the floorboards.
"I wish I didn't," the old woman said. "Though maybe if your Willem is powerful enough to ensnare a kasha, he might help with this."
"Perhaps, my lady, you might tell me? I might intercede for you with him."
The three witches looked at one another. Morgen finally spoke. "See, Grandma owns a second house, on the other side of the hill. It's supposed to be my house, if I, you know, decide to have kids and stuff."
"But something moved in there, changing the deed, registering the property as his," Ettie continued.
"Something?" Kasha's ears twitched.
"An investment banker."
"A lawyer."
"An ogre."
Kasha blinked, trying to make sense of the conversation. "Three somethings?"
"No, all the same one," Natt explained.
"An unpleasant investment banker has seized the property with the help of his attorney?" Kasha felt a headache coming on.
"No, silly kitty." Morgen giggled. "The scumbag's an ogre, a real one. Not the nice kind from that movie. But he's also a banker and has his law degree. He just kinda took the house and we can't budge him."
"An ogre," he repeated. "Truly?" But he found himself not as surprised as he should have been. That explained the darkness he had felt in the mountains, the gathering of power that had disturbed his dreams. "How do ogres acquire law degrees?"
Natt shrugged. "I assume they take all sorts at law schools, if they pass the exams."
"Maybe even online, who knows?" Ettie shrugged. "No one would ever catch sight of him then."
"Hey, Gram?" a new voice called from the hallway, a deep, male voice. "Have you seen the cable for my amp?" The disembodied voice resolved into a beautiful young man, lean and athletic, with thick waves of chocolate hair and a guitar slung over his shoulder.
"I can't keep track of your things, Teddy," Natt said with weary exasperation.
"Well, I--holy crap. That is one freaky cat." The gorgeous male, Teddy, presumably, stared at Kasha with hazel eyes gone huge as dinner plates. "I mean, he is a cat, right? And not some poor dude Aunt Ettie turned into a cat?"
"No, he's a cat, stupid," Morgen said with a contemptuous eye roll.
"Never know around here." He gave Kasha a tentative wave. "Hey, Mr. Kitty, how's it hanging?"
"Quite comfortably under the tail, thank you," Kasha answered after a sip of tea.
Teddy grinned. "Hey, I like him. Lots more fun than your usual guests."
"Good to hear, young sir." Kasha hopped down from his chair and handed his mug off to Morgen. "Thank you for the tea, kind ladies, and for the lovely visit. As to the issue we discussed, I will put it before my--Willem. I'm sure he'll wish to help."
Natt gave him a nod. "Thank you. We wouldn't want to put him in a bad spot, but if there's anything he could suggest, we'd be grateful."
Kasha gave the ladies a little bow and left by the backdoor. On his way out, he heard Teddy ask, "So who's this Willem dude? Is he cute?"
The visit couldn't have gone better. The witches were friendly and interested in the arts. They had a problem with which they required assistance, a house standing empty, and a visiting relative who was not only gay and breathtakingly handsome, he was apparently looking.
Perfect. All the elements were there for Willem: patronage, housing, and the possibility of a new love interest. Now he merely needed to pull the players together under just the right circumstances.
Chapter 5: Memory And Shadow
When he reached the cabin again, he was exhausted and out of sorts. The brief visit to the ogre's house had drained him badly, all his power going to shielding his presence. The witches' neighbor was not merely any ogre. They could be stupid, ravenous louts, but, no, this one was old. Canny and powerful, he wore his magic like a carefully selected wardrobe, only showing what he pleased.
Kasha felt the layers underneath, though, and was frightened for the first time in many years. This one shifted shapes as easily as if he changed his shirt. He wondered if his promise
"I wish I didn't," the old woman said. "Though maybe if your Willem is powerful enough to ensnare a kasha, he might help with this."
"Perhaps, my lady, you might tell me? I might intercede for you with him."
The three witches looked at one another. Morgen finally spoke. "See, Grandma owns a second house, on the other side of the hill. It's supposed to be my house, if I, you know, decide to have kids and stuff."
"But something moved in there, changing the deed, registering the property as his," Ettie continued.
"Something?" Kasha's ears twitched.
"An investment banker."
"A lawyer."
"An ogre."
Kasha blinked, trying to make sense of the conversation. "Three somethings?"
"No, all the same one," Natt explained.
"An unpleasant investment banker has seized the property with the help of his attorney?" Kasha felt a headache coming on.
"No, silly kitty." Morgen giggled. "The scumbag's an ogre, a real one. Not the nice kind from that movie. But he's also a banker and has his law degree. He just kinda took the house and we can't budge him."
"An ogre," he repeated. "Truly?" But he found himself not as surprised as he should have been. That explained the darkness he had felt in the mountains, the gathering of power that had disturbed his dreams. "How do ogres acquire law degrees?"
Natt shrugged. "I assume they take all sorts at law schools, if they pass the exams."
"Maybe even online, who knows?" Ettie shrugged. "No one would ever catch sight of him then."
"Hey, Gram?" a new voice called from the hallway, a deep, male voice. "Have you seen the cable for my amp?" The disembodied voice resolved into a beautiful young man, lean and athletic, with thick waves of chocolate hair and a guitar slung over his shoulder.
"I can't keep track of your things, Teddy," Natt said with weary exasperation.
"Well, I--holy crap. That is one freaky cat." The gorgeous male, Teddy, presumably, stared at Kasha with hazel eyes gone huge as dinner plates. "I mean, he is a cat, right? And not some poor dude Aunt Ettie turned into a cat?"
"No, he's a cat, stupid," Morgen said with a contemptuous eye roll.
"Never know around here." He gave Kasha a tentative wave. "Hey, Mr. Kitty, how's it hanging?"
"Quite comfortably under the tail, thank you," Kasha answered after a sip of tea.
Teddy grinned. "Hey, I like him. Lots more fun than your usual guests."
"Good to hear, young sir." Kasha hopped down from his chair and handed his mug off to Morgen. "Thank you for the tea, kind ladies, and for the lovely visit. As to the issue we discussed, I will put it before my--Willem. I'm sure he'll wish to help."
Natt gave him a nod. "Thank you. We wouldn't want to put him in a bad spot, but if there's anything he could suggest, we'd be grateful."
Kasha gave the ladies a little bow and left by the backdoor. On his way out, he heard Teddy ask, "So who's this Willem dude? Is he cute?"
The visit couldn't have gone better. The witches were friendly and interested in the arts. They had a problem with which they required assistance, a house standing empty, and a visiting relative who was not only gay and breathtakingly handsome, he was apparently looking.
Perfect. All the elements were there for Willem: patronage, housing, and the possibility of a new love interest. Now he merely needed to pull the players together under just the right circumstances.
Chapter 5: Memory And Shadow
When he reached the cabin again, he was exhausted and out of sorts. The brief visit to the ogre's house had drained him badly, all his power going to shielding his presence. The witches' neighbor was not merely any ogre. They could be stupid, ravenous louts, but, no, this one was old. Canny and powerful, he wore his magic like a carefully selected wardrobe, only showing what he pleased.
Kasha felt the layers underneath, though, and was frightened for the first time in many years. This one shifted shapes as easily as if he changed his shirt. He wondered if his promise
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