Death's Pet 4

Part 9

  Mort was far from happy with me by the time I left our little cabin. If I'm being honest with myself that is the understatement of the century. Not only was I vague in my explanation but I refused to answer any of his questions, simply stating that I would have time to answer them when I returned home to him and Phoebe. As I walked out the screen door of the cabin, Mortimer was no longer speaking to me or even looking in my direction. It stung, a lot, but I couldn't blame him either. If it had been me forced to stay home, I would have shredded something by now. I would have also been planning to follow him. I know that with Phoebe though I've effectively tied his hands.

  I barely reach the stairs to our front porch when Bastet appears out of thin air at the bottom of them.

  "Hello my little Bomani." She greets me warmly, always with her kind smile.

  I grimace at her and simply nod my head. I am unsure of what to say to her. I still don't trust and can't understand why she wants anything to do with me either. Also, if Mortimer and Lucifer could not contain the souls what could she do? I know that I will be able to snare the havoc wrecking souls in Lucy's territory without a problem but, ... I also know, something I didn't bother to share with everyone else, I was meant to capture these souls. The witch sent them for me. I just don't know why.

  With a turn and a blink, we are back in Lucy's domain and back in the grey area where I last seen the souls. There are a few strangling souls here and there but other then that the area is empty. This place still bothers me but not as much as the last time I was here.

  Bastet scans the area while conjuring urns into her hands. Two in one and a singular one in the other. There are plain, simple and small, each with a hieroglyphic symbol etched on them. She shuffles one under her arm while keeping one in each of her hands. Finally, she looks at me her face grim. "Little Bomani, I can not help with grabbing the souls or even luring them in. I'm worried that even my presence will be a deterrent to them."

  I stare at her, restraining the hiss building within me. If she knew that she couldn't help, then why is she here? If she knew that she could be chasing off the souls then, again, why is she?

  Tails twitching, I contemplate what I could possibly respond to her with. An influx of lost souls saves me from my thoughts.

  Like from a bad zombie movie they come trudging in from the misty edges, moaning, wailing and grumbling. Their eyes are completely void of anything and they even hold their arms out in the cliché zombie fashion. Bastet guards herself, her eyes round yet keenly watching for any trouble as she remains immobile.

  Myself, I also remain still but know that something isn't quite right. None of the souls were like this the last time I was here. For all of them to react the same way now is beyond suspicious. All of what my eyes see, it all seems doubtful and like we are on the set for a B-rated film for zombies. This must be the work of the chaotic trio of souls. Before I decide to proceed, I ask Bastet one question.

  "What are the urns for?"

  She barely looks at me as she still warily examines the souls trudging past her. "They are for the ones that shouldn't be here." She says each word carefully. I don't know if it's because of the souls flooding past her or if she is worried that the ones that truly don't belong here will understand her. Either way it's the answer I was hoping for, and I won't have to worry about holding onto three souls at once. Without another thought, I dart out into the mass of souls seeking the ones I need.

  I can hear the Goddess speak out a comment to me at my sudden flight, but I ignore her. I have a job to do and this time I will not lose my focus this time. There are three souls that don't belong, three that need to reach their after, three that stand out like shining beacons, calling me to them. Carefully, swiftly, and quietly slip in and out of the souls, sneaking up on the ones that I need. They don't even get a chance to flee or make a sound as I quickly latch onto them. Without realizing it at first, I use my shadows to slither back to the goddess and deposit the first two quietly into the urns she conjured. The third proves to be trickier but I'm faster than it and manage to latch to it just before it disappears into the fake hoard again. But the time I place the last soul in the urn Bastet looks ready to either finally go to battle or faint. I take great amusement in the latter but don't say anything.