Chapter 5

• Maddy was just about to open the door when a thought occurred. How did she explain this? She wondered. “I have a cat, are you allergic?”
• Colin shook his head. “Not that I know of.”
• Nodding, she opened the door. As she went through it she called out. “Whiskers, I’m back — with company.” She really, really hoped Whiskers would take that prompt and go out and lounge under a tree. As she turned to close the door, Colin grabbed her and quickly shoved her behind him.
• “That’s a bloody panther!” Colin stood there and watched the creature leisurely stroll toward them.
• Maddy tried to see what he’d see. The animal was huge. At least six feet long and her shoulders were more than two feet from the floor. She moved gracefully, and Maddy had to admit she was a beautiful animal.
• He’s pretty. A little scared right now, but still pretty.
• Maddy smirked at her pet’s thoughts. “She’s very friendly.” She peeked around Colin and watched how Whiskers was performing for the stranger. “Sorry, I didn’t really know how to warn you.” She moved out from behind him.
• Colin hesitantly reached down and touched the head of the sleek animal, which had sat right beside him and was looking up at him. The head was almost to his hip when it sat. “It’s—”
• “She,” Maddy corrected quickly.
• “She’s gorgeous.” Colin said softly running his hand down the back of the soft fur covered head.
• Smart and pretty.
• Maddy turned amused eyes to her familiar.
• “Isn’t it illegal to keep large cats?”
• She smirked at him and then studied Whiskers for a moment. That was an explanation for later, much later. “Whiskers being here is a long, complicated story.”
• He turned back to the large cat. “Whiskers is also an odd name for an animal this size.” The cat turned amber eyes towards him and gave him a look that stated it—she agreed with him completely.
• Maddy shrugged, “she’s always been whiskers though, uh, since she was tiny.”
• Oh, tell him why I’m not tiny.
• Maddy ignored the cat and set her bag down. Moving into the kitchen she opened the cupboard and stood there. She had more than fifty different tea blends. She had said she’d make him tea, and she would, but truthfully she knew tea wasn’t going to fix this. Shrugging she pulled out a random box and set it on the counter. “Have a seat, Colin. I’ll just put the kettle on.”
• Colin walked over and perched on one of the stools beside the counter. “Oddly enough I haven’t had any more of those pains since we left the museum.”
• Maddy turned and got two cups out. “That’s good.” She set the cups on the counter and turned to lean back against it. She studied him for a moment, trying to find the words to explain it to him. “You’ve never had anything like this before?” He shook his head. “I think I may—well, it’s possible I could—” she sighed. “There is just no way to tell you this without you thinking I’m completely insane.” He sat there giving her a puzzled look. “Do you believe in magic, Colin?”
• He smirked, “like a magician?”
• Maddy shook her head. “Um—no. Although a few that play at the game of illusions do have special abilities. I’m talking about magical people, who can do spectacular things—”
• Colin smirked again. “Like witches?” He chuckled. “Are you an actress—is that what you’re trying to tell me?”
• The kettle whistled. Maddy turned to pour it. “No, I’m not an actress. I’m a hereditary witch.” She fiddled with the tea bags, not wanting to turn around and see his expression.
• “I see.” He really had no idea what to say to that.
• She knew by his tone he was probably plotting how to leave as soon as possible. “I’m not sure you do. Have you ever seen someone do something that you just couldn’t explain? Or thought you were seeing things?” She shrugged, “we’re really not supposed to use magic in the general public, but some do, at a terrible risk.” She glanced over to look at him. His look said it all. Colin thought she was a weirdo.
• “Okay. Uh, so is there a reason for telling me this?” Why did the beautiful ones always have to have some sort of mental flaw?
• Maddy turned from the cups and crossed her arms over her chest. “Yes, actually I do.” She hesitated for a few seconds. “When we were leaving the museum I thought I felt a trace—that’s kind of a feeling you—my kind get when magic has been used—”
• “A trace?” He studied her for a moment, “why are you—”
• He looked like he really wanted to give her a chance. Just in case she wasn’t insane. She let out a quick breath. “I think something was done to us—the pains hitting, but then leaving just as quickly.” Colin raised one eyebrow at her and crossed his arms. Now he probably just wanted to go home.
• “I’m sure there’s a much more—sane explanation for this.”
• Sane? Of course he thought she was insane. How did she prove to him she wasn’t some lunatic? Letting out a slow breath, she took a chance that she’d be able to focus properly and glanced at one of the cups on the counter. Don’t float across the room to him.
• Colin stood as a cup came up off the counter and floated in his direction.
• She wasn’t touching it...she hadn’t rigged it in anyway. When it got close enough he reached out with an unsteady hand and grasped it out of the air. Running his hand under it, and then around it, he looked back at her. “How—”
• “I just told you how.” She leaned back again, more pleased that she’d done it so smoothly than the fact that she had stunned him. “Are you willing to listen now?”
• Colin sat back down and looked at the cup. He set it on the counter beside him and turned to look back at her. “Okay, say I do believe you just moved that cup to me through the air—what does that have to do with my stomach hurting?”
• Maddy sighed, “I’m not sure—yet.” He gave her a doubting look. “When you went around the building the pains came back, but they left when you appeared again—for both of us.” He didn’t say anything, just continued to sit there and look at her. “Okay, I get it...you think I’m some sort of weirdo. Fine. Humor me for ten minutes and let’s see if I’m as crazy as you think I am.” She could tell by his smirk that it was the first thing she’d said he agreed with so far. He did think she was crazy.
• “How?”
• Maddy bit her bottom lip for a moment. “I don’t know the exact working of the spell, so it’s going to take a bit of thought. I do know it has something to do with distance.” She looked out through the window into her back yard. “Let’s go outside and see if I’m right.”
• Colin stood up. “Ten minutes—then I’m going home.”