Chasing Magic: Chasing Series Book Two

Chapter 2

"WAKE UP ME WEE BAIRN!"

Moir's voice boomed into the room at the same time she slammed open the door. Like a cat, I leapt up claws drawn and hackles raised. Doubloon lazily glanced over from his coiled ball at the end of the bed. I moaned, pulling a pillow over my head which was violently ripped off by Moir.

"Up!" She demanded.

Grabbing the alarm clock, I let out another long groaning complaint. It lasted at least a minute if I was calculating correctly. Six-thirty AM. What was it with everyone getting up so damn early?

I could smell something burning. Oh no, that meant...

I sat up in time to see Moir wave a stick of incense over Doubloon. Right before she blew a fist full of some sort of purple looking sand over my dog. Doubloon let out a sneeze and licked the tip of his nose. A shroud of lavender smoke started at the base of his tail and crept up his body until he was completely enraptured.

"What are you doing!" I yelled, grabbing at the smoke. My hand met no resistance and it swiped through the thick lavender puff. I looked up accusingly, "What did you do?"

Moir put her hands on her rounded hips. "Made him more conspicuous."

I sat there on the bed crouched over on my hands and knees for an agonizing minute until the smoke cleared. In the place of my meatball sat a champagne-colored ferret. He looked as confused as I felt.

"Walking around with a ferret is supposed to make us less noticeable?" I yelled, scooping up Doubloon and holding him under the armpits and raising him in the air. "My poor Doubloon!" I cried, hugging him to my chest. Okay, he was completely adorable, but I liked my big dog!

"Hush, stop ya whinin' and put him in the carrier."

She tossed a small animal carrier to me, which I caught in one hand awkwardly. Trying not to let it hit my fragile dog-ferret.

"Ya got ten minutes and we're oot." She hitched a thumb over her shoulder before leaving.

I huffed, cuddling the musty smelling Doubloon close to my chest. His fur was so soft and I held him up once again, poking the soft swell of his belly. "You're a little chonky. I hope this doesn't translate." I murmured, ushering him into the small carrier that was actually very eloquently made. It looked like a nice leather laptop bag. Sleek with a few mesh portions of the side for airflow.

Once I situated him, I packed most of my belongings which fit with more than enough room in an old black book-bag. A few sets of clothing was all I had to my name at this moment. Which on its own was depressing. I opened a drawer and paused. My hand hovering over the old hat that I had taken from Mhairi on one of our ungraceful meetings. I picked it up gingerly, smoothing my thumb over the rim. Memories flowed from it like the ticking of a time. I put it on, let's hope the memories had the strength to carry me into the next chapter of my life.

***

The arching walls of the graceful and holy towers of St. Paul's Cathedral had me craning my neck. So far, in fact, I was looking straight up at the main entrance of the old church. The flood of tourists pushed passed, causing me to stumble forward as I got my wits about me. Moir and Callum were talking a few feet ahead, Whisper walked beside me without speaking.

I looked at her out of the corner of my eyes. The flawless sith walked in somber thought. Her eyes downward, thought reflecting behind them. We passed the arches of the massive cathedral. "Moir and you aren't going to, I don't know, burst into flames right?"

It looked like I jarred her from her thoughts. Emerald cat eyes looked up at me in assorted surprise and confusion. "I - what?" She echoed.

"I mean the trope is most dark creatures and witches can't pass onto sacred or holy ground."