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“Just practicing being the cool Clawdia you wanted to hang out with.”
“Keep practicing.” She laughed, and I ran a hand through my hair.
Zaide finally made an appearance from the bathroom. He was wearing a towel around his waist, and his golden body glistened. I noted the color creeping up Clawdia’s neck as she looked at her soul pair.
“What were you doing in there? We’ve found the reason for life on Earth out here.”
He was unimpressed. “What did you find?”
“Well, that would be telling.”
“Keep your secrets, human. They are probably very dull.” He smirked and then looked at Clawdia. His face softened. “How are you this morning, Little Cat?”
Clawdia’s eyes were enormous, and she squeaked when she said, “Well.” Then she cleared her throat and tried again. “I’m well, thank you. Are … are you well?”
He nodded and, with a small grin on his face, walked into his bedroom. When his door shut, her wide eyes turned to me.
“You really don’t know how to do this, do you?” I remarked with a laugh. She covered her face with her hands. I rescued her from the box of shame she was about to sit in. “Look, enough about you. I’m having a crisis over here. Let’s figure this shit out.”
She lifted her head from her hands with a sigh. “You’re very dramatic, Charlie. It’s not a crisis. Your ex-girlfriend was a witch. So what?”
“It’s a problem because I don’t believe in coincidences.” I stood up and started pacing. It helped me think. “What are the odds that we discover Lydia is a witch when we need a witch to tell us what and where this witch event is taking place?”
Daithi walked into the room, having heard the question, and answered it for me, “Very unlikely. However, fate seems to have a hand in this. Perhaps you should reach, tentatively, for the bait.”
“You think I should contact her?”
“I think you should see what she knows. If she knows anything.”
I sighed. “No one said anything about contacting exes when I signed up for this.”
“You signed up for a trip across the Earth.”
“We’re in Sweden, remember. We traveled somewhere.” I looked at Clawdia and rolled my eyes. “No pleasing some fuckers.”
“I would like my lover to be conscious for the rest of our journey around the world, Charlie. Talk to the witch.” And all the fun drained from the room as he wandered to the bathroom.
“It’s hard to remember that he wasn’t always an arsehole,” I commented.
Clawdia grimaced. “He is grieving.”
I knew she struggled with his attitude too, since he almost always aimed at her, and her kindness made me smile. But I also wanted to know why he was suddenly so remorseful last night and offered to turn her back into a cat.
Shaking my head free of distracting thoughts, I called out the plan. “Okay, Clawdia, eat some of that sugary cereal—I can hear your stomach from here—and I’ll call Lydia.” She smiled, saluted, and walked to the kitchenette.
I gave myself five seconds to appreciate her legs before I called Lydia’s number.
When I’d broken up with her, she wasn’t happy about it. She’d told me if I ever regretted it, to call. I knew she would think this was a “let’s get back together” call and not a “give me inside witch information” one. I was already cringing at what I’d have to say.
She answered, as I knew she would, in a husky tone that threw me off for a second. “Charlie, this is unexpected.”
“By unexpected, do you mean unexpectedly joyful?” I quipped.
“I mean, I didn’t think you’d be calling so soon.”
“You’ve been expecting my call, then?” I cringed. We’d been broken up for three months. She still expected us to get back together after all that time?
“Well, yeah. You know, don’t you?” she stated.
