Fur Magic Boxed Set: Talisman, Sage, Fawn, Lola: Paranormal Romantic Comedy (9 page)

Chapter 6

Lola rolled her azure blue eyes as she trotted along next to me. Man, it was hot. Damn Dr. Luke and his hair-brained idea to go see the caves. But I actually was glad he was along because knowing Pen and Ami, they would have come anyway. And alone.

The sun shone fiercely on the red rock and my black fur. Said shiny coat might end up scorched right off my body if we didn’t get to our destination soon. Pen and Ami had walked up ahead, Pen’s ponytail bobbing in the light breeze. Dr. Luke’s hiking boots fell in perfect lively steps beside me and Lola. I bet Lola was regretting her decision to come on this trek but she hadn’t complained. Yet.

“Tali,” Luke said in a soft voice still filled with happiness. “My date last night went really well.”

I looked up at him and bored a hole into his forehead with my best kitty glare. Had he lost his fool mind? He could learn a thing or two about romancing the ladies if he stuck with me. Case in point. Mine was already glued to my side like Elmer’s and I didn’t even have to do any heavy lifting. Where was Pen?

Dr. Lucas Collier is snookered.

I glanced up to see Sage soaring high above, keeping watch over our little quintet. Yes, Dr. Luke was definitely up the creek without a paddle in the romance department. He should have been up ahead, holding Pen’s hand, keeping her safe. Instead, he lagged behind with a couple of fur balls. Albeit, one was as gorgeous as Penelope, If I do say so myself.

Thanks, Tali.

That compliment got me a rub to my cheek with her silky white fur.

“Why, ladies, fancy meeting you here.”

Where had that old codger Stout come from? I thought we’d lost him back at the Coffee Hut. It was as if he’d just appeared in this desert like some sort of decrepit mirage.

Coffin dodger.

That must be UK slang for old as dirt. Said oldster was standing way to close to Amelia for my liking so as we approached, I deliberately knocked in to the back of his legs and he lurched forward. After he regained his balance, Stout turned around and speared me with his bird-like glare.

“Hello, Dr. Collier,” he snarled. “I didn’t see you back there. And with your menagerie, I see. Glad you were able to make it to the caves today after all the incidents at the Coffee Hut.”

“Hi again, Elias,” Dr. Luke replied.

Stout rested his eyes on Lola with curiosity and intrigue. “I’ve never seen that white one before. Where did she come from, Miss DeLacroix?”

Not on your bloody life, douche bag. Back off my woman.

Pen scrunched her eyes up. She knew where this was headed. Straight off in to the ditch. I gave Lola a look. “That’s Lola. Her owner just passed away.”

“Is she available for adoption?” Stout asked his black eyes lighting up with pleasure.

Hit it, doll.

Just when Pen had opened her mouth to answer, Lola opened
her
mouth. And hacked up a giant fur ball right on to Stout’s brand new leather hiking boots.

“That’s disgusting,” he said as he slammed his boot on the rocks a couple of times to get the vomit off.

“She has a bit of a cough but it’s clearing up nicely with antibiotics,” Dr. Luke said. “Also, she’s spoken for. Jessie …”

Pen cut him off before he could finish his sentence. “Lola is already adopted. By me. Tali’s attached to her and I think we should keep her. I have room in my bed so what’s two cats when you already have one.”

“Absolutely, you can never have too many cats,” Dr. Luke jumped in.

Right on.

“Yes,” Elias said but his facial expression was saying, ‘no’.

He used the ruse of getting the slime off his boot as a reason to sidle up closer to Ami. She was having none of it and backed up until her feet were dangling far too close to a rocky overhang. I could hear the clang of the loose dirt and pebbles as they fell over the side and hit the rock on their way down to the ravine below. Pen saw it too because she reached out a hand to steady her and pull her back toward the group so she wouldn’t be in a position to kill herself over the bird man of Alcatraz.

“Miss Penelope, I’m starting to think you’re withholding the adoptable cats from me,” Elias said as he narrowed his eyes. “Now … I wonder why you would do that.”

Because you’re a card carrying member of the blue rinse brigade. No … wait. You don’t have any hair.

You’re incorrect, furry mole patrol. That man is a card carrying member of the OAP.

OAP?

Yes. The Old Age Pensioners. Step away from Miss Amelia, codger.

Sage had flown down in time to overhear the tail end of the conversation and put his two cents in. Or two pence as it were.

“Elias, I would never do that,” Pen defended. “I don’t have any cats right now that would be a good fit for apartment living. The only one I have is Presto and she’s an escape artist. She’d fly right out your sliding glass door and then she’d end up right back with me after she’d destroyed some unsuspecting citizen’s flower beds.”

Twat incoming. Like enemy fire.

I glanced up just in time to see Damian striding towards us wearing expensive aviator sunglasses and Abercrombie from head to toe. Great, as if suffering the fool known as Elias Stout wasn’t bad enough, here was ignoramus number two.

“Penelope, Ami, Collier, Stout,” he nodded. “I didn’t expect to see all of you here today.”

What was he talking about? Since Sabrina Scuttleworth had blabbed all over town, almost every resident of Shadowkeep was here today at the caves. Trying to see something move or whatever was going on in there. Trying to be the one person that could figure out what magic was at play. If any. Trying to be the local hero. On a witch hunt.

“Hi, Damian,” Pen was the only one who responded. The rest just glared or looked at their shoes. Ami was still trying to keep Elias from getting too close to her. It almost looked like he wanted to grab her hand again in his clammy, hairy one. Why was it that men without hair on their head seemed to have wads of errant hair all over their body? Not that there’s anything wrong with having hair all over your body.

Right doll? Wink, wink.

Agreed, oh handsome and furry one.

After the nice compliment, I glanced over at Lola and all of her white hair stood straight up like she’d stepped in to an electrical storm. Damian Chokecherry strikes again.

Who is that man, Tali?

Bad news. Stick close to me, kid. Like static cling. Which I hate to tell you, but you already look like the brand ambassador for Static Guard.

Lola sidled up to me as her hair gradually went back down to lay flush to her back. Damian looked down at us with disdain.

“Why are those cats along?” he asked. “Can’t you people go anywhere without your animal sidekicks? Then again, you own an animal shelter and you’re a vet, so it’s probably to be expected.”

He let his obsidian gaze wander to Elias. “And Stout, your colleagues could be considered animals so you probably feel right at home as well.”

Elias bristled at the veiled insult and opened his mouth, but must have thought better of taking the bait because he snapped it shut again.

Ami
couldn’t
keep her mouth shut. She never had and never would. “What’s my excuse then, Damian? I work at a newspaper and don’t have anything to do with the animals. But I’m still here and I’m happy Talisman, Lola and Sage are here with us.”

Damian turned as rigid as rigor mortis when he heard the word ‘Sage’ and started to crane his neck until he found my fine feathered friend perched on a nearby boulder.

Pillock.

Damian’s face turned into an evil grimace that would make Crispin Glover proud. If his look could talk it would say, ‘I’d like to take that owl down with a Barnett Ghost 350’. Sage did the typical snub and turned his head to the side to slight Damian. Of course, Damian didn’t know the rebuke was on purpose, which was probably the only thing that was keeping the man stationary and not walking over to put Sage’s neck in the owl Half Nelson. Then snapping it off his body.

“You’re not going to believe it!” The animated voice of Sabrina cut through the tension and everyone stared at the women as she trotted towards them, hands flailing.

“What aren’t we going to believe?” Damian asked. “That you’re here to gossip about the caves? I’m pretty sure that all of us already knew that part.”

Whenever Damian Chokecherry was present it was an equal opportunity offense and Sabrina looked crushed.

“All of you need to come in to the caves to see what I’m talking about.” She pressed ahead in spite of Damian.

The group walked toward the opening of the first cave, the same one where the mystical, ancient and
alive
drawings were supposed to be housed. The cave was dark and Dr. Luke lifted his lantern high to lead the way. The lack of oxygen, along with the dirt and cobweb smell stung the back of my throat and watered my eyes. Lola screeched when a bat flew from a darkened corner and landed within a few feet of her.

“Keep those damn cats quiet, Collier,” Damian snapped. “They’re on my last nerve.”

Pen reached over and scooped Lola up in to her arms and my girlfriend snuggled in. I was more prepared and able to avoid Damian’s booted toe by sidestepping out of his way and walking in between Ami and Stout. Killing two birds with one stone as it were. Sage remained outside, keeping watch for any strange happenings like Shadow Watchers or Lucinda.

As we hiked deeper and deeper in to the caves, I started to realize how alone we all were with Stout and Damian. Sabrina didn’t provide too much protection with her constant babbling. Of course, Dr. Luke clutched the heavy lantern and could always crack Damian in the skull. Chokecherry was dangerous but Stout was nothing more than a crusty old fossil. With bad breath. It was hard to tell if it was the gas coming from the cave that was tickling my nostrils or the gas from his mouth.

Sabrina gasped and pointed. “There – there it is.”

I kept between Stout and Ami as we gingerly approached the side of the cave where the glyph was supposedly carved in the soft sandstone. The humans stood a few feet from the rock and stared at the images. First, there were about three deer like images that increased in size from small to large. Next to them was a 3-D figure with appendages that looked just like Rosie from the Jetson’s.

“Those are so beautiful,” Ami exclaimed as she reached out a hand towards the images.

Elias Stout slapped her hand away. “Don’t touch that, Miss Amelia! It may be laced with evil. How would I ever forgive myself if something happened to you while we’re down here? I’d never be able to face your mother again.”

Damian guffawed. “The only thing down here that’s evil, Stout, is you.

Or, you.

“Those drawings are really cool,” Dr. Luke agreed. “Penelope, are you okay?”

I glanced up and noticed Pen had gone white as a sheet. The glyphs weren’t that great that she should be struck speechless and motionless. Lola jumped from her arms when they went limp and at the moment her dainty paws hit the ground in front of me, my pendant started getting hot. It did that whenever there was evil present. The witch was here. I started pawing at it to try to get it to cool down.

“Oh, no!” Dr. Luke rushed towards Pen just as she fainted straight in to his muscled arms.

Chapter 7

“I tried to warn you, Tali,” Tweety wailed as her Finch wings flapped on the arid desert air.

“Warning me before all of your brain cells left the building,” I replied as I watched the small bird flutter above my head, “that might have been your best bet. Do you remember what you wanted to warn me about?”

Nothing but the whispered flutter of her delicate wings interrupted the silence. I sat on a red rock outside the caves. The small bird had found me just as Dr. Luke had carried Penelope’s unconscious body back to the car. As if she weighed nothing. But
meant
everything.

“I saw her, Tali,” Tweety exclaimed. “It was midnight. Lucinda sat cross-legged in the middle of her living room, surrounded by candles. Black candles. They had sayings etched in to the wax but I couldn’t read the words through the window.”

“What were you doing looking in that dangerous witch’s window at midnight?” I asked. “One glare from her obsidian eyes and you would have evaporated into the ethers. Were you on a death wish?”

The little bird shivered and that caused her wings to vibrate at an even more frenetic pace. “I couldn’t hear her through the glass but I think I could read her lips. They were pursed in the most evil-looking line of menace. I think she said ‘Evil, live, live, live.’ Then she made a stabbing motion with her right hand into the carpet!”

What the hell kind of curse was that? Evil did live. It always lived. It
was
alive and present here in Shadowkeep. Draining Pen’s powers.

“Then, she said Penelope’s name,” Tweety looked like she was about to pass out and hit the dirt even from the mere mention of what had happened. “She said ‘Powers of darkness, make it so’ and then more stabbing motions. After she was done stabbing she said, ‘Spirits, your work is done.’”

One thing was certain. This damn bird was really good at reading lips. Now, what those lips were saying was another thing entirely. I tried not to show any signs of panic or fear. But inside … I felt like throwing up a hairball.

I had heard from Papa DeLacroix numerous times over the years that if an evil witch was passionate about their desire to punish an enemy or rival, the malevolent spirits would have no reservations in bubbling up to help the witch succeed with their wicked task. Lucinda Chokecherry had been accused of everything from cannibalism to human sacrifice. The dark rumor around the death of Arwen Silverchime still surfaced from time to time. Unfortunately, for the powers of good, she also possessed penetrating intelligence and a vast and unwavering knowledge of necromantic spells.

I had to put the poor bird at ease. “Thanks so much for the 4-1-1, Tweety,” I soothed. “It was really brave of you to tell us about this.”

“I’m telling
you
about this, Tali,” she argued. “Sage is a big, mean bully and I don’t like him. Not at all.”

No need to tell her that Sage thought she was a tiny, yellow floozy. That her vibrant plumage made Sage want to pluck her feathers. Besides, she was right. Sage could be a bully. And a large wing-spanned, judgmental pain in the ass.

If I could be invisible for one day, I’d stake out the Chokecherry family home and I wouldn’t leave until I knew exactly what was going on there. Sadly, not me or any other animal I knew of in Arizona had that power.

But … wait. I racked my brain because a kernel of thought had planted itself and was starting to sprout and grow. Back in the early forties, I remember Papa DeLacroix had participated in a special council. One night, after a particularly contentious meeting of the elders, he’d had a conversation with another witch about her ability to become invisible. What was her name again?

All I could remember was her frail body and a voice that cackled with glee when she spoke of her powers. Papa had cautioned her to only use those powers for good. She couldn’t still be alive could she?

Dagda Cerridwyn.

Now, how to find her and see if she could help Penelope. Back in the day, she’d lived in a ramshackle, one-bedroom cabin out in the desert. She owed Papa DeLacroix and it was time for the old sorceress to pay up.

Hey, Owlfred Hitchcaw. Are you out there?

You meowed, Cat Benatar?

I need your help. Back before you came here, Papa DeLacroix sat on a powerful council of witches and warlocks. There was a female witch on the counsel that had the ability to make herself invisible. Her name was Dagda Cerridwyn. Wouldn’t it be great if we could find her and see if she could spy on Lucinda? That’s the only way I can think of to find out what the Chokecherrys are up to. We’ve exhausted all other avenues.

Sage cocked his feathered head to one side as he pondered my suggestion.

I think I know how we can get in contact with Dagda. I also know how we can make sure she helps us.

***

“Penelope?” Dr. Luke held a warm washcloth to Pen’s head as he stroked back her hair from her face. “Penelope, can you hear me?”

That heroic cow puncher had carried his limp burden all the way from the caves to the SUV. Then he’d driven it like a bat out of hell back to the shelter. Lola had hacked up another giant fur ball after Dr. Luke took the hairpin turn at Cactus and Camelback on two wheels. He’d insisted on taking Pen to the urgent care where they’d promptly diagnosed her with dehydration and ordered up rest and fluids.

Pen’s raven hair spread across the back of her tapestry sofa, a stunning contrast of black against mauve. Her eyelids had fluttered closed almost as soon as her head had hit the cushion, exhausted by the trauma and drama of the day. Dr. Luke should just let her sleep but he’d admitted during his out loud ramblings to himself on the ride to the clinic, overheard by only me and Lola, that he was worried about some type of lasting brain injury due to the heat exhaustion. The guy needed to mellow out. He worried too damn much.

“Dr. Collier?” Pen whispered, her azure eyes opening and locking on him. “Don’t you need to get back to the clinic?”

His eyes narrowed in concern. She’d slipped back in to her old Doctor habit. “Penelope, its Saturday.”

“Oh, that’s right,” she replied, her brow knit in concentration. “We were hiking at the caves and I lost my balance and …”

Lost her balance? Was she kidding? The Shadow Watcher had flitted through the rank air and then attacked her, causing her to lose consciousness. Balance had nothing to do with it. An evil witch with the last name Chokecherry had everything to do with it or I’d give up one of my nine lives.

“It must have been the lack of fresh air in the caves,” Dr. Luke soothed. “It could have happened to anyone.”

“I’m so embarrassed,” Pen wailed as she brought her hands up to cover her eyes. As if doing so could make her invisible and she wouldn’t have to feel any mortification over her weakened state in front of her crush. She’d obviously forgotten that we men like to be your hero, ladies. You should all lean back in to your feminine energy and just let us take over.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Dr. Luke said as he held a bottle of water to her lips for a sip. “Since you seem fine, I should probably go and leave you here to rest. I’ll leave your phone right here on the coffee table. I programmed my cell in to your contacts so don’t hesitate to call or text if you need anything.”

WTG, Dr. Luke. Way to get your digits in her phone and a legitimate excuse to call you. I was starting to have hope about this bumbling fool. He’d never be as suave as I but he was surely raising his game. Pen’s eyes fluttered closed again and she was off to visit the sandman.

Lola’s silky white fur was cuddled up next to mine on the kitty bed. Dr. Luke leaned into the cushions of the wingback that Ami usually sat in, right next to the couch where Pen slept.

“Tali,” he said as he ran a hand through his thick head of dark hair. “Every time that Penelope and I seem to be getting closer, something happens to thwart our connection.”

He glanced over at the kitty bed. “Lola, maybe I should be asking your advice instead because you’re a girl.”

Is this guy for real?

I know. He’s rather pathetic but he’s a wonderful man and a talented vet. We just all need to work together, doll. If all the animals rally around, we can get them to share True Love’s Kiss.

I want to share True Love’s Kiss.

I snuggled closer and touched my nose to hers.

“Well, that had to be about the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.” Dr. Luke had caught the exchange and he grinned in approval. “Maybe your owner’s death was a blessing in disguise, Lola. Now, you not only have a close companion but lots of other animal and human friends.”

I miss her.

I know you do. But … I’m here to make everything better. We’re going to have lots of fun and adventures.

A flapping of wings and a loud hoot drew Dr. Luke’s attention to the other wingback. Sage had decided to grace us all with his holier than thou presence and perched himself on the back of the tapestry armchair.

“Hey, Sage,” Dr. Luke asked as he admired the giant bird. “Come to check on Penelope?”

I should think that would be obvious, Dr. Lucas Collier.

Sage’s death stare left Dr. Luke and settled on me.

Although, I do have something we need to discuss Winston Furchill. Get thee to the barn post haste. Alone.

Sage then glanced down to Lola, dismissing her. I knew he had trepidations about Lola’s ability to be trusted. Not sure if her story panned out. My feline intuition was never wrong and Lola was on the up and up. Her emotion over the loss of her owner and her ensuing kitty drama couldn’t be put on unless she was worthy of an academy award. Sage need to back off my girlfriend.

Wait …

Did I just say ‘girlfriend’?

As Sage flapped his giant wingspan in order to return to the barn, Pen’s eyes snapped open. The bird must have startled her because she sat up to an erect position and her oversize pupils danced around the room, not able to settle on any particular spot. She swayed from side to side and about toppled over on to the silk rug below. But Dr. Luke offered a hand to steady her. He leaned in and placed his large palm in the small of her back.

“Whoa, Penelope,” he said. “You don’t seem okay. I think you should lay back down.”

Pen turned her head to look at him as if she had no idea who he was. No idea who
I
was. Just as I’d stood from my kitty bed to approach, Pen opened her mouth and threw up all over Dr. Luke’s shoes.