Infiltrating G.A.T.O.

Getting Help

As Isadora pulled the car into her grandma’s driveway, she paused to take a deep breath. A crescent moon provided little light as she walked to the front door. The door flew open before she had a chance to knock. At the sight of her, Grandma Agatha opened her arms and let Isadora collapse into them.

“Your dad called me not long after you left to track him.” Her grandma stroked her hair and guided Isadora into the house. “How are you holding up?”

“I found out where he is at least,” Isadora whispered. “But I can’t stop feeling like I failed him somehow.”

“You did nothing wrong, dear.” When they reached the couch, her grandma guided her down onto it. “Do you want some tea or a snack? Your dad said you hadn’t had a chance to eat much today.”

“I wouldn’t mind a cup of tea and a few of your chocolate chip cookies.” Isadora fiddled with the bottom of her shirt as Grandma Agatha bustled off.

“Of course, dear,” her grandma called over her shoulder. “I’ll take a second to warm up the cookies. Do you want to come in here with me and tell me what you found?”

Isadora followed her grandma into the kitchen and took a seat at the bar, while Grandma Agatha shuffled things around on the counter. After she placed the tea pot on the stove and the cookies in the toaster oven, her grandma glanced at her with a concerned expression.

“Now tell me what progress you made.”

“I used a tracing spell and followed him to a huge house in the country.” Isadora sighed. “I couldn’t go in after him, because it had a magical barrier of some sort around it. Oh, and cats. Lots of weird cat statues on all the fence posts.”

“Ah, the house of Bastet.” Her grandma shook her head and turned to the tea pot that had started whistling. “Of course, the crazy cat ladies would take him.”

“What crazy cat ladies?”

“The devoted followers of Bastet, but these have taken it a step too far. They worship her physical embodiment as well, the cat. It’s a bit disturbing really. They’ve opened a cat shelter where they all hang out and find potential recruits.”

Isadora snorted. “I’d say more than a bit far if they’ve gone to the extreme of stealing other people’s cats.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, dear.” Her grandma shot her a sad look. “We’ll figure it out.”

The steam from the tea cup Grandma Agatha placed in her hands swirled upwards. Ideas raced through her head. She’d have to infiltrate them somehow, especially if they had a witch among them. Isadora didn’t know how powerful the witch or warlock was, but she did know better than to underestimate any witch or a warlock.

“Grandma, do you know anything about the witch there?” Her grandma stiffened for a second.

“I don’t know much, but I know she isn’t very powerful,” Grandma Agatha spoke in a wary voice.

“But…”

Her grandma sighed. “She has access to powerful artifacts of Bastet. I’m not sure how she got them, but she did.”

“What does that mean for freeing Sebastian?”

“It means we need to be careful and not do anything foolhardy, do you understand?”

“Yes, Grandma.”

Isadora munched on one of the cookies Grandma Agatha placed in front of her. Both of them lost in their thoughts. Despite her promise to her grandma, Isadora would find a way to free Sebastian. Her grandma had enough power to stop her, and Isadora couldn’t risk that.