“Well, we appreciate it, deeply,” Nik says in an exaggerated Russian accent. “I will keep my gun at my side at all times.
“Good idea,” Donna replies, still not sure what’s going on but not wanting to appear confused. “Let’s hope Animal Control can get it together and catch this thing. We all have to be on guard now.”
“Better safe than sorry,” I offer and force a smile. Donna looks Nik over once more and then takes a step back.
“You take care now,” she says and gets in her car. I keep my fake smile on my face until her truck bumps along the street.
“What a fucking bitch,” I huff, shaking my head. “And I say that fully knowing she’s never done something outrightly bitchy.”
“That’s what makes her such a fucking bitch,” Nik agrees. “So that wolf isn’t a wolf.”
“It’s someone’s familiar.”
“You saw that, too?”
“Yep. The eyes were a giveaway. And it didn’t attack.” I shift my weight and push my hair over my shoulder. “Why would someone have their familiar lurk around like that?”
“I have no idea,” Nik tells me. “I’m not familiar with familiars.” He laughs at his own words. “But I do recall Estelle mentioning that it’s typically frowned upon to have your familiar take the form of a wolf.”
“Why?” I ask right as it dawns on me. “Oh, werewolves.”
“Yeah. Though, there’s no bad blood between you guys, right?”
I shake my head. “No. Ruby told me that weres tend to saywithin the packwhich sounds like it could be an inbreeding issue to me, but hey, who am I to judge?” I hold up my hands. “She said that witches and weres are free to be friends or marry but their children tend to only inherit half of one set of genes, so they’re either a witch with weak powers or a wolf who’s unable to shift. It sounds like a genetic risk.”
“I’ve heard,” Nik says, nodding his head toward me. “Maybe Donna really is a demon.”
“Is it horrible that part of me really wishes she was? I’d love to stab her with my fire-sword.”
Nik lets out a snort of laughter. “I’m betting half the town feels the same way about her. We didn’t call themKarensback in the day, but people like her have existed throughout history.”
“I think I’d definitely lose it if I came across a version of Donna every fifty or so years.” The wind picks up and I look out at the street. “If someone nearby was a member of the coven, you’d think they would have reached out, right?”
“Right. I also recall Estelle mentioning how few members of the coven settled in Paradise Valley. You’re right on the cusp of Paradise Valley and Thorne Hill, I know, but given the fact that your aunt was rather well known within your own coven someone would have most definitely reached out.”
Glancing at Hunter, he’s already thinking he should go out tonight and try to find this other familiar. It’s kept its distance, and he thinks it was for a reason. If it had come any closer, he’d be able to sense it.
“I’m going to text Ruby,” I tell Nik, reaching down to pull my phone from my breeches pocket. “And ask if she knows of anyone in our coven who has a familiar that takes the form of a wolf.” I walk up the porch steps as I type out a message.
Me: Hey! Random question, but do you happen to know if anyone in the coven has a familiar that takes the form of a large gray wolf with blue eyes?
I’m pocketing my phone, not expecting a reply until later. There’s no cell service in the Covenstead, where Ruby resides since she’s a professor at Grim Gate Academy. But it’s summer and she’s only doing part time summer school and texts me back right away.
Ruby: No. It’s a bit of an unwritten rule in our coven not to have your familiar take the form of a wolf. We’re a tad protective of the Ley line and won’t allow any packs to settle here so it would be a little distasteful to have a wolf familiar.
Me: Oh, interesting, and that makes total sense. And thanks!
Ruby: I’m guessing there’s a reason you want to know? I don’t mean to pry, I’m just curious
.
I bite my lip, debating on what to tell her. Ruby has been nothing but exceptionally kind and helpful to the point where I consider her a friend. But she’s seemed distracted lately and I get the feeling that something is going on in her personal life. I don’t want to burden her any more than necessary.
Me: Just trying to work through another memory.
I feel bad for lying so I promise myself I’ll come clean if I need to. Though something nags at me, telling me this isn’t a total lie. Because thereissomething familiar about the wolf. The memory spell is pretty much totally lifted, but the mental confusion the High Priestess warned about is strong. I have dual memories of the same event: one memory of what actually happened and another of an alternate reality that Estelle carefully crafted to protect me. Most times, the real memories are obvious, but other times I have to really think back and can’t decide what was real or not real.
It’s not like I expect to remember everything that happened in perfect clarity throughout my childhood. Normal memories fade, and our perception shifts as we age, skewing how we look back on things. But I know I’ve seen that wolf before, and it’s like her name is on the tip of my tongue.