“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 filled the 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 Pokémon.”
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 Pokémon 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.