Chapter 29

The cottage was warm and cozy except for the random animal bones that hung from the ceiling. They added a certain deranged something to the place. Agatha settled down into a chair and motioned for Naomi to take the other.

“So, Mr. Squibbles brought me…” Naomi said unsure of anything else. The mouse in question had darted off into the shadows of the room. Agatha picked up a long pipe and lit it with a skinny stick. She nodded her head as she puffed it.

“Yes, I said I’d send for you.”

“Is he really a mage trapped in mouse form?”

Agatha grinned around the pipe stem. “No, he’s my familiar. He thinks humans will take him for seriously if he tells them that he was once human.”

From the darkness, Mr. Squibbles voice floated out. “It’s because humans are ignorant speciests: Can’t accept that another animal might be as smart or smarter than you.”

“I think you're much smarter than me, Mr. Squibbles. So are you two going to help me?” Naomi asked.

“Yes, I’m going to help you. You need a unicorn to get home. I’ll help you get one.”

“How?”

“Let me know one thing straight. Are you a virgin?”

Naomi grimaced and shook her head.

Agatha sat back in her chair. “It would help matters if we had one.”

“I don’t suppose you know any?” Naomi asked.

Agatha threw her head back and laughed. “No, not personally. Not many virgins come my way.”

There was a tiny cough behind them.

Both women turned in their seats. Mr. Squibbles sat on the floor behind them with his cheeks puffed full with food.

“Iaa loow fleuar un fis.”

“You do, do you?” Agatha asked.

“What did he say?”

“He knows where we can find a virgin,” the witch translated.

“Where?” Naomi demanded.

“Fwavik.”

“What?” Naomi asked.

“He said Tavik.”

Naomi didn’t understand. “Tavik is holding a virgin?”

“Nwo! Wit is Twavik,” the mouse insisted.

“There’s a virgin with Tavik?”

“My dear, the virgin is Tavik,” Agatha said. Naomi began to giggle.

“That’s ridiculous. Tavik isn’t a virgin. How could he be?”

Agatha’s eyebrows rose. “Slept with him have you?”

Naomi hunched her shoulders. “No, we made a deal, but surely--“

“Squibbles’ nose is rarely wrong.”

“He can smell virgins?”

“Aund wyho cyan’t?”

“Well, what good is that going to do us? We can’t kidnap Tavik and use him as unicorn bait!”

Agatha stared at Naomi. She was grinning again.

“You’re crazy,” she said.

“No, I’m a witch,” Agatha replied.

Naomi was getting a sinking feeling. She was very much not going to like this she was sure.

“Squibbles, I need you to get us back into the castle. We are going war lord hunting.”

“No, this is insane. Do you know what he’ll do if he catches us? I do! He’ll kill us! He may be a virgin, but he’s a homicidal virgin!”

“Who said we are going to get caught?” the witch asked.

“How are you going to sneak around the castle? Tavik knows you, and I’m sure the servants do too.”

Agatha puffed on her pipe harder. The smoke started to settle around her thickly. Naomi got a skin crawling electrical feeling as Agatha continued to draw on her pipe. The smoke increased and shrouded the witch. Naomi could see her blurry outline, but it began to change. The electric feeling increased. With a small thunderclap, the smoke dissipated, and in Agatha’s seat, there sat a black cat with yellow eyes.

“Do you think anyone will question your new pet?” Agatha asked from the cat’s body.
Naomi was really becoming uncomfortable with how comfortable she was getting with talking animals. “You just better hope Tavik isn’t allergic to cats.”

“If we are to make it back before anyone notices Naomi’s gone, we better hurry,” Mr. Squibbles said having finally emptied his mouth.

Agatha jumped down from the chair. She meowed at the door, and it swung open for her. She waited in the doorway for Naomi to get up. Naomi shook her head and rose. She was going back to the castle. If Stomper started talking to her on the way back, she would know she had gone completely mental and was probably in a straight jacket surrounded by nice padded walls.

She retrieved Stomper and climbed back onto the horse with less grace than before. Mr. Squibbles retook his place between the horse’s ears, and Agatha, the cat hopped into Naomi’s arms.

“You know black cats are bad luck,” Naomi said.

“I certainly will be for Tavik,” the witch replied.

Mr. Squibbles said something to the horse, and the large steed turned and headed back towards the castle.

They rode in silence back through the woods. Naomi could not believe they were going back or what they were planning to do once they returned. They arrived back at the entrance for the secret passage. Naomi hadn’t looked back to notice when she had come through it, but by the way the foliage grew and rocks formed, the secret passage was not visible even to someone who knew it was there. Mr. Squibbles stayed on Stomper when Naomi and Agatha dismounted. He would return the horse to the stable.

Naomi crept cautiously back into the passage following the witch, but it was as dark as before. She moved slowly to avoid accident, but she was still nervous of tripping and hurting herself. She already had scabs on her knees and hands. Agatha, noticing her trouble, said a word and a spark of light formed that floated up to guide the young woman. Naomi could not help grinning down at the cat. The idea that magic existed and could be useful was comforting to the twenty-first century girl. It meant things were possible. Hope was not a farfetched idea.

Naomi worried about the wedged door of the secret passage, but another single word from Agatha closed the door without a sound. There was no evidence of Naomi’s adventure except now she had a black cat. Naomi shook her head. She knew that the mission they were on would not go as smoothly.

“Tell me, do you even have a plan?” she asked the cat as she climbed into bed.

“Something will come to me. Don’t worry.” Agatha closed her eyes and curled up at the foot of the bed. As Naomi drifted off, she realized the witch was purring.

Continue to Chapter 30.