He studied me with those curious green eyes of his and asked,“Okay what?”
“I trust you,” I said, praying I wouldn’t come to regret this assertion.
“Really? I expected you to put up more of a fight.”
I shrugged.“What good would that do if we’re just going to end up doing what you want, anyway?”
“I’m glad you agree.” Merlin nodded, then blinked slowly two times.
I must have blinked, too, because one second we were standing at the edge of my kitchen, and the next I found myself under the shade of an unfamiliar magnolia tree by a small ranch-style home with a carefully tended garden.
I took a step back, pushing myself against the tree for support.
“What… What just happened?” I gasped.
Merlin stalked toward me and snickered.“Your first teleportation. So sweet.”
“Teleportation?” I whisper-yelled, in case anyone was nearby and paying attention to us. “Next time give me a little notice, please.”
“No,” he said firmly. “It’s much easier if you don’t know it’s coming.”
I groaned and clutched at my head. Really that was just for show, though, because other than being shocked witless, I felt perfectly fine.“Where are we?”
“Luna’s. Now c’mon.” Merlin turned away from me and began trotting toward the back of the nearby house, his fluffy striped tail held high and proud.
“Wait. How are we going to get in?” I called after him.
But Merlin just ran faster, then jumped into a window box fitted with perky yellow daffodils.
I crept after him, one second moving through soft, spongy grass and the next stomping across a smooth hardwood floor. Great, now we were inside the house.
“Stop doing that,” I hissed.
“Stop complaining,” he hissed back, “and help me look.”
“For what?” I said, taking in the homey decor.
Luna’s owner—or familiar, I guess—certainly loved floral prints. They covered everything. I was pretty sure I’d seen that exact couch pattern on a pregnant B-list celebrity once upon a time. In addition to the floral fabric, drapes, and decor, more than a dozen vases of fresh-cut flowers filledthe modest home.
I couldn’t help but sneeze in response.
“Luna’s a garden witch,” Merlin explained when he caught me staring.
“What kind of witch are you?” I asked, mouth agape. First I learn that witches are real, then I find out they come in multiple flavors.
“Sky,” he informed me placidly.
But my head was positively spinning from all the new information flying at me in rapid succession.“Come again now?” I squeaked. This seemed like one thing I just couldn’t let go without getting at least some kind of quick explanation.
“I’m pretty well-rounded, but my specialty pertains to things that come from the sky. You know, wind, water, ice. The occasional burst of electricity, if the mood is right.”
Finally, part of this was beginning to make some sense.“Oh, so you’re all elemental? Like Pok?mon.”
His expression instantly turned dour.“No, not like a children’s video game.”
“Yeah, actually, I think it is. Luna’s a garden witch, so plants and earth, right? That would make her grass and ground type,” I recited, glad the many hours I’d invested playing Pok?mon Go were good for more than just getting my steps in. “And you’re water, flying, and ice, so you’re kind of an even match. I suggest you use your ice powers in battle.”
“This is not a game, and there are no battles. Now stop yammering and help me search for anything suspicious.”
“Like that?” I asked, pointing to an old leather journal that lay open on the coffee table.
“No,” Merlin began, but then he turned to look where I was pointing, and his eyes lit with delight. “Actually, yes. Good job. Now grab the book, and let’s get out of here before someone notices our intrusion.”
Well, he certainly didn’t have to tell me twice. I hustled for that journal as fast as my flip-flopped feet would carry me, more than ready to head home.
9
Merlin blinked once, and I braced myself for another unnerving journey by teleportation. Before he could blink a second time, however, a nearby flower vase shattered and the thorny stems flew to my cat, locking him in place.
“Well, well, well…” A husky female voice floated toward us from the doorway. I hadn’t even heard anyone enter. How could we have been so careless?
I craned my neck, too afraid to move the rest of me, and spotted a lanky white cat with bright green eyes staring right back at me.
“Luna,” Merlin growled. “What do you want?”
She stalked over to him and slowly circled her entrapped rival.“I think I should be the one asking questions here, since you’re the one who broke into my house.”
“I owe you nothing,” Merlin spat and hissed.
While the two felines continued to argue, I carefully slipped the journal we’d found into the waistband of my pants.
“Why was your familiar at my house?” Merlin demanded. He looked so pathetic in that cage of flower petals and stems.
“Why is your familiarin my house? We can do this all day, Fluffy.” She cackled at him, leaving no doubt who was the wicked witch in this scenario.
“His name’s Merlin,” I corrected angrily and grabbed for the white cat. Even though I didn’t have magic, I did have almost one-hundred and fifty pounds on the skinny feline. Surely, I could overpower her.
But no. She escaped my reaching arms and turned back to hiss at me.“I’ll only tell you this once, so make sure you’re paying attention.” Luna’s back arched and her tail grew extra poofy. “If you ever break into my house again, I won’t be so forgiving a second time.”
I gulped hard, choosing not to point out that we teleported in, that there was no breaking at all.
Luna inched forward with claws extended.“What are you, stupid? Get out of here!”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I picked up Merlin, thorny cage and all, and bolted through the front door. Outside now, I ran toward the street, which I could just barely see in the distance. Luna’s large front yard sat at the intersection of two side streets. I tried to read the signs as I got closer but struggled to make out either very clearly.
Persimmon, I read just as my feet made contact with the pavement. Now that we’d stepped off Luna’s property, the thorns and flowers that held Merlin fell away.
He jumped from my arms, shook off, blinked once, twice… And we were back home.
“All that for nothing,” he mewled, padding toward his water bowl then taking a few long laps to refresh himself.
“Not for nothing,” I revealed, tugging the filched journal from my waistband and bringing it into view.
“Gracie,” my cat exclaimed. “Good girl. Very good girl.”
I basked in his praise despite his dehumanizing tone.“I can see why you don’t much care for Luna,” I added softly. “Or the name Fluffy. I’m sorry.”
“She’d have killed me if you weren’t there,” he said with a casual shrug. “She’s been like that ever since I dumped her to take my place as a full witch.”
I threw my hands up and took a step back.“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up there.”
Merlin turned away but kept one eye trained on me from the side.“A cat doesn’t become a full witch until he takes a familiar.”
“Not that part. The dumping part?” I clarified, wondering why he hadn’t told me this bit of his history with Luna in advance of our trespassing—and me stealing the journal.
Merlin yawned and stretched his back legs lazily.“Oh, yeah. We used to date. Not a big deal.”
“Actually, it seems like a very big deal,” I corrected, hoping he would tell me more.
“It’s not my fault the rules state that no two witches may live under the same roof. It was fine when I was stray, but things change. There was no way I’d give up my awesome powers in favor of a fling. Nope. Anyway… No need to dredge up the past when we have our futures to worry about. Now show me the book,” Merlin commanded without a second thought about his past love affair.