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  She laughed again. “You mean Charlie the Chipmunk? Yeah, I remember from the article. Why?”

  “Well, I thought if we could look at a map of the city and compare the summoning spot with where the attack happened, we might know which way he went out of the park.”

  “Good thinking.” She pulled the map that came with the phone book out of a kitchen drawer and spread it on the table.

  Darakin came over to look at it and his mouth dropped open.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s so big.”

  “You’ve been here about a week and done a fair bit of traveling around it and you didn’t realize how big it was?”

  “Well, it’s different when you see it like this. This is quite a bit more detailed than the maps back home were.”

  Nora pulled a pencil out of another drawer and started marking spots on the map for him. “This is where we are. And this is Sean’s Pub. Now, all the way up here is where you were summoned.”

  “I didn’t realize Mrowley and I had walked so far.”

  “Mm. Well, this is where the attack took place and here is where you met Mrowley. You and the demon took completely different paths out of the park.”

  “Well, I suggest we go back to the summoning spot and see if we can find any traces of the demon there.”

  “Fine. Just let me have some coffee and then we’ll go.”

  “Okay.”

  After drinking their coffee, the pair headed out. Darakin endured another bus trip uptown with gritted teeth and white knuckles.

  When they got off the bus, they headed directly for the spot where Darakin was summoned.

  “What exactly are we looking for?” Nora asked.

  “I don’t really know. Anything that looks lizard-like.”

  “Lizard-like? What the hell does that mean?”

  “I don’t know. I’m not a tracker.”

  Nora muttered under her breath. “Sure, leave it to me to come out here with a non-combat mage who can’t track. Just my luck.” She stopped for a second and shook her head. “Did those words actually just come out of my mouth? Jaysus, this may be a new level of crazy for me.”

  “What’s that?” Darakin called.

  “Nothing. Just talking to myself.”

  “You know, Nora, that doesn’t seem to be a very healthy habit.”

  “Neither is hanging out with crazy mages and talking cats.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” she said in irritation. “Can we hurry? They’re calling for rain.”

  Darakin stopped his search and stood up straight in alarm. “Who’s calling for rain? I thought you said that nobody could summon the elements here?”

  Nora’s head dropped in frustration. “It’s an expression. It means the people who watch the weather patterns – they’re called meteorologists – have predicted that it will rain soon.”

  “Oh. Well, then we should hurry. Rain might wash away any traces of the krekdapop.”

  “We wouldn’t want that to happen now, would we?”

  “You know, Nora, sometimes I get the impression that you’re not taking this seriously.”

  She sighed. “I’m sorry, you’re right. It’s just that this is sort of like a reality-altering experience for me. Other than the auld folk at home talking about the fairies, I’ve pretty much grown up without any magic, mages, talking cats or lizard people. It’s taking me awhile to get used to it.”

  “But if there are fairies, then you have grown up with magic.”

  “No, sweetie. I said some people talk about them, but I don’t believe in them. Wait, let me guess. You have fairies where you’re from, too, don’t you.”

  “Of course not. They live in the fairy realm, Nora, not mine.”

  “I should have seen that one coming,” she muttered under her breath. Aloud, she said, “okay, let’s get this show on the road, I mean let’s get moving. Where do you want me to look?”

  “You go over there, I’ll try this direction. Just don’t lose sight of me; I wouldn’t want you to face the krekdapop alone.”

  “Okay.”

  Darakin went to the opposite tree line and started checking in and around the trees and brush. After an hour, Nora gave up and sat in the middle of the clearing, watching Darakin. He was very handsome, even if he was a little nuts. He was also the sweetest, most gentle lover she’d ever had. She couldn’t help but smile as she saw him bending over and touching leaves and branches.

  She was so lost in her reverie, that she jumped when he yelled, “Found it!”

  “Found … what, exactly?”

  “Evidence of the krekdapop.”

  “Oh.”

  Darakin rushed over to her carrying a bunch of sticks that had a green formation of slime hanging from them. “See? This is the residue of a krekdapop. I’m sure of it.”

  “Great.” However, Nora’s voice did not hold any enthusiasm.

  “We need to go to Ravenwynd’s.”

  “Why?” Nora asked, a trace of suspicion in her voice.

  “Because she’s close by and we need to get a container of some sort to hold the residue.”

  “Well, we could buy some plastic cups.”

  “What’s plastic?”

  “It’s a synthetic material, oh, never mind. I’ll show you.”

  “But Nora, I have another reason for wanting to go to Ravenwynd’s place.”

  “Oh really? And what, may I ask, is that?”

  “I need to get the ingredients for a scrying spell,” Darakin answered, blissfully unaware of the jealousy in Nora’s voice.

  “Scrying?”

  “Using magic to find the krekdapop.”

  “I thought we’d established that your magic doesn’t work here.”

  “No, Nora, the elementals haven’t been enslaved so I can’t summon them, but magic is universal. I just need some herbs and stuff that I think I saw at Ravenwynd’s shop.”

  “Fine, we’ll go see the New Age princess.”

  “Who?”

  “Ravenwynd.”

  “She’s a princess? Members of the royalty have to keep shops in this realm?”

  Nora sighed again. “No, they don’t. Once again, I was making a bad joke that you don’t get.”

  Darakin wasn’t sure what she was talking about, but he felt compelled to apologize. “I’m sorry.”

  “Not your fault.” She kept walking.

  The pair headed back toward Ravenwynd’s shop. After a few minutes, Darakin leaned over and whispered to Nora, “I feel like everyone is staring at me.”

  She stopped and stood, hand on hip to regard the mage. In a voice too loud for his comfort, she said, “Of course they’re staring at you, you daft mon. You’re balancing a big wad of green, slimy lizard-man residue between two sticks as you walk. What did you expect to happen?” She took off again at a brisk pace, forcing Darakin to take some quick steps to catch up.

  “Are you angry with me?”

  She stopped and turned toward him and her features softened. “No, I’m not mad. I’m sorry. I guess we put too much stock in what strangers think in this society. Why should I care if people I don’t know are staring? Let’s just go get you whatever it is you need.”

  Any residual resentment she had disappeared as he smiled back at her.

  They made their way to Pandora’s Box and Nora held the door so Darakin could enter without dropping his precious slime.

  “May I help …” Ravenwynd’s voice trailed off as she spotted Darakin and Nora. “Darakin! I have to say I wasn’t sure if you’d be back. Welcome. And to you, too,” she said giving Nora a half-cordial look.

  “Thank you, Ravenwynd. I was wondering if you had some sort of container that I could put this in.” He held up the sticks with the slime dripping off them.

  “Oh dear, I suppose,” she said with hesitation. “May I ask what it is?”

  Nora cut in. “Can we play twenty questions after the slime is in a container?”

  “Certainly
.” Ravenwynd gave her an annoyed glance before smiling at Darakin and heading to her back room. She returned with a glass jar. “Will this work?”

  “Yes, thank you.” Darakin put the sticks inside the jar and used them to scrape the slime off so it dropped to the bottom of the container.

  Ravenwynd screwed a cap on the jar and set it down on the counter. “May I ask what it is now?” she asked with a sideways glance at Nora.

  “Well, we told you that I’m from another realm and that a demon from my realm may be here, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, that is residue from the demon. I plan to use it in a scrying spell to determine the demon’s location.”

  “Oh, I see. Do you know how to do the spell and what you’ll need?”

  “Well, my non-elemental magic is rusty, but I think I can put something together. I’ll need some herbs, a scrying bowl and some incense.”

  Ravenwynd ignored Nora and took Darakin by the hand to lead him around the store. “Well, I’m sure I’ll have what you need.”

  Nora tried not to let the jealousy overwhelm her, instead looking at some of the display cases while Darakin and Ravenwynd shopped for his supplies. A few minutes later, they came back to where she was standing.

  “Now, don’t forget to try to infuse the incense smoke into the scrying bowl water.”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “Have you done this before? Sometimes, the images you see can be hard to interpret. Maybe you should do it here where I can take a look at it.”

  Nora snatched the bag from Ravenwynd’s hand. “We’ll do it back at our place, thank you.” She put a little extra emphasis on the word “our”.

  “How much do we owe you?” Darakin asked.

  “Twelve sixty.”

  Nora fished a twenty out of her wallet and handed it to Ravenwynd, who went to the register to get some change.

  Darakin was, for the first time, acutely aware of how jealous Nora was so when Ravenwynd came back with the change, he took Nora by the hand. “Thank you for your help, Ravenwynd. Perhaps we’ll be back.”

  The woman noticed the blatant display of affection and looked disappointed as she replied. “I hope so.”

  Darakin and Nora left the store and headed back to the apartment. Once on the street, he paused and turned toward her. “Our place?” he inquired with a raised brow.

  “Sure and isn’t it where you’re living right now?” she said indignantly and continued walking toward the bus stop.

  Chapter Seventeen

  As they waited for the bus, the rain came. It was a gentle, soothing spring rain, but the weather person on the morning News had promised it would turn into a torrential downpour soon. Nora opened the umbrella she’d brought with her and wiped the rain off her skin.

  “If we could take the subway, we’d be able to stay dry.”

  “And miss the feel of the rain on my face? Never!” Darakin lifted his face to the sky and let the drops run down his cheeks.

  People stared at the strange man as they tried to pass by without touching him.

  “Your society doesn’t appreciate the nourishment of rain. Without it, life would end. This is one of the greatest gifts I give to people in my realm.”

  “Aye, well, it rains whenever and however much it wants here. This past week’s been dry, but we’re just off one of the rainiest months on record, so you’ll excuse me if I don’t share your enthusiasm.”

  Darakin laughed at her grumpy expression and went back to reveling in the feel of the water on his skin. Reluctantly, he boarded the bus with Nora when it pulled up.

  By the time the bus arrived at the stop near Nora’s apartment, the skies had opened up bringing the promised rainstorm. Nora opened her umbrella and offered space underneath it to Darakin. He scoffed at the thought of an elemental mage hiding from the rain and strode off into the downpour.

  As he walked, his hair became saturated and the huge drops ran down his body until every inch of his clothing was soaking wet. With each step the denim jeans seemed to be tightening around his legs. Alarmed at the fact that his clothing now seemed to be attacking him, he ducked underneath the umbrella with Nora. She picked up the pace and they ran through the street and up the stairs of her building.

  Nora shook the umbrella off in the hall before opening the door.

  Mrowley sat up on the sofa, blinking as if just awakened. He sniffed the air. Ew! You guys smell like wet humans.

  “Well, that makes sense, since we are wet humans.” Darakin walked bow-legged into the living room.

  “Why on earth are you walking like that?” she asked.

  In a distressed voice, he said, “It feels as though these leggings are trying to strangle my legs and rip my skin off. They’re very uncomfortable when they’re wet.”

  She laughed. “Aye, that they are. Strip them off. You’ll have to put your old pants on for now. We need to get you more jeans. I’ll take these to the laundry room and put them in the dryer.”

  Darakin stripped off the wet jeans and rejoiced in the feel of his loose, soft cotton pants. “Ah. Now that feels good.” He smiled and sat down next to Mrowley.

  Dude, you still smell wet.

  “Hush now, kitty. Stop complaining.”

  “What’s he on about now?” Nora asked as she rummaged through the laundry basket.

  “He says we smell like wet humans.”

  “Really? That’s too funny!”

  “Why?”

  “Because people are always complaining about the way wet animals smell. I think it’s funny that they complain about us, too.”

  See? Nora gets me. Mrowley purred at Darakin.

  “Gets you? She’s got both of us.”

  No, I mean she understands me.

  “No, I’m the one who understands you.”

  Dude, I don’t mean the meows, I mean my essence. She totally gets who I really am.

  Darakin made a sound of disbelief. “Cat, I don’t think any human can ever understand a cat.”

  Mrowley nodded. True, true. But she comes close. I wonder why she’s so sad, though.

  “Huh?”

  Nora emerged from the bedroom with a laundry basket. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Just going to put these in the dryer.”

  “Okay.” When she’d closed the door behind her, Darakin turned to the cat. “What do you mean you wonder why she’s sad?”

  Dude, if there’s one thing cats can do, it’s read emotions. We may not choose to act on it, but we usually know when something’s wrong.

  “And you say Nora is sad? But she smiles and jokes around with people, especially at work.”

  Nah, I’m talking about the kind of sadness that’s really deep inside.

  Darakin sat in silence for a few minutes, thinking about Mrowley’s words. Had something tragic happened to Nora? He looked at the cat, who had put his head down and closed his eyes.

  “I’m ashamed that I didn’t notice. I can’t ask her about it unless it comes up, but I shall have to be more attentive.”

  To what? Mrowley lifted his head.

  “To Nora’s emotions.”

  Why?

  “Because she’s sad.”

  Oh yeah. Now that you mention it, I have noticed that she seems sad.

  “Mrowley, you’re the one that told me. I didn’t realize it.”

  I did? Oh yeah, before my nap.

  “Nap? You just closed your eyes! You couldn’t possibly have slept yet.”

  Really? Well, then that explains why I’m so tired. Mrowley put his head down again.

  Darakin shook his head thinking that cats were even harder to understand than women. He opened the door when he heard Nora’s footsteps in the hall and gave her a big hug when she entered.

  “What’s this for then?” she asked in surprise.

  “Just to thank you for taking care of me.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He kept his arm around her as they went to the living room. “Do you want to
, I mean is there time to, you know?”

  “To go to the bedroom, you mean to ask? What about your spell? How long will that take?”