Hearth Magic by M. A. Phillips

Author:M. A. Phillips
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mermaid, fix later
Publisher: Shadow Spark Publishing
Published: 2020-12-20T00:00:00+00:00

Twenty-One

Cian

The porch light flicked on once Cian pulled into the driveway. The kitten mewed at him from the trap. It had been cumbersome to carry in and out of the vet, and rattled the whole drive. Cian thanked Brigid that the veterinarian was able to fit the cat in for an examination. Lacey spoke of the goddess often, so he knew of her association with domestic animals.

Aside from a tummy full of worms and skin crawling with fleas, the feline was in good health. The doctor administered medications, advised Cian to keep her isolated from Fish for a few days, and sent them on their way.

It had been a whirlwind of an afternoon, and now Cian was introducing more chaos into their lives. The rational and occasionally selfish part of his brain urged him to simply surrender the cat to the shelter, but then she cried in her tiny voice all the way to the animal hospital. Cian's heart turned to mush.

Lacey was already waiting for him on the stoop when he exited his truck.

"Well?" she shouted, momentarily forgetting the hour on account of their guessing game. Her volume dropped. "What's the surprise?"

He could only manage a strained grin. "Um..."

A small mew shattered the suspense.

Lacey bounded toward him. "Oh my gosh, a kitty!" She straightened and wrinkled her forehead. "From Anthony’s?"

Their neighbor’s porch light flickered on, so Cian said, "Can we go inside?"

They relegated Fish to their bedroom so the kitten could acclimate. She wasn't as feral as Cian feared. Lacey knelt on the floor as the fuzzy baby sniffed the carpet and furniture. Cian sat beside them and took stock of their living room. The faux flowers, ribbons, and other supplies were gone. A cardboard box labeled 'centerpieces' waited against the wall.

"Everyone loved the teas you made," Lacey said. "I can't decide which one's my favorite, but you know I'm partial to blue."

"So, you finished everything?"

"Ha! I wish, unless by 'everything' you meant the flower crowns, centerpieces, and save-the-dates."

"Oh, you did those too?"

The miniature panther sniffed Lacey's fingers. "Mmhmm! My girls are super-efficient. They said they'd come another night to help with invitations."

"I wanna help too," Cian murmured.

Lacey smiled. "I'd like that, but I didn't want to keep you from hanging out with Carl. So, how'd you come across our little princess here?"

When Cian faltered, Lacey cocked her head, perceiving more than he wanted. "Come on. What happened at Anthony’s? And why drag Carl, of all people, into this?”

“Well...I didn’t mention this earlier, but he got reports of some strange creature running around Hearth Road—strange enough he hoped your intuition could shed some light on it. But you’ve been so busy, so when I realized Anthony lived on the same street, it just made sense to bring him along. We checked the house over and found that very mundane cause for all the bumps and things."

The kitten flopped under Lacey’s tender petting. "Oh. Well, that was kind of you to help them."

"You should have seen Carl. He flirted with Margaret right in front of Anthony! It was weird.

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