent of the pungent smell of petrichor, that earthy, tangy scent of rain activating the bacteria in the soil.

All the sounds and smells added up to home, and for the first time in a long while, I felt the connection between the land and me take hold. I'd felt connected before, but the lesson with Grams must have opened up a new avenue, because the energetic roots from my feet plunged deep into the ground, anchoring me into this space, this time. This land was my heart-spot, my haven. I sat down on the edge of one of the flower garden walls. It was wet but there weren't any puddles on the brick.

Reaching out, I felt for the lines of the protective grid rising from the ground, arcing over my land to plunge deep once again. There were places where those lines had been severed and I found myself weaving them new again, understanding exactly how to fix them. I wove the energy thick, like a silver plait, and reconnected broken threads, filling in the spaces in the lattice that had been severed.

Grams approached from behind—I could feel her there. Her aura filled the space between us like a bright beacon. "You're doing a good job," she said, her voice soft.

"Am I missing anything?" I asked, keeping my attention focused on the spell.

"Not that I can see. You might strengthen the cord you just created, though. It's a little thin."

I quietly spun out more magic, sending it into the thread, fattening it up. It plumped like an éclair, being filled with crème patissiére. Another moment and the thread felt secure. As I kept going, Grams placed her hands on my shoulders, infusing me with her own energy and the entire grid lit up, a sparkling dome that reached over my land. Where it hit the ground, it plunged deep below, digging deep and coming together to form the opposite half of the sphere. There was a moment where everything froze. I caught my breath, waiting, and then, the edges of the latticed sphere came together and sealed. I had woven the wards, repaired the grid, and it was done.

I leaned back, breathing deep. "Thank you for your help."

"You did the work. You're stronger than you think. I'll teach you how to tap into those unrefined powers of yours and to hone them, so you can use them at will." With a kiss on my head, she turned back to the house. "The lessons will be hard at first, given they're not what you're used to doing, but they'll grow easier. Now, hurry inside. The rain's going to start up again. I can feel it."

* * *

While the stewcooked in the slow cooker, I settled down on the sofa with my phone. I had yet to book a sanitizing company and that seemed to be the next logical step. I wasn't sure what to look for, though. Finally, I called Daisy. She answered on the first ring.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to ask you something. Given they pissed on my floor, who should I call to clean it up? You know, like a biohazard team, or something. I figured you would know since you deal with murders and stabbings and other sorts of crimes where there's hazardous material like blood and…" I stopped, not wanting to bring up the idea of brains or other flesh.

"Oh, yeah. Try Fresh Clean. They also clean up after fires and floods, so they can deal with mold and smoke damage as well. Hold on…" A moment later she gave me their number.

"Thanks. Bran boarded up the windows, and I have an appointment with the security company. They're going to run the lines below ground for me. They'll be out on Sunday. By the way, Grams and I will be gone on Saturday. Bran's going with me to the wake. Fancypants and the kittens will stay with May, just in case. But can you have a patrol stop by a couple times during the day to check? I'll be back late."

"What wake?" Daisy sounded alarmed.

"My cousin in Port Townsend died the other day. He overdosed." Once again, I felt the numbness descend. "I have to be the Bell Ringer so I need to be there throughout the day."

"I'm so sorry," Daisy said. "I didn't know. Are you going to be all right?"

"Yeah." I sighed. "I will. It's just…I'm ready for things to quiet down. With all that's gone on the past 15 months, I'm just overwhelmed. And knowing somebody's targeting me doesn't help." The doorbell interrupted me. "Hold on, would you?"

I answered the door, my phone still in hand. It was a man, with a van out front that had a sign painted across the side that read, "Stillson Delivery."

He glanced at his tablet. "Morgance MacPherson?"

"No, but can I sign for her?"

"Sure." He held out his tablet and a stylus and I scribbled my name across it. Then, he handed me a box about the size of a notebook. It had a red ribbon around it, tied in a fancy bow.

"Thank you," I accepted the box. He turned away before I could fumble for a tip, and darted down the steps. Frowning, I carried the box over to the coffee table and sat down. "Sorry," I said to Daisy. "Grams just got a delivery. Looks like fancy candy," I added staring at the address. It was from some chocolatier.

"Sounds good," Daisy said. "I'll see you later."

I pocketed my phone. Deciding I wanted another breath of fresh air, I pushed out the door, leaving the screen door closed. As I walked over to the porch swing, I heard a squeak and turned around. Fancypants was holding the screen door open as he watched me.

"Close that door! The kittens could get out!" I ran toward the door.

Fancypants gasped, letting the door swing shut, but as he did so, I caught a glimpse of two fuzzy butts running toward the herb garden.

"Oh no!" I raced breakneck down the stairs, towards the kittens. "Gem! Silver!"

"Oh dear!" Behind me, Fancypants struggled with the door again. He managed to get it open and came flying out like a drunken harpy, heading unsteadily toward the garden. He zoomed past me—dragonettes could fly faster than humanoids could run—and under his breath he was muttering "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!"

"Oh dear, is right! You'd better get them back!" I was pissed. There were eagles, hawks, dogs, coyotes, raccoons—all sorts of predators out here who would just love a juicy little kitten for a snack. "Damn it, I told you to be careful!"

Fancypants darted ahead, his wings catching the breeze as he rode the currents. He landed in front of Silver, who stopped short, as though he suddenly realized he didn't know where he was. Fancypants pounced on him, holding him down, though he couldn't pick up the kitten with his tiny arms. He held him fast to the ground as I ran over and scooped up the kitten.

"Here, let me take him. You go after Gem," Grams said, catching up to us.

Without a word, I handed Silver to her and then scanned the yard. "Where is she? Where did she go?"

With Gem's coloring, she could hide just about anywhere. Silver stuck out, but Gem blended into the grass and bushes. Even though it wasn't summer, her coat blended in with the colorful leaves on the ground.

"I'm looking," Fancypants said, and I caught the fear in his voice.

"Gem! Gem! Where are you, baby?" I tried to calm myself down. I didn't want to scare her with my own fear, but truth was, I was terrified. In the short time they'd come to live with me, I'd fallen in love with the kittens, and now I couldn't bear to think of her outside, alone, so young and vulnerable.

We hunted through the yard, stopping now and then to listen. A few moments later, Grams returned, a box of their dry food in hand. She shook it, then waited. "I put a bowl on the porch, so that if she smells it she might make her way back there," Grams said.

At that moment, a flash overhead lit up the sky, white hot. Not five seconds later and a low rumble filled the air and the clouds broke open, sending a sheet of rain down to soak us to the skin. My stomach in knots, I struggled, trying to calm myself enough to see if I could sense her, but my panic was overriding just about everything else.

"I'm calling Bran," I said. We need all hands on deck."

Grams nodded. "Good idea. I'm going to get our rain jackets. I'll be right back." She spoke with a quiet certainty, and that alone helped me breathe through the fear.

Fancypants was darting around in the rain, beside himself. "I'm so sorry, Elphyra. I'm so sorry?—"

I tried to soothe my temper, although I wanted to read him the riot act. But I knew that wouldn't help. He was young and—like all youngsters—he could be thoughtless without realizing what he was doing. He hadn't intended to screw up, but the fact was, Gem was now out here, probably scared out of her fuzzy little wits, and it was his fault.

"Just keep looking," I said, biting my tongue. I pulled out my phone and called Bran. "Hey," I said the moment he came on the line, "I need you now. Gem and Silver got out. We caught Silver but we're having trouble finding Gem. I can't leave her out here—she's?—"

Before I could finish my sentence, he cut me off.

"I'm on my way," was all he said.

I tucked my phone back in my pocket and went back to looking. "Gem? Baby? Gemmy? Honey?" I knelt down, touching the earth. "Help me," I whispered. "Help me find her."

The soil beneath my fingers responded. There must be an elemental nearby. I waited and then, a vision took form in my mind. I could see Gem sitting beneath a fir tree that towered into the sky. It was in the midst of a thicket, so she must have ran into the trees, out of the main yard. But that was all I could see.

I scanned the treeline. "She's in the woods somewhere."

"I'm on my way," Fancypants said, subdued.

I texted Bran to tell him that I was headed toward the treeline. He texted back that he was pulling into the driveway now. A few moments later, his truck rounded the curve and he cautiously parked in the parking lot for my shop, loping over, his long wheat colored hair loose against the windbreaker he was wearing. He stopped short as he neared me, pulling a hair tie out of his pocket to gather his hair back in a long ponytail.

I ran to him, tears on my cheeks. "I don't want to lose her—I'd never forgive myself."

"We'll find her," he whispered, kissing the top of my head.

"She's just a baby?—"

"Ssh…We'll find her. Now, I want you to take these." He handed me a pair of silver divining rods. "Hold them like so," he said, showing me how to hold them. "Don't grip them too tightly. Then think of Gem and let them do their thing."

I had never worked with divining rods before. I took them—surprised they were so lightweight—and held them out as he had demonstrated. They were like long "L" shaped rods, and I held them by the bend, with the long and narrow part pointing away from me.

At first, the rods did nothing, then they began to quiver in my hands, moving ever so slightly. They suddenly both turned slightly to the left, pointing straight like a birddog.

"What's that mean?" I asked.

"Follow their direction. If they start to turn, stop and give them a moment to settle, then again, follow the direction in which they're leading us. Keep an image of Gem in your thoughts." He stepped away just far enough to keep his energy from interfering.

I inhaled deeply, then held my breath for the count of four before slowly exhaling, calming myself as much as I could. Sure enough, I felt pulled to walk in the direction they were pointing. I kept my pace steady and slow, making certain to focus on how the rods felt in my hand, and keeping thoughts of Gem forefront in my mind.

About twenty paces forward, the rods began to swing and I froze, waiting to see what direction they were headed. They swung to the right, hard and fast, then abruptly stopped. I turned to match the direction and began to walk again.

I continued this way until we were at the treeline. The rods moved again, to the right a little, which would lead us directly into a thick patch of ferns, vine maple, and brambles. At least I was wearing leather—my pants might take a beating from the thorns on the blackberry canes, but they would keep me from being too scratched up.

Bran right behind me, I reached out to push the thick canes aside. But I froze as a faint ‘mew' came from below.

"Gem? Is that you?" I kept my voice low, so as not to startle her if it was, and gently crouched down, getting on my hands and knees to peer into the foliage below the brambles. There, huddled against a rock behind the arching canes, was Gem. She was crouched in a little ball, looking terrified and miserable.

"Gem? Baby?" I held out one hand, balancing on my other.

Gem's gaze flickered to meet mine and she let out another mew, then leaned forward. The moment she sniffed my fingers, she began to wobble toward me and I scruffed her, pulling her to my chest as I leaned back, resting on my heels.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" I wanted to smother her with kisses, but instead—not wanting to overwhelm her—I tucked her down the neck of my sweater, nestling her against my breasts. Bran offered me a hand to help me get up and—holding Gem against my chest with my left hand, I used his support to push myself to my feet.

"Thank gods," I said. "Thank you, Bran—so much."

"Hey, I just provided the divining rods. You did all the work," he said, bending to scoop the rods off the ground.

Fancypants came flying up. "Is she okay?" His usual bright red coloring was pale coral and I realized that it was like blood draining from a person's face.

"I think so. We'll check her out when we get back to the house." Now that we had found her safe, I felt bad for my outburst. "Listen…I know you didn't mean to let them out—it could happen to anybody," I said.

"Thanks," Fancypants said, though he remained subdued. "I truly didn't mean to do that. I promise you, I'll be more careful in the future."

"I'm sure you will," I said. "Come on, let's get back inside." The rain was increasing and overhead, another bright flash—this one blue—illuminated the sky. The thunder came a lot faster. The storm was almost on top of us.

We hurried back to the house, where Grams was drying off Silver, who had managed to get himself wet, as well.

"He looks fine. I don't think there's any damage," she said. "Did you find?—"

I pulled Gem out of my sweater. "Yes, we found her, thanks to Bran and his divining rods. I want to get a set and practice with them."

Gem was soaked through, but we dried her off and I sat on the sofa, both cats tucked on my lap. Fancypants landed on the back of the sofa, giving me a hesitant look.

"Yes, you can pet them," I said.

He flew down to the seat and stretched out on my thighs, just above my knees, and began to stroke Silver with his hands, keeping his talons out of the way.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I never meant…" Pausing, he shook his head. "I really am sorry," he repeated.

"I know that, and I'm sure they know that. Just watch it in the future. In fact, maybe we should turn one of the windows into a door for you, with a sliding screen. Just make certain the screen's always closed except when you're using it. That way you won't have to keep looking down at the floor if you want to open and use the screen door."

Bran cleared his throat. "I can help there. That side window over there? The one that looks out over the herb garden? It wouldn't be any trouble to change out for one Fancy could open. I can help with that. I can even make a little screen foyer, so he can close the window before opening the outer section. That way if the cats jump up there with him, they won't be able to get out unless he opens the outer screen."

Grams brought in a tray with three mugs of hot cocoa and cookies, along with two bowls of gooshy food for the cats, and another plate with cat food for Fancypants. She set the cat food on the table, and handed Bran and me each a mug of cocoa and a dessert plate filled with cookies. Then, after serving herself, she curled up in the rocking chair.

"You're so helpful," I said, scooting forward so that Bran could slide in behind me. He scrunched in, then held out his right arm and I leaned into his embrace.

"I want to be," he said. "I like being useful." He gently kissed my cheek. "Feel better now?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I do. I'm exhausted from the past few days and this just drained me of whatever energy I had left. I'm not sure what to do next." I looked over at Grams. "What's on the agenda next?"

"Next, I plan on teaching you how to contact earth elementals. I know you can talk to them in a rudimentary form, but you're not nearly as clear as you could be. We can rectify that. But not tonight," Grams said. Her gaze flickered from the cats to me, and then she added, "All right, you two sit and talk for a bit. I feel the need for a nap. The stew is cooking on low, it should be ready around six-ish, so I'll set an alarm for two hours from now." She finished her cocoa, carried her mug and plate into the kitchen, then vanished toward her room.

Gem and Silver, now calm and with their bellies satiated, headed for the cat tree to cuddle together. Fancypants excused himself and he, too, curled up on the top bed of the cat tree and within minutes, all three were snoring.

I adjusted my position, glancing back at Bran. He felt warm against me, and he had saved the day with his divining rods. I was tired and still shaken, and all I wanted was some sense of stability, some suggestion of peace and joy.

I turned so that I was straddling his hips, and leaned down, resting my arms around his shoulders. I kissed him, toying with his lips, then I sank into his embrace, my tongue meeting his in a blaze of fire and passion.

I could feel him harden beneath me, and all I wanted was to feel him inside me. I wanted to feel that massive cock of his driving into me, driving me out of my thoughts.

"I want you," I whispered. "I want you in me."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

I nodded. "Take me into my bedroom, now. Fuck me, hard."

And so he lifted me up in his arms, and carried me into my bedroom, where we shut out the world.