Kat Among The Pigeons

by Lazette Gifford

"Water in the kitchen," I said. "Tommy is fine. He's worried about you and the little ones. I'll tell him you're okay if I see him before you do. "

  "The storm can't last much longer, right?" she asked, looking toward the window. "I do wish he could come home. He'll have such fun with the kittens."

  "The snow should be over soon," I said, hoping so for my own sake.

  "Do be careful, Kat. All of you. I've seen some strange things out there. I know it's not safe."

  I petted her and then nodded to Adrian. We left the house. Shakespeare settled in my arm, though he peered around the corner at the cat and kittens as I pulled the door closed, plainly intrigued.

  As we headed down the street, I had to use more magic to keep a path open for us. We couldn't simply trudge through the snow, which had drifted higher than my waist in a couple places.

  "I know humans have odd silly nicknames for their pets," Adrian finally said. "I never considered how they might have the same sort of names for us."

  "You don't want to know what we call Kat," Cato offered.

  "What?" I asked.

  "Oh no," he said. "You won't hear them from me."

  "Hey boss," Gaylord said, peeking out. "Where we going?"

  "The library." I eyed Cato, but this probably wasn't the time to badger him about such trivial things.

  "Library? Got any cute birds there?"

  "No, afraid not. Might find some pictures of a few for you, though," I said when he sighed.

  "Thanks, boss."

  We slipped past Town Hall and hurried to the library, only a block away. They had alarm systems at every opening, but those were easy for me to bypass.

  "Technology and magic . . ." I said, putting my hand on the door. Something fizzled and sparked for a moment. ". . . don't mesh."

  I pushed the door open and we slipped inside. As soon as I closed it, I created a quick illusion which would make the place look dark and deserted. Adrian gave a yelp when I sat a magic light in the air.

  "Sorry. I thought that would help. they can't see us from the outside." The room felt cold, but we were warm from my magic, so I didn't waste more power to make heat.

  "What are we searching for?" Adrian asked, glancing around.

  "Poetry, I suppose. Shakespeare --"

  "Oh, is that why you gave him the name? He's not quoting Shakespeare," Adrian said, shaking his head. "I studied English Lit in college and I had a passion for Shakespeare and I know he's not quoting The Bard. This would be easy with a computer. I could type in a couple lines of what he said, and we'd have an answer." Then he smiled at me. "I guess computers are right out with you around, though."

  "I've seen them. I can dampen my powers and probably use one, but there's no power here, anyway."

  "Maybe there's a poetry codex of some sort." Adrian knew his way around libraries, which helped. He found what he wanted and began searching through the book while I tried to recall some of the lines Shakespeare (maybe not the best name) had said. The bird did not help at all by quoting anything.

  But we finally found something.

  "Tamerlane. Edgar Allan Poe."

  "The 'Nevermore' guy, right?" I asked.

  "Yeah, him. Not the kind of poetry I would have associated with Poe." Adrian disappeared into the shelves for a moment, and then came out with a book in hand. He sat at the table and flipped the pages open. "Tamerlane is from some of his early work. He went odd later in life. Damn good writer, though."

  "I was under the impression all writers go odd, which is why I chose writing for a profession. I thought I would fit in better."

  He laughed and leaned over the book.

  I read the poem over his shoulder. It was longer than I expected, and I heard echoes of my bird in every few lines. "Interesting. Nice stuff, really, but I don't know how this fits in with our trouble. These creatures are from fae, and the poem isn't so well known it could have created a myth strong enough to live there."

  "Tamerlane was a real person."

  "Oh, well, that makes a big damned difference," I said, startled and leaning closer. "Sorry. I obviously don't know enough human history. If he was real, then this isn't the only story about him, right? There were myths and legends, along with history?"

  "Yes. He's not one of the better known figures in history, but he isn't completely forgotten." Adrian stood. "We might not find much on him."

  He returned to the shelves of books and I took the poem to read more carefully this time. A historical person made sense of a lot of what I had seen. I sought clues in the lines -- Kind solace in a dying hour -- but I couldn't quite put everything together.

  Adrian put two encyclopedia books to the table. I opened the first and read through the material, little though I found: born in the north, an Islamic conqueror, known both for his cruelty and his spread of culture. The combination seemed to be quite an achievement.

  "I'd say this is who we're dealing with," I said. Adrian frowned, but I didn't think from disagreement. I guessed what bothered him. "And yes, I think he is the one who had hold of you, since I can't imagine they would bother with anyone else. This finally gives us some ability to figure out what's going on. The city I saw -- the one on the other side of The Edge, which seems to be slipping through -- might be Samarkand."

  "Are you telling me Timur is fae?"

  "No. The real Timur, the one who died hundreds of years ago, was human, and the history of him is mostly true. But his life generated myths, and those often drift over to the fae world and take on a life of their own. When they're myths based on a real person, they have a special strength -- and a stronger tie back to your world. We're not dealing with the real Timur the Lame -- which explains the limp you had! Anyway, not the real Timur, but the essence of his legends and myths."

  "That sounds worse," Adrian said.

  "Yes, in many ways, something made of the myths and legends could be worse. They leave their humanity behind." I read more material and found something else. "He conquered The Golden Horde. When you were -- when he had you, I found him reading the newspaper on my porch. It was an article about treasure from the Golden Horde that they have on display in Denver. Perhaps someone -- some fae -- manipulated things so the treasure would be here, close to where he intended to come through. Something real, part of the Tamerlane history, would help make him real as well if he could get his hands on it. Literally, touch the things that the real Tamerlane once held."

  "How can we use this?" Adrian asked, glancing at me and then over at Shakespeare. "How does knowing these things help?"

  "We have named it," I said. He looked startled when he turned to me. "Yes, names can be important in magic, especially in case where the thing is tied to something specific. We know, for instance, that we do not want him to get to those items in Denver, no matter what else happens. Before this, I had no idea what I was facing; a fae, a ghost, specter, or something new I'd never heard of before. I know we're dealing with a myth come to life, and one which should never have gained this much power, since the story isn't well known here. You don't want to run into Arthur, but he's happy with his fae realm, so I don't see him trying to return."

  "Hell," Adrian said, a little worried and no doubt thinking about a lot of things he wouldn't want to see turn up in the human world. I didn't mention the trouble with the Nile Gods. He had enough worrying him right now.

  "Tamerlane never should have been this powerful," I repeated. "Someone is helping him along."

  "Aletta?"

  "She's part of what's going on, but she's not running the show -- she never had much control or ambition. No. We're searching for someone with a lot of fae power; someone who can manipulate The Edge and can create magic to move a fae kingdom -- Tamerlane's mythological world -- over to here. Why, though is the other big question?"

  I stood and paced for a moment, trying to get a clue about what else was going on. I had some clues, but I still didn't have an answer.

  "Why would someone bring a fae kingdom to this side?" Adrian aske
d.

  "I don't know. Bringing even a few minor things over is extremely dangerous. Bringing a whole. . . ." I stopped and stared at him, my mind leaping ahead several steps. "Making a myth real in this world. Forcing a breach between fae and the human world, and bringing about the fall technology. And from this place, his stronghold, he can ride out and conquer the world."

  "On mountain soil I first drew life," Adrian quoted, nodding at my words. They might even make sense. "He's come here, because this place is something he understands, something he can control."

  "And a place where the border guard isn't as strong as some of the other locations." I waved away his start of a protest. "As fae go, I'm not really strong. Even so, I've foiled a number of his plans. Aletta likely chose you to be his host just to bother me because she's petty. She would have done much better not to draw my attention too soon. And that's why she's not in charge."

  "No one else has been taken over, have they?" he asked softly.

  "No. I think Tamerlane wanted a more direct contact with the world while the magic drawing him and the city here grew stronger. Once he grew strong enough on his own, he would have abandoned your body."

  "What are we going to do?" Adrian asked.

  I had noticed how he flinched whenever we talked about how Tamerlane had taken him over. I felt badly because I should have done something, seen something --

  I couldn't change the past.

  "We're going to go find more answers," I said looking back out at the cold, wintry night. "But at least now I know what we're searching for."

  Chapter Eighteen

  I thought about leaving Cato and the birds at the library, but I didn't know when we could return, and there was no easy way for them to get out if they needed to. I could have made another magic cat door, but that would only lead into a deadly storm. At least if they stayed with me, I could protect them from some harm. Besides, they were my allies and we had to work together to end this invasion.

  Me, a human, two birds and a cat.

  I tried not to think the world was doomed.

  The night had gone dark and the wind howled through the streets, sending snow in cascades from buildings. As we left the library I could see the glitter of magic as a shape overlaid the outline of the building. The ghost city had come back, and appeared far more powerful this time.

  "Everything tastes like licorice," Adrian said, shaking his head. "Licorice everywhere."

  "A lot of magic around us," I said, brushing my hand over the ghost wall. It even felt a little warmer than the real one. "And a lot more in the air."

  "Are people going to be able to see this?" He waved toward a wall which already seemed more desert brick than mountain wood.

  "I fear they will soon," I admitted. "Then we have more problems. I want humans to remain calm and sane, and not start worrying about magic. If there was anything I could do --"

  Then I thought of something that might help. I lifted my hand into the air, felt the magic in the snow, and began to think of a way I could use it.

  "Magic in every snowflake." I thought about using the power, instead of worrying about it. I spread a whisper of a spell out through the storm, dancing on the winds. "Little spells, little whispers. Sleep, sleep, sleep -- all the people in the city sleep through the long night, go somewhere safe and warm and sleep peacefully --"

  Adrian swayed and started to sit in the snow -- already safe and warm in the magically heated clothing. I caught hold of his arm and brought him awake with a little shake and a surge of magic to counteract the spell.

  "Whoa. The magic really worked!" He looked half-wired now. Maybe I'd used a little too much power to awaken him.

  "The spell should keep the humans quiet for the night -- most of them anyway. There's always a few who are resistant to magic, but maybe we'll get lucky. If they're at home, they might not notice anything."

  "Riders," Cato warned with a little hiss.

  We slipped into the shadows behind a snow drift. I quickly covered our prints and watched as two riders came by, looking around, but not seeing us.

  They had color, and while not quite solid, they were still far more real than I wanted them to be. I thought I could hear the whisper of words as they passed.

  We waited until they were well away. When we stood, Cato had draped himself around Adrian's neck. He looked huge and heavy -- but warm. A live fur collar.

  "I heard them talking," Adrian said.

  "They're starting to gain reality here. A shame they're not more so. My spell might have put them to sleep, too."

  "Do you know where you want to go?"

  "Let's check out some of the town. If Tamerlane is bringing his Samarkand here, we might learn something."

  Adrian nodded as though I had said something wise. We started walking and I put a little broom spell in behind us, whisking away our prints. I didn't dare use any stronger magic. I didn't want to glow and draw Aletta, or someone else, to us and find myself in a fight before I found answers.

  The white streets glittered with magic; lovely even though I wanted it to go away. I felt out the sphere and The Edge and found both in places I wished they weren't. Tamerlane would have this city before too much longer -- another night or two at the most. I had to stop him.

  I had no clue what to do. None at all. I could make people sleep tonight, but in a few days those phantom buildings would be real even in the daylight. In a few days, the people of Estes Park were going to find themselves in a whole new world, and one they didn't understand at all.

  Humans don't do well with those kinds of changes. They want their world solid, the rules of physics set in stone -- and in their world, cities do not morph into other places, and magic does not exist.

  I had to keep that world safe for them.

  Adrian held my arm as we walked, as though to let me know I didn't stand alone. I think Gaylord had gone to sleep in my jacket, and Shakespeare held to my shoulder, a slight weight and a brush of his feathers whenever he shook a little snow off. Cato dozed and I used a touch of magic to ease the weight so Adrian's shoulders didn't ache.

  I could do little things to help us, but nothing which would end this trouble. We avoided riders. Not all of them had acquired color yet, but none remained the misty ghosts I had first seen.

  I did have a few answers. I knew who and what I dealt with, but I had no idea what to do with them, and the frustration didn't help. Adrian asked no questions, and I felt badly, as though I hid the fact I didn't know what to do. Adrian wasn't stupid, though. He must have seen the growing despair in my face, but he still asked nothing. I thought I saw trust in his eyes and his belief in me helped.

  I knew the magical snow helped to build the new Samarkand. Building after building had a magic covering from another place. We walked inside some to see what would happen, but the interiors appeared normal so far, though I could feel the magic starting invade even there. At the grocery store we ate the sandwiches Adrian had gotten from the hotel and I found some treats for the other three. We sat in the corner of the little café on hard red benches, eating in silence.

  I felt horrible.

  "I don't know what to do," I finally admitted aloud. "I have no idea how they are doing this. I don't know if I should cross over The Edge and try to find an answer there, or if going would take me away from the one place I might really be needed."

  "Stay here, Kat. Surely the others on the fae side must know something odd is happening by now, right?" Adrian asked.

  "Yes, I would think so. But the last time I heard from my father, he said all hell is breaking loose, so they have problems, too. Okay, so we're alone here for this fight. I need to find something I can grab hold of -- something to give me an edge over the rest of these things."

  "Something linked to Tamerlane?"

  "Maybe. Or maybe I should concentrate on the riders. I think they must represent the army he used to conquer the world. If he had no army, it might be enough to stop him. But I don't know how to deal with them eit
her."

  "What about Aletta? Where does she fit in?"

  Shakespeare glanced up from his piece of fruit. "I have no words -- alas! -- to tell, the loveliness of loving well!"

  "Oh, so that's why she's involved?" He nodded vigorously. "In love with her, huh? He's an idiot. Thank you."

  He nodded several more times and went back to his slice of apple.

  "Can we use knowing he's in love with her to help?" Adrian asked, though the question appeared to worry him.

  "Maybe. Love holds an odd magic, and mixed in with the rest of this, could make it tricky."

  I could see the words troubled him and I thought Adrian must be worried about someone using his love against me. Love is a dire thing, tying us to another, providing a weakness for enemies -- which Aletta had already exploited. However, love gives us strength when all else fails.

  "It's always the dame that's the problem," Gaylord said when I explained everything to him.

  At least he made me laugh.

  I had gotten tired of wandering from place-to-place without a plan. We had to stop wasting energy and time. I'd examined everything I could in town. Maybe I needed to sit still and think. Gather new information.

  "Cato, do you think there are any strays around who might have some more news?"

  He licked up the last tidbit of Fancy Feast. I could see resignation in his eyes. "I knew this was too good to be true. I suppose you want me to go out there in the snow."

  "Just long enough to find a couple cats so they can spread the news to come to me here, not home."

  "Yeah, good idea. Can you make a door for us? I don't want to stand around outside howling until you -- or something else -- notice us."

  "Good idea." I went with him to the wall and carefully made a magical cat door. I'd have to remember to close it later, or else the store would have all kinds of odd problems. I also made certain Cato had protection against the storm and wouldn't get too cold. He still made a disgusted sound when he stepped into the snow.

  "You don't think she'll find us here? Aletta or her companions?" Adrian asked when I came back to the table.

  "There's too much magic around." I waved towards the world beyond our little refuge. We could barely see through the cover shield I'd put on the windows, but I still caught the glitter of buildings nearby. "And I'm not doing anything big and messy to draw her attention. I think we're okay, but I'm going to be careful."