Scaredy Kat

  Scaredy Kat

  Copyright © October 2009, Dahlia Rose

  Cover art by Amira Press © October 2009

  Amira Press

  Baltimore, MD 21216

  www.amirapress.com

  ISBN: 978-1-935348-67-2

  No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and e-mail, without prior written permission from Amira Press.

  Dedication

  To my own knight, who always give me my Halloween wishes.

  Mr. Pearson you are my one and my only.

  Chapter One

  “In this time and in this hour, I call upon the ancient power;

  “Goddesses of fire, earth, wind, and water,

  “Grant me this boon on the witching hour.

  “On All Hallow night, I, ask for my mate,

  “My passion and desire will soon abate.

  “Send me a love who can set fire to my heart;

  “Set two souls on a sacred path.

  “Goddesses, hear my plea;

  “Send my true love hence forth to me.”

  Kat stood in the sacred circle she had created with her eyes closed and sighed. Damn! Why wasn’t it working? As a practicing green witch, she had turned to a love spell as a last resort. But after attending another Halloween party alone, she decided enough was enough. Katrina Julio spent a lot of time in bookstores with her nose buried between the pages of a book. If it wasn’t that, she was at home creating herbal punches and charms for her Internet business. She was twenty-five and single, and compared to some of her friends, she considered herself mousy. Standing at only five feet, she had her curly locks colored bronze and that only happened because her best friend Sadie had convinced her to. She wore glasses over light brown eyes, and her skin was a golden brown color. Even though Sadie tried to convince her she was a hot chick, Kat could not see it. She was shy, and when it came to meeting guys, her tongue seemed not to work. Maybe that was why she was dubbed Scaredy Kat from the time she was a child.

  After she walked home from the party amid the decorations to celebrate Halloween, which was a few days away, Kat decided enough was enough. What was the point of being a witch if she couldn’t use it to help herself every now and again? Sadie’s costume party was a huge success, but everyone there had come with someone or had hooked up at the party. By the time eleven came around, she had seen enough couples smooching in the elaborately decorated house or new couples forming while they talked that she’d had enough. Even Sadie’s husband had tried to hook her up with his dorky accountant. Kat knew she was not the shiniest jewel in the basket. But listening to the accountant . . . whatever his name was . . . talk about tax forms, well, it was like watching paint dry.

  So she came home and pulled out one of her grandmother’s spell books from the chest where they were kept and blew off the dust. Her grandmother and her mother were all practicing witches and taught her the craft as she grew up. Her “mopsy”, a pet name she had for her grandmother, said she was going to be a witch of great power. Obviously not tonight, Kat thought miserably. The candle flames had not even danced like how they usually did when she charmed her potions and crystals. Kat sighed. She closed her circle and, after doing the ritual cleaning, went downstairs to feast on her junk food. Maybe stuffing herself with chocolate or some other treat would make her feel better.

  “It still won’t make your heart pangs of loneliness go away.”

  “Oh, shut your trap, Mystique,” Kat said in irritation

  “I’m just telling you what you already know. Those aren’t hunger pangs you are feeling.”

  Mystique was Kat’s familiar from the time she was eighteen. Her mother had sent her on a quest to find her familiar on her eighteenth birthday, and in Charlotte, North Carolina, it should not have been such a hard task. She had searched for three nights straight. Each time she came home with a cat, her mom asked, “Did it speak to you?” When she shook her head no, her mom tsked softly and said, “Katrina, take that animal back to where you got it.”

  Finally, when she was walking home with her head down in defeat, she heard a voice ask, “Hey, can you help me out here?” Kat turned around swiftly and looked down when the voice yelled, “Down here!” Over by some bushes, she saw a dog caught in the thorny branches.

  “Are you talking to me?” Kat asked softly as she squatted down to help the animal.

  “I’m not talking to myself,” the dog replied.

  I’m going crazy, she had thought to herself. But she took the dog home and her mom asked the same question. This time, she could answer with an emphatic yes that the animal had talk to her. He mom looked at the dog with a raised eyebrow but said nothing except, “You found your familiar.” And Kat was stuck with the little pug dog named Mystique who had picked her own name. For her size, the small dog had the personality of Mack truck. She could hear Kat’s thoughts and Kat could hear her replies. To anyone else, it just sounded like a dog barking. And now she had to listen to a pug dog tell her about her love life.

  “So did the spell work?” Mystique asked. On short legs, she followed Kat into the kitchen. She jumped up on the bench of the breakfast nook by the window seat.

  “You weren’t even around when I came in the house. How did you know I was doing a spell?” Kat replied, pulling cookie dough ice cream out of the fridge.

  “I know every time you send magic out, honey, since your mother charmed me. Plus, I am older than you, and I do have a thing called instinct.”

  “In dog years,” Kat said with a snort of laughter.

  “Fine, if you are going to be like that I’m going to bed.”

  “I’m sorry, Mystique, come back!” She forgot about how easily the little dog could be offended and tried to bribe her. “I’ll be good, and I’ll even make you a little treat!”

  “If I can get some of the ham in the fridge, you have a deal,” the little dog said walking back in.

  She pulled the ham out of the fridge, cutting a few slices off and putting them on a plate in front of her familiar. “The spell didn’t work, if you must know. I don’t see how Mopsy could say I am powerful.”

  “Well, first off, you know that personal gain spells don’t work, and you know that love is something that can’t be charmed. It has to be given freely and accepted in return.” Mystique nibbled at her ham daintily.

  “I know, but I was all alone at that party. It was so bad that Mark tried to set me up with his accountant.”

  “How did that go?”

  “It was like watching the grass grow.” Kat sat and took a bite of her ice cream. She waved her hand over the potted flower that sat in the middle of the table. As if dancing to a tune, the flower followed her fingers as she waved them from left to right. “I have been on three dates all year, and none of them panned out.”

  “You can’t force love, my dear Katrina,” Mystique consoled. “When it is time, you will find yours.”

  Kat made a noncommittal noise in the back of her throat. “It better come along soon before I get old and have to trade you in for a cat.”

  Mystique’s snort of offense at the thought of being traded in caused Kat to giggle around a mouth full of cookie dough ice cream. Her spell may not have worked, but at least she had tried.

  * * * *

  In a place where time and space can be bent at will, Gareth, a warlock was in a fight for his life. Caught in a battle where he tried to save his king whose court had decided to coup. The sorcerer named Genesis, whose evils could corrupt anyone and anything, had stolen the Gem of Chale and now was using it to take over the realm. The battle was running fierce and the king was in hiding for his own safety, yet Gareth stayed to fight. He was losing a battle against Genesis,
his strength waning fast, because of the gem, the sorcerer’s strength was now tenfold. The next strike of magic sent him to his knees, and Gareth looked up as Genesis walked toward him slowly. A cold sneer was on his face, and his eyes were black as coal. The gem glinted from a cold chain around his neck. The center of the stone had begun to turn black against the emerald gleaming from the chain. His evil had started to rot the gem from its core.

  “Such a pity it has to end like this, warlock of Herion.” Genesis stood with the warlock on his knees and formed a ball of black energy in his hand. “You could have crossed over like the others, but now your fate is sealed.”

  “Get on with it,” Gareth replied. He was tired and ready to accept his fate.. “Better to be dead than listen to your pompous speech.”

  Genesis raised his hand in anger to hit the Gareth with the death blow when the air around them began to crackle with energy that was not of the realm they existed in. It shimmered behind them, getting brighter each second, and he could hear the words of a spell being whispered in the wind. The voice was soft and melodious as it chanted the final words, “Bring my love henceforth to me.”

  As Genesis sent his black magic towards Gareth, he felt himself being pulled from his time and sent hurtling though space to a destination unknown. He came out on the other side and landed on a floor with a thug, an oof escaped his lips as the breath was knocked out of him. He rolled over on his back with a groan and looked around the room. It was now beginning to be filled with the light of a new day. A white piece of furniture sat in the room, and it was loaded with colorful pillows. The rest of the room had wicker things with hanging plants and crystals on shelves. The warlock put his hand over his eyes and thanked the goddess that he was alive. But where am I?

  Chapter Two

  Kat stared at the man who stood in her living room dressed in a long dark coat and high boots. His hair was black as a raven’s wing and cut low in the front emphasizing the widow’s peek that grew down a little on his forehead. The back was long and spilled on to the back of his coat. His eyes were the color of emeralds, and they captivated her immediately. He was tall and his shoulders broad under the long coat he wore. She brought her mind back to the subject at hand—where had he come from? Her spell had worked, but where did she summon him from?

  “You have no need for your weapon, you shall not be harmed,” he said. “I am Gareth, warlock of Herion.”

  “Oh this, this is an umbrella and it shades . . . well, never mind.” Kat looked at him and blew out of breath of amazement. She was trying to get over her initial shock of seeing him in her living room. She was amazed her spell had worked and had pulled him from God knew where. “I need a cup of coffee, Gareth, is it? Um . . . Okay, you can . . . Uh, follow me in here . . . Yeah, we should talk . . . I think.”

  Gareth raised an eyebrow at her flustered words but said nothing as he followed her into a different room. Kat went directly to her coffeemaker, measured out her favorite breakfast blend, and, on impulse, added two more scoops into the filter. She was going to need her coffee extra strong this morning. She watched as he walked around the sunlight room and touched things in wonder. He walked over to her, looked over her shoulder when he heard the coffeemaker begin to sputter, and watched as the dark liquid began to pool out.

  “What manner of magic is this?” Gareth asked. “Why does the water turn dark?”

  He was standing entirely too close when he asked the question, and Kat moved from being trapped between him and the counter. He smelled of the outdoors and nature, and she thought maybe citrus. That she was close enough to smell him and find it appealing made her move around to the other side of the counter quickly. “It’s called coffee. That is why it has gone dark, and it isn’t magic. It’s a coffeemaker.”

  “Where am I? And why did your spell summon me, witch?” Kat watched as he looked over at Mystique curiously who was grinning as only a pug dog could. “What manner of animal is this?”

  “Hey, buddy, don’t be rude,” Mystique retorted. Kat watched Gareth’s eyes widen in surprise.

  “First, my name is Katrina, not witch. Everyone calls me Kat.” She put her hands on her hips and gave her unusual guest what she hoped was a stern look. “This is my pug dog and familiar. She goes my the name Mystique. You are in Charlotte, North Carolina, on the planet Earth.

  “Of course I know it is Earth,” he scoffed. “I too come from an Earth, but from a different universe. I need to know what realm I am in.”

  “Okay, you’re in the twenty-first century. I am assuming your realm is alternate to this.”

  He nodded. “My realm is in the nexus of Herion, a place where magic is blessed upon the land. They call you Kat?” At her nod, he said, “I shall call you Katrina.”

  “Unbelievable,” Kat breathed. She moved around his massive frame that seemed to be taking up most of the room in the kitchen. She took two mugs off the rack and filled them with the hot liquid. Since she didn’t know if he even drank coffee, she made his cup like hers, with cream and sugar. “Here, try this.”

  Gareth took the ceramic mug from her hand and looked at the midnight blue pattern that was printed on it before sniffing the steaming liquid suspiciously.

  Kat gave a small laugh. “Try it, it won’t kill you. Nor is it some kind of potion to render you weak and defenseless.”

  Gareth looked at her for a minute before taking a sip. His eyes lit up when he tasted the coffee. “This is very good. What is it made of?”

  “Coffee beans ground up. I’ll have to get you some books.”

  He took another long sip of his coffee. “Why did you bring me here, Katrina?”

  Kat felt uncomfortable, and a heat rose up her cheeks. “I . . . Uh, was not technically trying to get you here.” She let out an exasperated breath. “If you must know, it was a love spell I sent out last night. How was I to know that it would pull you from your realm?”

  “As a witch, you should know that you cannot charm love. It must be freely given,” Gareth said while he stared at her.

  “I told her the same thing,” Mystique piped in.

  “See even pug . . . .” At the growl that came from the small dog, Gareth changed his words. “I am sorry, even Mystique knows this.”

  “Mystique is a suck-up,” Kat muttered. “I know the rules but I felt . . . never mind what I felt. It happened and now we have to fix it.”

  “It might be that you saved my life, Katrina. So I thank you for your misdirected magic.”

  Gareth took her hand in his, raised it to his lips, and kissed the tender spot on her wrist. Katrina felt her pulse flutter under his lips. When he moved his lips, he still held her hand, rubbing her wrist with his thumb. A spark of energy jolted them both. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow in question while Katrina felt like her breath ceased in her body. Somehow, as if pulled by instinct, she rested the palm of her hand against his and moved it away just a little. There was a blue energy crackling from his hand to hers. It reminded Kat of the globe that made your hair stand on end and the energy chased your palm when you touched it. She remembered a field trip when she was a child to a science fair, and when she touched the globe, her power had shorted it out.

  Katrina broke the contact quickly and rubbed her palm against her bathrobe. That was unlike anything she had ever experienced.

  “Well, that was new to me. Your power is magnificent, Katrina. Mine was taught to me and was learned from years of meditation to open my mind. Your power is in your blood,” Gareth said. “What can you do if I may ask?”

  “Not much. I charm potions and herbal medicines for my Web site shop.” He raised that eyebrow again and opened his mouth to ask, but Kat cut him off. “I’ll show you later. But so far, this is all I seem to be able to do.”

  She went to her breakfast nook, brought her flower over, and sat on the stool by the counter. Kat took a breath and put her hand over the flower. She felt Gareth’s eyes watching as the flowers followed her fingers. Concentrating some more, she
caused more buds to grow on the stem of the plant and flowers to burst free.

  “That was very remarkable. But there is so much more to your power, Katrina.” As he spoke, his voice took on a soft husky sound.

  Kat watched his eyes darken. Around her, she saw flowers fall from the sky and vines laden with blooms crawl up the walls of her kitchen, which left her speechless. Just as quickly, they all disappeared, only leaving one lone orchid in her hand.

  “Showoff,” Kat said with a smile.

  “You could do that and more than I ever could, if you just release the power in yourself.”

  “I don’t think so. I’m just happy that I can charm for my magic shop.” Kat pushed her glasses up on her nose and looked away from Gareth, who was staring at her as if he was trying to see into her soul. “Now you said that I may have saved your life. How did I do that?”