"Willow's Missing Tail" 18

Willow pussyfooted behind Avery following him for several blocks after he left the café and was surprised he hadn’t led her to his sports car and drove away. Instead of the hasty retreat Willow was expecting him to take, Avery was sneaking cautiously down side-streets and he was oddly meandering closer to Perfidia’s neighborhood.

Willow’s cat-eyes narrowed with surprise when Avery turned down Perfidia’s road and she watched him stealthily slip into the surrounding, thick wooded area. Willow did the same.

 

Avery looked around to make sure no one had seen him or followed. He stepped behind a tree and waited a second before running over to another tree. He did this running and stopping by trees until he reached one particular tree. There he knocked on an unseen door between it and a large maple.

An invisible door swung inward revealing Max, waiting to welcome him back.

“Protecting the homestead are you, Max?” Avery chuckled.

Max nodded his furry head and meowed with pride. Then Robin flew down from a maple branch and inquired in a bird-weary sigh, “Was your mission successful or must we move again?”

“It was successful Robin. I believe Martha can be trusted; she’ll keep a wary eye on Daphne and from here…we can too,” he responded, picking up Max and stepping into the invisible doorway before it closed behind him turning the entry invisible once again.

Willow set to cat memory Avery's precise location before she turned and ran back through the woods and back to Perfidia’s garden.

Chaos and Ram were sleeping under tall stalks of gladiolas which had replaced Willow’s beloved delphiniums; she gave them a guttural meow as she passed them on her way to the cat door that led into the kitchen.

Thistle was waiting there and Willow stopped a foot away from her sibling.

Thistle didn’t want to keep challenging Willow but it was difficult to control the natural impulse that drove her; she meowed an apology even as her tail flicked with intent in Willow’s direction.

Willow dodged the dark magic aimed at her having quickly built a bubble of resistance and the barbed magic ineffectively bounced off, and rebounded towards Thistle.

Thistle avoided the returning, charged bolt by running into the garden, but she wasn’t unhappy with her lack of success; she was relieved.

 

Minutes later Willow sauntered into the kitchen but stopped when she saw the occupants. She had to blink twice at the sight of a blue haired human sitting with her human and shook her furry head seeing the blue haired one had the face of the red-haired one; it was a confusing revelation.

Perfidia noticed Willow’s reluctance to come closer and chuckled. “Yes, it’s me.”

Martha turned and saw Willow too. “I know Willow’s wondering what you’ve done to yourself,” she chuckled, “I have to say, I’m surprised you haven’t already changed it back Perfidia.”

Perfidia patted her strange colored hair and shrugged. “I kind of like the blue hue…for now.”

Daphne smiled at them as she finished the last of her tea. She felt relaxed and unburdened after the earlier conversation. It was unusual for her to share her feelings but it had felt good to share them with her cousin, and Martha. She didn’t have close friends, not since she and Perfidia were ten and told each other everything, so the feeling of acceptance, of belonging somewhere was unexpected, and nice. She might even consider staying in this town and starting over…after she destroyed Avery of course.

 

Willow slunk over to her empty treat bowl and gave a disappointed meow.

“I’ve got your favorite food ready,” Martha told the cat and went to prepare the cat’s lunch.

“That is one spoiled familiar,” Daphne mumbled.

Perfidia might have agreed with that sentiment at one time but now she knew how vital Willow’s talents were. She’d helped Martha and her during those summer havocs; the cat deserved to be respected. “No, she isn’t spoiled. Willow is a cat of high worth and intelligence and I don’t think you should ever underestimate her; I’ve learned that lesson and I don’t….not anymore.” She smiled at the cat.

Willow tilted her little head and made an odd sound low in her throat; it sounded a lot like a chuckle…but cat’s can’t chuckle…can they? Perfidia wondered and gave the feline a curious look.  “Like I said, Willow is more than special.”

Daphne shrugged, “Whatever...I just know Willow was a lot of trouble and I was sorry I’d captured her. She wasn’t any help to me.”

“I wouldn’t expect her to be,” Martha answered, “A familiar is loyal to their human and to those within her human’s circle. You were acting in the fashion of an enemy so of course Willow would do her best to hinder you.”

Daphne nodded. “Your cat is good at that but I suppose it’s true; I was the enemy. You don’t ever have to worry about that cat; she’s a formidable foe.”

“Now that I’ll agree with,” Martha smiled.

 

When Willow finished her lunch she sat down and watched her human.

Martha brought the empty dishes to the kitchen sink and told Perfidia and Daphne she was going to get the book on familiars to see if there was a chapter on ridding the twin felines of the desire to take away their sibling’s power.

“Good idea Martha. We need to help Willow and Thistle get over it.” Perfidia agreed.

Daphne couldn’t have cared less about the sibling cat’s dilemma; she needed a plan to handle her own dilemma with Avery, but she held her opinion and nodded.

 

Martha walked into the living room and over to the bookshelf where the book lounged royally.

Willow followed her into the room.

“Did you find him?” Martha whispered.

Willow nodded and a small paper drifted down into Martha’s hand. She looked at the address and the tiny x marked map and her eyes widened. She turned and looked out the large, picture window that framed the woods beyond Perfidia’s garden and shook her head in disbelief. “You’re kidding me; he’s hiding in plain sight?” she mumbled to the cat who meowed with affirmation.

On further consideration Martha revised her judgment. Avery wasn’t just hiding…he was watching the enemy and she realized it was the perfect place for him to be, for her plan too. She didn’t have to go very far to bring the two combatants together and make them listen to each other.

She lifted the heavy book of familiars down from the shelf and smiled; she’d already begun to form a plan and her first need, was to ask Perfidia for a gallon of that truth potion.

Martha brought the large tome into the kitchen and placed it reverently on the long table.

Daphne and Perfidia stared at it with differing thoughts.

Daphne didn’t understand why it was so big? It was just caring for a cat; how hard could that be?

Perfidia, once again, felt the overwhelming importance of being responsible for the care of a familiar, and she didn’t know if she was good enough to meet that challenge.

“Okay, let’s find that chapter on twin siblings.”

Perfidia nodded and as Martha turned the pages her heart began to race at all the instructions her eyes scanned over.

Martha had just found the chapter they needed to read when classical music filled the air;

Beethoven’s Für Elise played beautifully, alerting them to a visitor.

“I don’t know who could that be,” Perfidia frowned at Martha.

“Maybe it’s Avery.” Daphne giggled wickedly,” Oh, I do hope it is!”

“I don’t think so,” Martha reasoned, “but we won’t know who it is until we answer the door.”

Perfidia stood up and walked out of the kitchen, followed by Martha and Daphne.

Perfidia opened the front door to a beaming Odessa.

 

“Perfidia you’ll never guess what happened,” Odessa gushed.

“Your ghost orchids are back?” Perfidia said with a tiny triumphant smile.

“How did you know?”

“Let’s say…I saw a path to bringing them back to you and I took it.”

“Well, thank you-

“I gave them back ‘Idia’ so don’t go taking credit for it!” Daphne fumed interrupting Odessa’s grateful response and using the childhood nickname she’d given her cousin because it sounded like idiot. Naturally, Perfidia hated the name and by the look on her face, she still did.

“I’m not taking credit from you Pris,” Perfidia purred then turned back to Odessa, “I do have to give credit to my cousin ‘Pris’, since she was the one who stole them from you and had to be the one to restore them. I just made her do it.” Perfidia concluded the last with a smile of vengeance.

Daphne fumed silently but she didn’t correct her cousin this time.

Odessa shook her head. “I don’t want anyone to argue over it; I’m just happy they’re back and in good condition too.”

“I took care of them,” Daphne grumbled sourly then added in a softer tone, “I like flowers.”

“You do,” Odessa asked giving her a shrewd look, “You’re welcome to come to my garden anytime and help me tend to the many varieties I grow there, and sell.”

“Do you mean you’d give me a job?” Daphne asked unsure of the offer.

“Yes, if you’d like one.”

“I think I would,” Daphne admitted shyly, surprising herself by her response and the deep happiness the thought evoked.

“I could use the help since my business is growing by the day. Can you come over next week?”

“Yes, I can.” Daphne gave a determined nod.

Martha was surprised by the demure demeanor on Daphne. Then she smiled at Odessa for her perceptiveness and asked, “Would you like to come in and have a cup of tea?”

“No thank you Martha; I have so mush to do…Roger and Gloria’s wedding is almost here and I have a lot left to plan, but I did want to give you the good news.”

“We appreciate that,” Martha smiled.

Odessa turned to leave and Perfidia was about to close the door when they all saw a car roll up to Perfidia’s driveway. Perfidia’s eyes widened knowing who would step out of that car. “Oh no, it’s Jon,” Perfidia whispered with a frantic look to Martha.

“Yes, its hunky Jon,” Daphne sighed dreamily and Perfidia poked her in the ribs with her elbow, “Ouch.”

“Back it up ‘Pris’,” Perfidia warned and stepped in front of her as Jon walked up the steps to the front door.

“Hi again Jon,” Daphne sang out and waved to him, earning another sharp elbow in the ribs.

“Uhh…hi,” Jon responded weakly to Perfidia’s cousin before he turned a hundred watt smile on Perfidia. “There you are; you’ve been so elusive I began to think you’d disappeared.”

Perfidia giggled like a schoolgirl then quickly swallowed it, embarrassed by the telling reaction. She knew she’d be teased about it later by her eavesdropping cousin and tried to look less happy.

“Hi Jon,” she said with a shrug.

“Come on Daphne; let’s give them privacy,” Martha suggested in a whisper, taking Daphne by the elbow to walk her away.

Daphne would have liked to stay and listen but she could see by Perfidia’s eyes that whatever was between her and Jon was serious. “Okay,” she shrugged then added, “lets go have a look in that book and see if we can find a remedy for what ails those two cats.”

Perfidia was relived Daphne had left with Martha and turned a genuine smile on Jon. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t answer your texts last night but my phone was having spotty reception.” She wasn't lying; it was very spotty in the meadow when they were trapped there. In fact, the meadow had no reception at all since it didn’t actually exist in a normal space.

“I’m just glad you’re here now,” Jon whispered stepping closer to her," That's a new look for you, blue tint?"

Perfidia grew shy and patted her hair, " Uhh, yes?" she said in a unsure voice. 

"I like it," he whispered.

Perfidia felt self-conscious because of the way he was looking at her and had to change the subject. “So...did you ever find Mannix?”

“As a matter of fact, that's why I was calling you yesterday. I did find him; it seems he has a feline friend in the neighborhood I wasn’t aware of. He came back this morning.”

“That’s good then,” she smiled.

“It is, but it’s not the only reason I came over today.”

“No?”

“No,” he grinned, “I wanted to ask you to dinner; it’s our three month anniversary and I thought we should celebrate.”

“Three months? Is that a thing?”

“For us…definitely,” his grin increased in wattage.

Perfidia sighed, dazzled by the light, and nodded. “Okay,”

“I’ll pick you up at seven,” he told her and kissed her before he left her standing in the doorway, leaning on the door jam, smiling ridiculously long after his car had left the driveway and driven away.