by Viola Grace
Imara stared at him. “I need to study.”
He snorted. “You are already done with the paper courses for this term. One weekend will do you good. You need to make more ties in the community than other students and your instructors.”
“I have you and Bara.”
He snorted again. “I am dead, and she is a career student. She isn’t leaving here if she can help it.”
Kitty was watching them and turning her head between them. “You are really a spectre?”
He bowed. “I most definitely am. Thanks to Imara’s talents, I am solid and functioning within the confines of my territory.”
“That’s... amazing. What kind of spell does it?”
Imara looked at her. “Um, not a spell, just a benign energy output. I have an affinity for the dead.”
Mr. E was sitting next to Kitty, and she was petting him absently. There was obviously something going on in her head.
Imara sat on the edge of the couch. “What is it?”
“I have a deceased member of the family that I would love to speak to. I know it is horrible to ask you to come for a fun visit and then ask a favour, but I haven’t met someone who might be able to manage it before.” Kitty looked down at Mr. E.
With a heavy sigh, she asked, “When do we leave?”
Kitty lifted her head and stared. “You will come?”
“Yes, I will. You will have to drive, but I will come. Is Mr. E going to be okay to come along?”
Mr. E hissed. Where you go, I go. It’s in my job description.
Kitty nodded. “Of course. He will be welcome. Does he need any special food?”
Imara chuckled. “He does like pasta, and you have seen him eat dessert.”
Kitty laughed. “I will tell my family to lay in a little extra.”
“Good. Send me the location details, so I can let my boyfriend know. He worries if I am left to my own devices for too long.”
Kitty grabbed her phone, and Imara’s chimed a moment later. When Imara checked the screen, a text gave her the address, the location, and the GPS coordinates.
“That was thorough.”
Kitty smiled. “Just in case you want to forward it to anyone. Better to discard some information than to not have it in the first place.”
Kitty took one of her spheres off her necklace, and she dangled it in front of Mr. E.
“That isn’t a good idea.” Just as she finished the warning, Mr. E had batted the small orb out of her fingers and was chasing it around the carpet in front of the couch.
The kitten had once again won over the familiar, and it was a great thing to watch for an hour or so.
When Kitty was getting ready to leave, Imara asked, “So, what do I need to bring?”
“Yourself and clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty. Farms are farms, and the best places to hang out and be quiet involve a little hike through woods and streams.”
Imara nodded, and when Kitty was gone, she turned to Reegar. “I don’t hike.”
He laughed, dissipated, and she was left trying to find her familiar under the couch. A mage’s work was never done.
Chapter Six
Imara held Mr. E on her lap as Kitty pulled her truck down a drive and the white fences that contained green meadows and distant large animals were on either side of the truck.
The kitten hopped up on his hind legs and looked out the truck window with his tail lashing.
Can I chase them?
Imara chuckled. “No. Stick to rodents and birds. If this weekend goes well, we might want to ask to come back.”
His tail lashed. Best behaviour then. Got it.
Kitty grinned. “He dreams of chasing sheep?”
“I think he dreams of chasing elephants. His dreams are big.”
Kitty nodded, and they spent the next few minutes drawing closer to the main farm.
“This place is huge.” Imara was amazed.
“It needs to be. Cows are big, and sheep love to run.”
The main house loomed up in front of them, and the cheerful white was dotted with a series of gleaming orbs.
“Oh, right. Family talent.”
“Yeah, we can always tell where one of us is.”
“Do you have a large family?”
“Our branch? No. but there are Deegles around the country.” Kitty’s rings flashed as she curved the truck in a slow arc and they stopped twenty feet from the main house. “We’re here. Welcome to my home.”
They exited her truck, and Mr. E was quivering with the urge to explore.
Imara whispered, “Be careful and keep our link open. Call me if you need help.”
It was all he needed to know. The kitten streaked across the property and headed for the meadow that Kitty had identified as belonging to the sheep.
Imara sighed. “I hope he is on good behaviour.”
Kitty chuckled and got their bags, holding Imara’s out to her. “He will be fine. Cats are on the farm all the time. They live in the barn.”
“He isn’t actually a cat, though, and he hasn’t had any large prey to chase for a while.”
Kitty paused. “How big?”
Imara sighed. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Is he dangerous?”
“Only if I am threatened, otherwise, he is a pussycat.”
“Good. He will be fine here then. There isn’t anything to harm him or you at the farm. Well, unless you try and milk the bull. Then, you get what you deserve.” Kitty laughed.
Imara winced. “I will try not to milk anything while I am here. I think it is just a safer practice.”
Kitty grinned and led the way to the big house. A black flash streaked across the green in the distance, and Imara’s mind was filled with giggles. At least he was already having a good time.
The door to the main house opened, and a man approached them, wiping his hands on a dishtowel and sporting a smear of flour on his cheek. “You made excellent time.”
Kitty hugged him. “Nice to see you, too, Dad. This is Imara Mirrin. Imara, this is my dad, Andrew Deegle.”
Imara stepped forward and extended her hand. The handshake was warm and firm, Andrew’s callouses were heavy enough to hurt, but he watched his grip.
She smiled. “I am pleased to meet you, Mr. Deegle.”
“Andy, please. I am delighted to meet you as well. Kitigan doesn’t make many friends.”
Kitty wiggled her fingers with their multitude of rings. “I’m too sparkly.”
Imara laughed. “I think it is your propensity to tell folks you can see the future. It either repulses or intrigues.”
Andy asked, “What did it do for you?”
“It made me relax. I hadn’t met anyone else with a properly weird talent until she showed up.” She chuckled. “Kitty keeps it interesting without having to discuss her talent all the time, once she knew I wasn’t going to pester her for a reading.”
Andy looked at her. “You have really never wanted to see your future?”
Imara shrugged. “Nope. My past is past, and my future will decide itself. No sense rushing the identification of trauma or joy.”
“That is a very mature attitude.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Not really. I just hate most surprises and knowing that they were coming would make the anticipation worse.”
“No worries around here. The worst thing to anticipate is a stray sheep.” He inclined his head. “Consider yourself at home.”
Kitty shifted from foot to foot. “Can I show her to the guestroom?”
Andy shook his head. “Given that she has a familiar, I have pulled out our newest acquisition.”
There was an ear-shattering squeal from Kitty, she grabbed Imara’s hand and hauled her around the far side of the house where a micro house was perched with connections to water and power.
“It was on order when I started the term. It is even cuter than I imagined.”
“It’s a tiny house.”
“That it is. Come on.
I have been dying to see inside.” Kitty opened the door, and Imara followed her into the building.
The space was well organized. A small desk against the wall had a padded stool tucked under it, the bed was in a loft, and the kitchen had regular-sized appliances.
“This place is nice. Is that a quilt?” Imara climbed the ladder to check the bed. She tucked her bag next to the mattress and ran a hand over the patchwork fabric. “It’s lovely.”
“My mother made it. She makes and sells stuff on the internet, and this is one of her crafts.” Kitty stood on the ladder and looked over the object that Imara was stroking.
“It’s amazing. I have seen this kinda thing online, but never up close.” The geometric patterns wove one piece into the other, and the stitching that held them together added texture and strength. A symphony in blue and purple, and she got to sleep under it that night.
Imara looked to Kitty, “Will they mind Mr. E up here?”
“Of course not. That is one reason they offered you privacy. Mages with familiars are more sensitive to strange environments. This one is all yours while you are here, but you can still eat with us in the main house.”
Imara smiled. “Can I see the rest of the property?”
“Sure. Did you want to ride horses? It will make it easier.”
Excitement stirred. “I haven’t ridden a horse before.”
“This is an excellent time to start. The horses won’t tell a soul if you are a little stiff.”
Imara approached the ladder, and when Kitty moved back, she climbed down to the main floor. “Lead the way. My humiliation awaits.”
“I won’t tell if you don’t tell my parents that I tried to make lightning using my own energy. In hindsight, it was a very stupid move.”
“You are not wrong.”
Imara grinned as Kitty huffed and led the way out of the tiny structure and across the yard toward the large barn.
“So, you ride horses a lot?”
“Sure. There is no better way to get around this kind of terrain. They can fuel themselves if they need it.”
Imara couldn’t argue. The scent of hay and animals came to her on the wind as they reached the barn.
“I will go in and see who needs exercise. You can wait out here if you like.”
“No, I would like to see how this is done. I imagine it is different in reality than it is on television.”
Kitty shrugged and hauled the door open. “Not really. Sure, there are a few more bits to attach to the horses, but the key is to make everything comfortable and secure for horse and rider.”
They walked into the dim interior, and Kitty headed for a shed in the rear of the building. Imara followed, passing stalls where curious heads poked over their doors, giving her a long look. Imara inclined her head formally and kept following the other human in the building.
“So, how do you tell who needs exercise?”
Kitty grinned. “We don’t ask them if that is what you are getting at. We check the schedule. Every time we take a horse out, we make a note of the date and duration, as well as anything awkward on the ride. It helps the vets as well. We can track an illness in the animals if we have to, back to the day it happened. Sometimes, it is even naturally occurring plants that cause an issue.”
“Oh.”
Kitty blushed. “Sorry. I am just excited to have a visitor with me. You wouldn’t believe some of the views we are going to ride through.”
“Gotcha. I get the same way talking about the dead. It is exciting but only from a certain angle.” Imara grinned. “Ignore me. I am eager to learn how to do this.”
“In that case, let me pick a good mount for you, and then, you can carry the tack to the stall.”
“Yes, ma’am. I am throwing myself on your mercy.”
“Good plan. I have your comfort for the rest of the day at my discretion.” She checked a clipboard on the wall and looked down the line of stalls. “I think that Bright Bell is a good choice for you. He is friendly and good-natured, as well as an excellent trail horse. He can find his way home on his own. All you need to do is hang on.”
“Great. That’s encouraging.”
“It should be. Some of these ladies or gentlemen would dump you in a ravine and run off giggling or the horsy equivalent.”
That was a warning as much as encouragement. Kitty picked her own mount and then, they were into the tack room to get the leather straps and saddles that would hold them in place.
Imara watched the process in amazement as Kitty tucked, buckled, strapped, and tugged at the leather until their horses were standing and ready for them.
The instructions of how to lead Bright Bell out and into the yard were a blur as Imara focused on the huge creature that she was holding by a flimsy strap. It seemed friendly enough and nudged her lightly.
“He likes you. That’s a good thing.”
“Oh. Good.”
“Are you ready to get on?”
Imara inhaled and exhaled slowly. “Yup.”
“Good. Gather the reins in your left hand, keep them firm but loose, so they don’t pull his head. Left foot into the stirrup, hand on the pommel, and haul yourself up while bringing your right leg over. He is a patient horse, so take your time. He can hold you.”
Imara looked at the satiny grey hide and the calm brown eyes. She nodded, arranged the reins, and used all of her yoga practice to get her foot high enough to reach the stirrup. The grip on the saddle and heaving herself upward was done in a controlled rush. A few seconds later, she was blinking in surprise at her new point of view. She stroked Bright Bell’s neck and whispered, “Thanks.”
He shifted slightly, and she let her hips move with him. She was going to be sore tomorrow, but this was another experience to add to her collection.
Kitty got up onto her mount gracefully, and she turned the chestnut horse and walked back to Imara. “Slip your right foot into the stirrup, if he increases his pace, use the stirrups to get your butt off the saddle or be jolted into bits, but otherwise, let me guide and he will follow. You just have to look at the scenery.”
Imara remained calm while her ride started moving. She hoped that Mr. E was having fun in the fields. She was on her own little journey of exhilaration; she just didn’t have another life waiting if something went wrong.
Chapter Seven
The view was amazing. No matter which way she turned, Imara saw beauty and life.
Kitty rode ahead of her, and her ease in the saddle was apparent. Aside from envy, Imara had a few things she needed to ask, so she steeled herself and made her move. It took a bit of goading, but Imara got Bright Bell to draw even with Kitty’s mount.
“So, Kitty, who did you need me to work with?”
Kitty looked confused. “What?”
“The spectre.”
“Oh. It’s a long story, but the end of it is my grandfather.”
“I need a bit more information, please.”
Kitty sighed. “Twenty years ago, my grandfather passed, and my grandmother didn’t take it well. She was an orb seer, just like my father and me, so she began to stare into the future. She took the master orb that my dad had made and poured her energy into it. In that orb, she saw my grandfather holding her hand once again. Ever since, she spends her days looking five minutes into the future, looking for him.”
“Oh damn.”
“Right, so you see the problem.”
“Did you put your grandfather to rest as a mage?”
“We did. I mean, I was a child, but my mother says that his gravesite is properly cared for.”
Imara sighed. “I will have to talk to your parents about his effects. I can use one of the retaining stones and his link to your grandmother to bring him out, but only if the connection is strong on all counts.”
Kitty looked hopeful. “You actually think you can do it?”
“If the proper rituals were engaged in when he passed, yes. It is easy.” Imara had a thought. “You were right about the Mage Guid
es. They are eager to have me volunteer by taking a tour through a cemetery in order to talk to some spectres.”
Kitty smirked. “Thought so. It is a neglected area of mage-craft just because we can’t get anyone to show us around. It is always depicted as creepy, just because it is unknown.”
Bright Bell stiffened under her, and Imara looked around to see what had gotten his attention.
“Damn. Dad said they had moved in, but I was hoping that they weren’t this far to the edge of their territory yet.” Kitty’s mood shifted suddenly as she stared at the brush in the valley below.
“Is something here?”
“A new werewolf pack split and left their elders and are now running around on the fifty acres to the west of our property line.” She grimaced. “It is nowhere near enough space for them, but it is what was available.”
Imara stared at the edge of the treeline, and within it, she could see the flicker of shadows and flash of silver fur. “Don’t those trees abut your property line?”
“The first row on our side is the windbreak.”
The horses shifted restlessly. Kitty got her mount under control, but Imara had to focus as Bright Bell got nervous. “Easy, dude.”
“We had better turn back.”
Kitty had no sooner mentioned it than a howl broke free of the woods and a rush of dark fur came toward them.
Bright Bell reared and tossed his head before turning and bolting toward the barn. Imara’s grip on the saddle kept her in place during the jarring sprint, but a glance back showed that the wolves were waiting on the ridge, defending what they considered to be their territory. This required investigation as soon as she got her butt of the leather that was being pounded into it.
Kitty and her mount beat them to the barn, and she held Bright Bell while Imara slithered off with the grace of a bag of pudding.
“You go and grab a hot shower. I will take care of the horses.”
She nodded and headed for the tiny house with the intent of contacting Argus. If anyone knew what was going on and what could be done about werewolves encroaching on territories, it would be another shifter.
When she dragged herself out of the shower, wrapped in a towel, the flashing light on her phone told her that Argus was up.
