Chapter 20
Mori
Moonscale London
Weeks had passed and Era’s howling had stopped, but Caster still weaved back and forth between his home and mine.
I had given up on my neighbor ever speaking to me again when someone knocked on the door in the middle of the night.
Era stood there in his black robe with heavy bags under his eyes that were nearly as dark as the fabric he was garbed in.
“Hey,” I said, trying not to sound like a wolf just woken from a sound sleep despite that being exactly what I was.
“Can I come in? To talk about Caster?” he asked.
“Of course. Do you want some tea?”
“If it’s not too much of a bother,” he nodded with a sniff.
“Come on in,” I said, stepping back.
Era sat at my kitchen table silently while Snowy followed on my heels and Caster sat on the table staring at the shifter who could no longer see him.
I’d been sad for them at first but with how long things had dragged out I had to admit I was a little jaded.
Grief didn’t have a time limit, but apparently my patience did.
Though, better late than never as far as destiny and fate are concerned.
“Thanks,” Era sniffled as I handed him a cup of steaming tea and sat down across from him. Snowy jumped up into my lap and stared at Caster. I wasn’t sure if he knew Era couldn’t see the cat or not, but his tail thumped against my thigh nonetheless.
For a long few minutes, we drank our tea in silence. My pillow was calling my name, but I ignored its call in hopes of helping Caster find peace.
“What did Caster tell you?” he asked.
“First, I have to ask what changed your mind about believing me,” I said, setting my teacup aside. “You were dead set on never listening to me the day I took you the cake.”
“I don’t know that I’ve changed my mind,” Era sighed.
“All I could keep thinking is what if you actually have a message from Caster and I ignore it. He hated being ignored.” His eyes went glossy from unspent tears.
How he had more tears to cry after all the crying he’d done was a mystery, but I nodded because his answer made sense.
“Caster is here with us. He’s sitting right in front of you,” I said, gently. “I’m not telling you that to alarm you, but because if I say something he disagrees with he might interrupt to correct me. Most spirits are like that a bit, but cats are really like that.”
“Caster?” Era said to what must’ve looked like empty air to him.
The spirit cat rubbed against the arm holding the teacup. Era didn’t feel it and that’s when I almost cried. The veil between life and death separated us from those we loved more than anything else in the world sometimes. They’d both do anything for one last brush against the other.
“He’s here,” I nodded.
All this poor wolf had to go on was my word. No wonder he didn’t believe me. Some scumbags made it their fulltime job to lie to grieving people about messages from beyond the doors of life and death. I wasn’t one of them but he had no proof of that.
“Caster told me he chose you because he could see your future. He doesn’t know if that’s a thing all cats can do, but he can, but only your future. I think he was gifted because I’ve never heard of another cat saying anything like that. Not that they haven’t, but I just have never heard of it.”
“My future?” Era blinked.
“Your future,” I nodded. “He really wants you to go teach at the school in the GGB. Caster believes that’s where you’ll meet your true-mate. He’s sorry he’s not able to stay with you and move with you but he really wants you to be happy.”
“Is this just your way of getting me to move so that you don’t have to listen to me howl anymore?” he asked.
“No,” I shook my head. “Look, you don’t know me from a bear in the woods, but I’ve seen spirits my whole life.
For as long as I remember, they’ve been around.
Overall, I like having you as a neighbor, howling aside.
You mind your own business and leave me alone.
You moving out risks me getting a talkative type next door which is the last thing I want.
I want Caster to be able to find peace and go through his door.
That’s what I want for everyone who passes.
That’s why I’m here in the middle of the night trying to help you.
I know it’s a lot to take in but that’s what Caster wants.
He wants you to be happy and he doesn’t want you to miss out on your true-mate because he’s gone. ”
“His mate is a dragon. Tell him if he doesn’t go, I’m going to go annoy his mate and he doesn’t like when I annoy dragons,” Caster said, swishing his tail back and forth against Era’s face. The wolf couldn’t feel it but I had a feeling that it wasn’t the first time.
I told Era what his cat had said and he laughed.
“I don’t think I can do it alone. A new territory.
A new job. A new everything. It’ll be like leaving him behind forever,” Era said and this time the tears ran.
Placing Snowy on the floor, I moved my chair around and sat next to him.
I rubbed circles on his back as I had watched my carrier do for grieving people for years.
“You can’t leave him behind,” I said.
“I know!” he slapped the table and a drop of tea jumped out of his mug.
“No, that’s now how I meant it,” I said softly, stifling a yawn.
“It’s impossible to leave him because he’s always going to be with you.
You’ll never forget him. Even after he’s moved on through his door, you’ll have him inside of you.
Lifetimes from now you could cross paths with him and you’d know him.
I think that’s how pets really pick us. They knew us before.
They have their own soul pools and missions and a million things we probably couldn’t fathom.
I think the best thing you could do for him is to go to the GGB.
He doesn’t feel like he can go through his door until he knows you’re okay. ”
“Can I talk to him?” he asked.
“Any time you like. I find that spirits are listening in way more than we think they are,” I nodded. “If you want some privacy, I’ll leave you to talk to Caster alone,” I said.
“How will I know what he’s saying?” Era asked.
“You know him. Death hasn’t changed him,” I said. “I’ll stay if you want me to.”
“I think I’d like to be alone with him now,” Era shook his head.
Caster jumped down into Era’s lap and curled up.
“I know you’re worried, Alcaster, but I’ll be okay. You have to do what’s good for you. I thought that’s what cats always did,” he chuckled as I walked out of the kitchen with Snowy padding behind me.