Dimokre Chronicles Book 2: Sarah's Fate

Chapter 24 - To Watch the Horizon

Thunder clapped outside, and light flashed from outside. Kael quickly sat up, panting. He glanced out the window at the rain beating against it. Then he looked down at his bed, the blankets were tossed around, and the bed and the floor around were dotted with pillows—his, his mother's, or the guest room's.

Right... He picked up the closest of his mother's pillows and breathed in the scent. Mommy's gone.

He slid off the bed and went through the jack-and-jill bathrooms into Sarah's room, still hugging the pillow. He smiled. The thunder didn't seem to bother Michael or Sarah, sound asleep in each other's arms.

Finally.

Kael tip-toed back into his room. He buried himself in pillows, watching the rain outside.

"You know how you need food to grow big and strong?" His mother would tell him. "Well, plants need water to grow big and strong."

"Why does it have to sound so scary?" Kael asked, both back then and out loud now.

Lynette would laugh and call thunder spirits a bit dramatic. "But considering all the work they do, they deserve to have a little fun, right?"

Kael waddled over to the window, hoping he'd somehow see a falling star to make a wish for his mother to come back. But it proved impossible to see one with all the rain and clouds. He sighed, about to turn back to bed, when something caught his eye by the tree in Sarah's backyard. He left the pillow on the bed to keep it safe and dry. Marcy met him by the door, whining.

Hi, Marcy, he thought to her.

She whined and snuggled into his hand when he offered it. Hi, Kael! There's someone out there!

I know, Kael told her. I'm going to go see who it is. You stay here. I don't think Sarah and her parents will appreciate you tracking mud in.

Marcy whined but laid down, with her head on her paws. She looked up at him with big puppy dog eyes, but Kael resisted. He unlocked the back door, opened it just enough for him to slip through sideways, just in case Marcy couldn't control herself.

The porch light turned on automatically, and Kael jumped. He peered across the yard as the rain beat down, splashing on the grass blades, the tree's canopy, and the edge of the concrete patio. He squinted, and sure enough, a blur of black was still by the tree. It dove into the shrubbery surrounding the fence.

Kael took a deep breath and went across the yard to the trembling shrub. The grassy mud squelched between his toes as he walked. He knelt in front of the bush and tried his best to peer through the branches and catch a glimpse of the black blur.

"Hello," he whispered into it.

The shrub suddenly stilled.

"It's okay. I won't hurt you. Are you scared of the storm?"

No, a small voice said quickly. I just don't like storms, but I'm not scared of them.

Ah, an animal, he thought to himself.

I used to not like storms either, but I don't find them as scary or—um—unlikeable now, he corrected himself.

Well, it's different for me, so go away, human.

Kael let his fox ears and tail slip out. I'm not human.

Oh. A black, wet nose poked out of the shrub to sniff the air. It snorted like Kael smelled bad and disappeared back in the bush.

Do you want to come inside and dry off? Kael asked.

Are humans in there?

I think one is completely human, but the rest aren't. One is part wolf spirit; I think you'll like him!