"Willow's Missing Tail" 19
By Penny4athought
- 306 reads
Perfidia breezed into the kitchen with a dreamy expression and Daphne giggled. “Looks like the love bug has bitten my cousin; imagine that!”
Perfidia’s expression slid from blissful to dangerous as she focused on Daphne who was sitting at the kitchen table with a smug smile on her face.
“You know Daphne, I believe there’s more of that orange goop in the air; you should be careful or it might rain down on you.”
Daphne looked up warily but responded with equal confidence, “And you should know I have more of that blue hue; maybe I’ll tint your skin this time. It’ll go nicely with your hair.”
“Enough!” Martha shook her head at them, “We have to find a solution to the sibling rivalry; so please, can we focus on that.”
“You’re right. Did you find any useful information in that book?” Perfidia nodded to the large book on the table.
“Not yet; I was just about to ask."
Perfidia walked over and sat down at the table as Martha made the request.
"Is there a way to break the twin-sibling rivalry?” she asked the book.
The book vibrated, its cover flew open and the pages turned with lightning speed until it stopped on one with an artistic sketch of two cats that looked exactly like Willow and Thistle, with tails aimed in battle.
“That must be what we're looking for,” Perfidia said.
“Does it keep turning the pages for us or can we touch it?” Daphne asked curious about the book as she leaned closer and moved her hand towards it to turn the page but before she could, the page turned on its own.
"The book knows what we need to see so no, we won't need to turn a page, but we do need to respect it," Martha advised as they all leaned closer to the book
"It's earned my respect,” Daphne murmured. Although she wasn’t truly invested in helping the cats, it would help her pass the time until Avery was found. She skimmed over the page's boring details until she found the passage that offered a remedy. "Look here, it says ‘The twin-siblings must be contained in a room devoid of magic in order to defeat the desire for ultimate power. If they survive the night, they will retain their individual powers and be able to co-exist without conflict. But, if the balance of power shifts inequitably before the sunrise, only one cat will emerge from the room the next morning’,” Daphne finished reading and looked up at Martha, “So that’s the answer.”
Martha shook her head. “That’s not the answer or it can’t be the only answer. I’m not risking Willow. Let’s keep reading, there has to be an alternative.”
Perfidia hoped there was too, but when she read the last line on the very, large page, her heart sank, and she didn’t want to tell Martha that looking for another way, was a moot point.
Daphne wasn’t as empathetic as Perfidia and eagerly read the line out loud. “According to this, there’s no other way to end the rivalry,” Daphne read it to Martha and pointed to it as well, “See, it says so, right here.”
“Yes, I can see that,” Martha grumbled, “but it doesn’t matter; I’m not risking Willow.”
Willow already knew of the remedy in that book and jumped up on a chair next to her human, and began to purr with a purpose.
Martha’s eyes narrowed on the feline and she shook her head. “No Willow. I can’t let you do this; it’s too dangerous and…I don’t want to lose you.”
Willow purred louder and the sound had a calming effect on all three women.
“Wow, do you feel a warm hug?” Daphne asked with surprise.
“What is that?” Perfidia asked settling into the warmth that was all around her.
“It’s a cat’s secret weapon,” Martha told them, trying hard to contain the deep sigh of contentment that wanted release. She fought it for as long as she could but it was of no use, her fear had been dispelled, against her will. She looked at Willow and nodded. “Okay, if you want to do this; I will help.”
Willow stopped purring just as Thistle slunk into the room. The cats made eyes contact and with mutual understanding of the situation, created their respective, protective bubbles to prepare for the night ahead.
“So, how do you devoid a room of magic? I didn’t even know a room had its own magic?” Daphne inquired looking around the kitchen, expecting pots and pans to start flying into the air from their proper places.
Martha closed the large book and answered, “Magic is elemental; it’s everywhere and nowhere, depending on what you see.”
“Or feel,” Perfidia added.
“I don’t see or feel any magic in this room; should I?” Daphne asked Martha, feeling inferior and not liking the feeling.
“It’s a talent that takes time to hone, like any skill you wish to master, you need to practice,” Martha advised with a kind smile of encouragement.
“I thought I only needed a familiar to bring out magic,” Daphne shrugged, “I ask Sahara to do something and she does it…that’s all I’ve ever needed.”
“Yes, a familiar will do what they're asked, within reason, but they wouldn’t have attached to us if we didn’t have at least some amount of intuiting.” Martha informed.
“Huh, then my intuition must be more of a subliminal thing; I didn’t know I had the talent for it. But I must have,” she grinned at Perfidia but before her cousin could say something negative, she turned back to Martha, “So, do we ask our familiars to rid the room of magic? We do have three of them, your new cat,” she nodded to Perfidia, “my parrot and that other cat, Ram. I would think three is a sufficient number of familiars to drain a room of magic.”
“No number of familiars can help us, not with this kind of cancel magic,” Martha replied, “What we need are specific plants and potions and a formal request.”
“I have the plants and potions we'll need; the ones that absorb static magic,” Perfidia assured her.
“Good, and you should gather them while I go to the meadow.”
“What’s in the meadow?” Daphne asked with a curious look at Martha.
Martha and Perfidia locked eyes for a second, Perfidia’s telegraphing uncertainty of how much Martha should disclose to her cousin.
“So, what is it, a secret or something?” Daphne asked seeing the look that passed between them and not liking the feeling of being left out.
Perfidia shook her head because she knew Martha was going to ignore her warning.
“I have to make a formal request for the repression of primordial magic from sunset to sunrise.”
“Ohhh, and that's somewhere in that meadow? That sounds like fun; can I go with you?” Daphne asked grinning from ear to ear with anticipation.
“No, I’ll g...,” Perfidia started to say she would go with Martha but remembered her date with Jon. She felt conflicted. “Martha, I said I’d go out with Jon tonight and he’s picking me up at seven but…I’ll cancel it. This is more important.”
“Don’t cancel; ask him to join us.” Martha suggested.
Perfidia felt a jolt of fear at what his joining them could mean. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea…in fact, I know it’s not a good idea.”
“What are you afraid of? Is it because I’m here?” Daphne teased.
“Yes, but that’s not why.”
“Oh…what else could it be?” Daphne scoffed.
Martha’s brow lifted and Perfidia felt the weight of her unasked question. “I’m not ready for …it’s not that I…Look, I just don’t think it’s a good idea okay?” Perfidia gave her an adamant look because she couldn't explain it.
“Fine, don't invite him; who cares,” Daphne shrugged.
Martha lifted the heavy book off the table intent on bringing it back to its shelf in the living room but turned back to Perfidia to instruct, “When you gather the plants and potions leave them in my bedroom before you go on your date.”
“No,. I told you I’ll cancel it; I want to help Willow and Thistle,”
“You won’t have to change your plans…if you change the venue,” Martha suggested again.
Perfidia bristled, battling with the suggestion, before agreeing with a clenched jaw, “Fine, I’ll call Jon and ask him to join us, after I get the plants and potions. And I’ll also go with you to the meadow to make the request stronger.”
“I think that sounds like a good plan.” Martha said with a satisfied smile, even as Perfidia’s frown increased.
"Sure, a great plan," Perfidia grumbled under her breath as she walked out the backdoor to head to her garden.
Martha chuckled as she walked out of the room with the book.
Daphne’s smile was a shade devious as she followed Martha into the living room.
“So…can I go with you to the meadow?” she asked as Martha placed the large book back in its regal place.
Martha turned and looked at Daphne. “I suppose you can; we just need to wait for Perfidia.”
“Of course but, what if she takes too long looking for those potions and plants; isn’t there an exact time we need to start things?” Daphne asked with an innocent look, and an undetected nod to her parrot who’d been watching her from the curtain rod.
Martha didn’t notice it because she’d turned to look at the grandfather clock in the room. “We do have to start promptly at sunset, but we have time and Perfidia shouldn’t be that long.”
“No, she shouldn’t be,” Daphne agreed, “but she will be,” she murmured imperceptibly low, too low for Martha to hear.
Perfidia gathered the plants needed from her garden and walked to her potion room to gather the vials. She’d quickly found all but one vial and stood staring at her shelves with a curious frown.
It should have been right there on the shelf and it didn’t make sense that it wasn’t. She hadn’t moved it from its usual spot…so where was it?
It took Perfidia much too long, much longer then it should have, to find that last potion.
It had been tucked behind another vial, and that was very odd.
She glanced at the time and knew she was pushing it and quickly placed the last potion into the box with the others then lifted it to take back to the house.
She walked into the kitchen expecting to see Martha and Daphne waiting for her but she was surprised to find the room was empty. She put the box down on the long kitchen table and went to search the house. She looked in every room of her very, large house and concluded they weren’t anywhere.
The last room was her bedroom and there she frowned at Chaos lounging on the foot of her bed.
“Where did they go; do you know?” she asked the cat.
Chaos looked up at her and blinked one sleepy eye. An image of Martha and Daphne stepping into the meadow appeared briefly in the air before it faded into particle dust and vanished in a sparkle of sunlight.
“Oh no, Martha should have known better; you can’t trust Daphne around ancient magic. Come on Chaos, we have to make sure Daphne doesn’t do anything stupid.”
Perfidia briskly walked through the garden with Chaos in tow, hurrying to the willow tree Martha had had Willow plant for her.
She was walking through the open, wooded area of her land when something felt off, something wasn’t right. The vast space of her land felt smaller, as if something was intruding on it.
Perfidia stopped walking to scan her eyes over the land. “What’s here Chaos?” she whispered to the cat.
Chaos’s ears turned in every direction then he meowed decisively and ran off ahead of her.
Perfidia couldn’t full out run in the party heels she wore, but she did power walk as fast as she could to keep up with the cat.
Chaos slunk cautiously up to a spot between an old sycamore tree and a young Maple, eyeing the space with interest as her human caught up to her.
“Is this where the something is?” Perfidia whispered.
Chaos meowed and tilted his head looking up at a odd bird sitting on a maple tree branch.
“Oh no; it’s you,” the bird twittered with annoyance in a very, familiar voice.
Perfidia looked up and narrowed her eyes on the purple and orange bird. “Are you kidding me? Is Avery taking up room on my land?”
“Hush! Hush!” Robin warned as flew down to land a few feet away from her and his form changed from bird to man.
“Don’t hush me,” Perfidia warned back and considered making a ring of fire around him, but she didn’t want to singe her grass.
The purple suited, orange tied delivery-bird man took Perfidia by the elbow and walked her a few feet away from the maple tree. “Please keep quiet; it’s a secret we’re here and we need you to keep it a secret. Daphne cannot know.”
Perfidia considered his words and understood Avery would want to keep an eye on her cousin. She couldn’t blame him; she would have done the same. But before she could decide on giving her permission, or not, the invisible door between the trees opened inward.
“Welcome Perfidia; please do come in.” Avery stood just inside the entry in his usual, formal attire and bowed slightly.
“What are you sponsoring in there a mad tea party?” she laughed as she watched Avery’s gracious demeanor slip into annoyed.
“Yes, and the mad hatter is upset you’re late,” he grumbled, “Please Perfida just come inside.”
Perfidia needed to get to Martha to make sure Daphne didn’t tamper with ancient magic, but she knew Martha was nobody's fool and she must have know the risk. Also, she was intrigued to hear what Avery had to say; his eyes looked so serious…she almost laughed again.
“Sure, I’ve got minute,” she stepped inside and was swallowed by the nothingness.
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Comments
Oh dear, it looks like there
Oh dear, it looks like there's more trouble ahead. I wonder what Daphne's up to now. I hope Martha knows what she's doing taking Daphne into the meadow. Not only that, but we also have to wonder what's going to happen to Perfidia.
So many questions are keeping me enjoying your story Penny.
Keep going.
Jenny.
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Lovely to read another
Lovely to read another instalment of your super story :0) I loved Willow's purr magic!
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