Molly sat back down and opened her syllabus. I watched her take out her notebook. She began to write down a few of the new math problems. I looked away, shuffling over to the instructor's desk.
“Here’s the last assignment,” I gulped.
“You will not be able to miss any more classes. One more, absent will result in your expulsion from this class.
“I understand.”
“Good. Molly said, she’ll continue to help you. We have two more assignments plus one more test. You’ll need to get a B average to pass this class. Then, as I understand, you’ll be moving on. I don’t want to see you back here.”
“Yes, here,” I said, holding out my homework to her. Reaching out, she took it from me.
“Thank you, you can go sit down now.”
I took off my coat and hung it behind the chair, then sat down.
“Drill instructor,” Molly whispered under her breath.
I tried not to giggle. “Don’t make me laugh Mol. She’ll frown at me more. How’s it going?”
“I sort of feel left out of the clan stuff. Are you going to give Cal back her moped?”
“If she asks for it.”
“You're such a brat! Open your math book. We’ll go over the steps for the next set of problems.”
“Now you sound like Mrs. Price,” I countered.
“Maybe I will be someday. I don’t plan on being the math militia.”
I laughed, “Okay, let’s get this over with.”
“Are you ready to get out of here?” I asked. Molly crinkled her nose. Then twitched it several times.
“What are you doing? Your not Samantha on Bewitched,” I joked.
She slouched in her seat and gave a long sigh. Mrs. Price had dismissed class. Then left.
“Anything irritating you?”
“I’m ready for this semester to be over, aren’t you?” she asked. Then threw her pencils in her pouch and started to put away her books.
“If I could, I’d quit school like Buffy did. Although if I’m correct she did it so she could take care of Dawn.”
Molly rolled her eyes at me while she stuck out her tongue. I snickered at her absurdity.
“Come on. My mom will be here soon to pick us up.”
I stood to push the seat under the desk. Feeling chilly, I grabbed my coat off the back of the chair. “Do we have time to get coffee?”
“We could have it at my house. Why not invite Jenson,” she pressed.
“It sounds tempting. I don’t have anything planned tonight. Maybe you could help me with the last two math assignments?”
I finished putting on my winter gear. Then walked to the exit. Molly followed beside me.
“Sure, if that’s what you want to do. Wouldn’t you rather see Jenson? I could ask Maine to join us.”
Molly gripped the door handle, twisting her body back to look at me, then opened it. We strolled out into the hallway.
“Well, it’s better to get it completed, before I get in over my head with the demands I'll need to meet for training with Nayla. I’m sorry they’re not including you currently.”
“It’s Maine, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, vulnerability, rules, excuses. My new hidden life!” I threw up my arms. A deep sense of hurt built up in my chest. I pushed back my girly emotions. Then took a breath of air, and exhaled. “Sorry, I’m getting worked up again.”
We stopped to stand in the alcove to wait for Molly’s mom. “So what has been going on? How’d the training go with Cal?”
“She’s a bit shaky regarding her abilities. In spite of that, she’s able to unite with me. We started a fire in the hearth using our minds. That part went well.”
“And... What part didn’t?” she asked.
“Once we went into, a deep astral travel meditation. I should have pulled back the second I realized we were separated. Cal had never attempted it before. I wasn’t going to leave without her. Stumbling around the field, I called out to Nayla. Afterward Cal. Out of nowhere, this black wolf appeared!”
“I don’t know what it means. Cal saw it too! Nayla can't figure out how it entered our realm. Once I found Cal, Nayla came accusing us of not venturing further into the field. Soon after we went back to the Reflection room.”
“What did your dad say?”
“At first, I wasn't keen on discussing it with him. After I did, he suggested recon.”
“More research. Well, your mom does work at the library, do you think he’s discussed it with her?”
“Most likely, they seem to be understanding each other lately. Before class today my mother asked him to move back in. She also agreed to attend my next training session.”
“Those are big steps! Last I knew she didn't want anything to do with the clan or Hunters Park for that matter.”
“Exactly. Do you suppose your mom will ever let you borrow the car?”
“Probably, she had a meeting tonight at church,” Molly replied.
“Ah, Okay,” I answered.
A black blazer pulled into the parking lot. The headlights reflected off of the door where we stood.
“Ah, mom. We’d better get,” she said, pulling open the door.
“I should call mine on the way. See, if she doesn’t have any plans for us this evening.” Molly held the door for me. We left letting the door shut behind us.
“And you think that my parents are super strict,” Molly replied.
“Within reason,” I answered.
We shuffled our feet so we wouldn’t slip on the icy sidewalks. Then got into the mega car. Ha, mega car. Well, it’s how I viewed the blazer.
“What have you done to your room? It’s girly,” I commented, sitting on the pink bean bag. My math book spread out on my lap.
“I like pretty, things like Maine.” Molly gave a long sigh.
Shaking my head in defeat, I picked up a pillow sitting next to me. I tossed it over at her.
“Starla!” she exclaimed, catching it in mid-air. She threw it back at me.
“Molly!” I echoed her. The pillow hit me, then landed on the floor. “Thanks for helping me with this last assignment.”
“Are you getting it?”
“Yeah,” I said, picking up my pencil to start another problem. I crinkled my forehead. Then worked through the order of operation to come to a conclusion. I continued until I got to the last problem on the page.
“Can you help me with this?’ I asked.
“Sure,” Molly answered.
“I hate imaginary numbers! I’m so glad this is the last math class I’ll be taking,” I answered.
“How’s that?”
“I’m considering a degree in the arts. If not, maybe I could get paid to train the kits from my clan.”
“Oh, your mom would love that. Let’s finish this problem.”
“We should get Jenson and Owl over here for recon.”
She nodded, taking my pen, then showed me how to break down the equation to solve it more simply.
“I always forget I can’t combine real parts with imaginary parts when solving for a complex number. It’s like me. To the world, I would be part imaginary! Heck, I’m half fox,” I noted.
Molly smirked. “How’s lit class going? I know it’s one of your stronger suits.”
“I’m just finishing some reading. It’s a comprehension test so it should be fine.”
“That’s good. One class that isn’t turning your brain into mush. I’m glad Megan and I are good at math.”
“If not I’ll be working at Denny’s for life, or some other dive,” I said, then shrugged.
Molly got up to get her cell. She took it off the dresser and pulled up another pink beanie chair to join me.
“I have my phone. I’ll call Jenson.”
“Sure, and I’ll contact Maine. Set up our mid-date for Wednesday.”
“No church?” I asked.
“No church. Dad hasn’t been happy about my truancy. Oh, well,” she commented starting to dial.
/> Maine was making Molly brave. I pulled my phone out of my jean pocket, dialed, and waited for him to pick up.
Chapter 24
(Dan)
Rascal grabbed the books off the top shelf of the bookcase. He placed them in boxes on the floor.
“Thanks for your help. I know it was short notice. Tri out of the blue asked me to move back! I’m in awe of it!”
“Man, enjoy it. You have been waiting for this for a while.”
“I have, and it feels good to be getting out of this cramped one-bedroom apartment.”
Rascal finished packing up the box of books. I took my suitcase out of the closet. Then walked over to the dresser to pack up my clothing.
“You have any plans for dinner tonight?” he asked.
I paused, then pulled open the dresser drawers. I took out my socks, T-shirts, and other items, stuffing them into the suitcase.
“Tri wanted me to come over. I told her it would take me a while to get things in order here. I can pack, but I have to give notice to the landlord. If he doesn't let me out of my lease, I'll need to sublet the place. Otherwise, I’ll have to pay a fee.”
“That makes sense. Are you hungry? I thought we’d order a pizza or something,” Rascal suggested.
“Sounds good,” I answered, closing the suitcase. “Say, do you know anything about black wolves? Starla had a meeting with Nayla. She went on a vision quest or meditation? She said a black wolf appeared to her. It upset her. Tri and I were going to do a recon. Then this,” I said, spreading out my arms to indicate the fast track move.
“How much more do you have to pack?” asked Rascal.
“Not much. I plan on giving most of my dinnerware to Goodwill. It’s where I got it from.”
“OK, what about the living room.”
“I have a flat screen T.V. Do you want it?”
“No joke?”
“Heck, why not? Goodwill won’t take it,” I laughed.
“Thanks, man.”
“No problem. Now let’s get this finished, order pizza. Afterward, maybe research the black wolf,” I answered.
He picked up the boxes of books, placing them over near the door against the wall. I began to pile things up there. All that was left was my bed and empty dressers.
The smell of cheesy pizza with meat toppings filled my nose. Rascal insisted he’d pay after the offering him my fifty- inch T.V. Who needs two televisions? Neither Starla nor Megan needed one in their rooms. I wasn’t going to have an argument with Tri about the bedroom either.
Rascal opened up the pizza box. He took one piece out and started to eat.
“Let me get us some plates. What do you want to drink? Is soda OK?”
“Sure, any kind, but diet. That stuff will kill ya!”
I chuckled. “You’ve got that right.” I took two cans of Orange Crush out of the fridge. Then grabbed the plates off of the counter.
“So is this furniture yours?”
“Nah, it was here when I rented the place. I kept it in pretty good condition. I’ll get my deposit back, minus the carpet cleaners.”
I set down the soda’s and paper plates on the table. Then grabbed a slice of pizza from the box. Rascal opened his soda, taking a long drink. He set it down, wiping his hand on the napkin beside him.
“Black wolves, are not always a bad omen. It could mean many things. Do you know anything about it besides the color of the wolf?”
“No, I just thought you might know something since you’re from a tribe.”
“It could be a warning or a sign she’s on the right track with her training. Either way, I’d recommend being cautious for now.”
“Can you at least give me a general overview?” I asked grabbing another slice.
“No problem. The wolf is a pathfinder. He helps guide you when you’ve gone astray. Pushing you to discover what is making you unbalanced. He or she encourages you to trust your instincts and intuition. If the wolf came to her, it has to be for a reason. They usually don’t leave their pact even spirit wolves. It could be carrying a message.”
“So, what do we do?”
“Wait, it out. Let me talk to Owl about it. He and my boy were close if he knows anything, I’ll let you know. OK?”
“Thanks. There’s one more piece left. Do you want it?”
“Nah, Can I get another soda?”
“Sure, help yourself.”
“OK, then I’ll help you load your car,” he replied getting up.
“We can move the boxes and your suitcase into the living room for the time being. I’ll call Tri later. I hope to be home by Wednesday. Megan is extremely excited. It also might be best if Tri and I show up together for Starla’s next training session.”
“Nalya won’t allow you to take part, though,” he replied, shutting the refrigerator door. He leaned up against it sipping the drink.
“True. We’ll figure it out.” I pushed my seat back and stood stretching.
“What do you suppose your kids are up to?”
“Hopefully, Starla is doing her math homework. Megan is playing sudoku unless she’s found a new hobby.”
Rascal downed the rest of his soda. Then put his empty can on the counter. We began to tidy up a smidgen. Once we were done here, I’d plan on getting some shut eye. I wouldn’t be getting up til work called in the morning.
Chapter 25
(Starla)
“Owl and Jenson are on their way. How’s Maine?”
“Ah, working on art stuff. She’s an only child. When she asked what I was doing tonight, it left me feeling guilty. I told her you and I were hanging out. We needed best-friend time. It sounded crazy lame. What else could I say?”
“Not much,” I answered.
Molly took her laptop off of her desk, positioning it between us on an old coffee table.
“Do you want to get started?” she asked.
“Yeah, I told the guys we’d hack the info before they got here. Jenson was like I’m the computer king!” I rolled my eyes.
Molly pulled up the Google Search engine on the computer. At first, it was difficult locating useful websites. A lot of them were stories. None related to a visitation by a black wolf. We’d done research on spirit animals. The wolf, however, was not mine.
“I guess we should have paid better attention in Myth class. It was on that test we took a few weeks ago,” I blurted.
Molly shrugged, “Here, let me try. I’ll look up spirit-animal for a wolf. Let’s see what description comes up.”
Molly typed it in and up popped a link. She clicked on it and read. “Strong connections, loyalty, following your instincts, a need for freedom.”
“It doesn’t explain why it would show up out of nowhere.”
“Nope, let’s keep looking.”
The door to the room swung open. Jenson and Owl walked in.
“So you girls got started without us,” Owl commented.
“Yeah, we’re trying to figure why Starla, is encountering this black wolf,” answered Molly. She pushed the keyboard aside for a moment.
“Wait, was it in a vision, meditation, or astral travel?” asked Owl.
“Meditation mixed with astral travel. Nayla is teaching Cal and me, how to block out unwanted entities.”
“Uh huh,” said Owl, stepping over to where we sat. Jenson came over to me. I moved to make room for him on the bean bag.
“Miss me?”
I wrapped my arms around him giving him a brief hug.
“Did dad tell you the trials Friday? They’ve moved everything forward. I’m pretty sure Wednesday will be my next day to train. If this wolf comes back, most likely it will be then.”
“Don’t worry. Usually, these spirits are only meant to warn you. Did it say anything? Make any noises?” asked Owl.
“None,” I answered.
“OK, mind if I take over,” Jenson offered.
“Be my guest,” said Molly, moving the computer closer to him.
Typing a mile a minute he made side
notes in the word document. Molly left to get us coffee. By the time she came back, Jenson had papers printed out sitting on the table with the laptop pushed off to the side.
“Jenson, let me explain some of this to Starla. It’s not going to make much sense until she can communicate with this spirit or being.”
“Alright, go ahead, Owl.”
“The black wolf you’re seeing, either means you’re on the right path or lacking trust in your life. It could be a person you are close to, mentor, or a friend. If this isn’t the case, It could be calling attention to the strength, courage, and loyalty you hold within yourself. My last and most crazy thought, it has to do with Du-Vance.”
“That is wild! What would it have to do with him?”
“I’m not sure. If there is a next time, or you get any funky visions, dreams, make sure you have a pad and paper. “
“Are you going to be present during the trial?” I asked.
Owl struggled trying to get his coat off. Finally, placing it on the back of a nearby chair. Then sat on the floor.
“Of course, I’ll be there. I don’t see why not. Rascal will either criticize, observe or remain seated quietly. Cavin will make sure the bandits are in restraints. Not sure who is going to do it. We’re not supposed to use magic on them to contain them if not in combat. I don’t see how they’ll come willingly.”
“It has to be the entity that killed Du-Vance. They hired him to capture Nuria and Cal. That way they could get me to go after her, potentially assuming he or it could gain my powers and abilities,” I spoke up.
“How did the entity know you?” asked Owl.
“Cal might have talked about me. She knew I was half fox. She wouldn’t have done it intentionally. They told her they rescued her. She believed them until Minder told her the truth. It’s that simple.”
“Back to square one,” Jenson admitted.
“Agreed,” stated Owl.
Molly stood up and pulled Skip-PO off a shelf. “Let’s play a few rounds. Take the edge off.”
“Sounds like fun,” said Jenson, placing his arm around me. I leaned into him.
“Hey, does Maine have a super power?” I asked.
Spirit Guide (Myth-Series Book 2) Page 11
