10. Sparkle
SPARKLE
I should have said yes. Now I'm looking at an entire shopping cart full of groceries and a walk all the way home without help.
I could have asked Lucien to teleport me home at the very least, but I can't allow him to do everything for me. I don’t need people doing things for me.
I'm capable. I can do what I've always done my entire life.
My phone rings yet again. Mother's ring tone, and I take a breath before answering.
“Oh, sweetie, can you also go to Renaud’s? And pick up some flea bath for Ferris. I just got a call from the school, and apparently he has a problem. I also need you to—”
“Um, it's gonna be awhile. I just checked out.”
“I really need you to do this.”
“I understand that, but—”
“Just pick up the flea powder on your way home. It’s only a block out of the way.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I can’t argue with her. She’s right and it won’t take much extra time.
“Then you can help me put away the groceries, deliver the cloak, pick up Ferris. Give him the flea bath—”
“I'll be home as soon as I can.”
“See you soon, sweetheart. And thank you. Don't forget to grab yourself a treat.” And she hangs up.
I always forget that she wants me to grab a treat, but I never do. On my way out, I wave at Randy, the manager of Hex Grocer. “I'll bring it back. I just really need to borrow it.”
He chuckles and his wolf ears twitch. “It's fine. You do what you gotta do.” He’s always so chill and I envy that.
It’s a ten-minute walk to Renaud’s before I backtrack to get home.
For the entire walk, the shopping cart gets caught on the grooves of the sidewalk every once in a while, and I want to scream and shout and shake myself for being so stubborn.
Lucien offered to help. I could have had help, but no, I am a stubborn, stubborn cat, which is fine. No one usually wants to help. That's a complete lie.
My friends, they're always ready to help, and I can't thank them enough. In fact, a lot of times I'm embarrassed when they help because I feel like a burden, and I don't want them to think that all I want from them is their labor.
No, I want everyone to know that I appreciate them. That's why I help. I just want them to know how much I love them.
Soon I'm finally home, and mom has the entire kitchen table covered in new projects, and my heart sinks. I have half the shopping cart unloaded to the kitchen floor before she even notices me.
“There you are, Sparkle. I'm happy to see you. So we'll get the groceries put away. Then you should have time to make the delivery before picking up Ferris. And don’t forget I need you to help him with the flea bath. We can’t have fleas in the house, so please take care of that outside.”
I shiver involuntarily. “The water is going to be freezing.”
Mama starts putting away the cold food while I work on filling the pantry. Thankfully, it really doesn’t take us long to put everything away.
“Pick up a heat spell while you’re out. Can’t have either of you getting sick. Oh, while you’re grabbing the heat spell, get yourselves a little treat, too.”
That means going back to Renaud’s or asking a Hawthorn witch for the heat spell and they don’t usually have any sitting around.
“Before you deliver the cloak, can you start a pot of water for the pasta?” Mom asks as she goes back to her tasks at the kitchen table.
I sigh, but do as she asks. She reminds me of which Coven house to drop the cloak off and sends me on my way. With each step, my tail shakes. I'm not sure I’m gonna get to Ferris in time. So I pull my phone out, and I send a text to the friend group.
Sparkle: SOS. Save our Sparkle. Can anyone do me a favor and go by Renaud's and grab a heat spell, and a couple of treats for Ferris?
And send. I continue walking. My tail calms a bit and I can breathe.
My phone rings, mama's ringtone again.
“I'm sorry, darling. I forgot something on the list. Can you pick up another heat spell for the bedroom? I should have told you to grab two. It just slipped my mind.”
“I’ll grab two.”
“Thank you. I'll see you shortly with Ferris.”
My shoulders drop, and I just stop to take a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself before I have a breakdown.
This is nothing. It’s basically an easy day, I tell myself.
And once I pick up Ferris, then I can come home and take a nap before dinner.
Hopefully. I've been running around all day doing tasks for mama, and I'm exhausted, but I get to go to Flutter and Fangs tonight, which always makes me happy.
I clutched the bundle in my arms, but try not to wrinkle the cloak because Mama would be so mad if I messed up her work.
The covens all come to mama for anything they need handmade.
She’s the best seamstress in Hex. She hand stitches everything.
She doesn't like machines. Well, the sound of a sewing machine, and I understand.
Even with earplugs and human ears, it's very loud for cat shifters.
And me, especially, since I can't shift away my cat ears.
I can hear much better than the rest of my family.
Ferris can do a partial shift, but he can always go back to his human form, or to his kitten form, while I'm stuck in my partial or my cat.
I don't mind my cat. My cat is very luxurious, if you ask me. I could shift and go to a cat lover’s house to be pampered for the rest of my life if I wanted to. But I don't really want to go feral.
I’m still so far away from the Hawthorn Coven House. But I finally get a bing from my phone. Someone responded to my SOS.
Beau: I'll be at Renaud’s or wherever you want me shortly. Poe's gonna drop me off, and I'll meet you wherever.
Sparkle: Could you meet me at Renaud’s?
Beau: Of course, I'll see you soon. Kisses.
I can't help but laugh. Beau is the best.
Finally, I'm at the Hawthorn Coven House. It's a huge two-story house that if you don’t know it’s the Hawthorn Coven House you’d never know. I’ve always wondered what the inside looks like. Unless you’re part of the coven or a client of the coven, you’re not allowed in.
I walk up the driveway, which seems to go on forever. The house sits back in the woods just a bit. I keep walking and walking and realize that, of course, it's a spell.
I lift the bundle a bit. “I'm here to deliver the cloak from Mrs. Boots.” The next step I take the house is right there. “Thank you.”
I walk up the porch steps and the door opens before I get to it. The witch in the doorframe has shiny black hair and blue eyes that pop.
“Oh goodness, I was beginning to wonder if we'd get it here in time for the ritual tonight.”
“I'm sorry.” I hand the bundle over and step back. “I had a lot of running around to do.”
“Oh,” they wave a hand at me. “Don't worry, dear.
We're not mad at you or your mother. I was just impatient and I ordered a little too late.
But I'm very happy that she could make it on time. In fact, she is several hours early, and I appreciate that.” The witch hands me an envelope.
“And to show my gratitude, here's a little bit extra.”
“Thank you. I'm sure mama will appreciate it.”
“And a little bit for you for delivering on such a timely matter.”
“There's no need for that,” I say.
“I insist,” the witch says.
Not one to argue with witches, I say, “Thank you.”
“No, thank you.” The witch turns and closes the door.
I turn, arms empty, except for the envelopes.
I don't dare look to see what's inside mine, but I tuck it inside my back pocket, and clutch the other one close to my chest. I know no one in Hex will try to steal it, cause that's just not how Hex runs.
But I clutch it close, anyway. And now it's time to go pick up Ferris at school.
If I don't get there before he starts heading home, he'll start wandering around instead of heading straight home, so I have to get to him before he starts his trek.
I pick up speed. It’s gonna be a very close call. While it's the beginning of November, it's warm today, and I'm not a fan. I swipe sweat from my brow and wipe it on my pants.
I could shift to my cat and run to school, but then I'd have to find a receptacle for the envelopes and my clothes, and that's just too much effort right now.
I'm still several blocks away when the bell rings, and I can hear it where I stand.
Well shit. I sprint. Thank goodness I get to the school just as he leaves from the double doors. I bend over, panting, dropping my hands to my knees, and he skips over to me, laughing.
“Sparkle, you're so funny. Why are you breathing so hard?”
I huff out of breath. “I ran all the way here from the Hawthorn Coven house.”
His eyes go wide. “That's a long run.”
“Eh, just a couple of miles.” But damn, I haven’t run like that in a long time. “Mama says, you've have fleas.” I take a couple steps back.
“I don't have fleas,” Ferris says at the same time he starts scratching his head.
“Well, she said she got a call from school that you had fleas.”
“I don't have fleas. Why would someone say I have fleas?” He's scratching, and I grab his arm and push his sleeve up, and no fleas.
I check in his hair and everywhere.
“Why would mama say you had fleas? Why did she have me pick up flea powder? She wants me to give you a flea bath.”
Ferris takes a couple steps back. “I don't need a flea bath. Please don't.”
I scratched the back of my head and looked at the sky. “I won't, but we still have to go meet Beau over at Renaud's because I asked him to help grab a few things.”
“He’s always funny.”
I rub my hand over Ferris's head and take his hand. “So, how was school today?”
He rambles on about the intricacies of middle school and the different cliques of his friends.
We’re a couple of blocks away when I stop. Lucien stands outside of Renaud’s, not Beau.