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We engaged in a glaring match, and I growled at her. She hissed back. I narrowed my eyes, and as hissing seemed more satisfying than growling, I did so, making sure my hiss was longer and louder than hers.
Garnet mewed, her inquisitive sound.
As I wouldn’t pet her until I had a chance to wash my hands, I blew a kiss at the carbunclo. “It’s okay, baby. I’m just proving, once again, that I’m the more superior of us.”
“Oh?” my mother asked, and I marveled at how many promises of retribution she crammed into a single world.
“I’m younger and prettier,” I began, holding up two fingers. “My carbunclo will always be cuter than your carbunclo, although he’s quite adorable. But Citrine is cuter than he is, too.”
“Peridot. His name is Peridot.”
Unlike Garnet and Citrine, Peridot slept, and my father cradled the green carbunclo. When my gaze landed on him, he shrugged. “He fell asleep on my shoe, Kinsley.”
I wouldn’t have been able to deny a carbunclo in that situation, so I didn’t bother to cast any judgment on my father. “Cedrick, I need to wash my hands, and then I need to see Monster. If I don’t get Monster’s love today, I will surely perish.”
“Come right this way. Monster would love to receive your love in vast quantity before we have dinner. I hope ordering in fried chicken appeals. My mother is in a mood.”
I whooped my delight at the thought of having fast food brought to me.
“I think she’ll be okay with fried chicken,” my mother replied. “Just make sure you take your share before she gets a hold of the bucket. She does not share.”
“I’ll share with Garnet, Citrine, and Peridot, but the rest of you are on your own.”
* * *
Friday, May 1, 2167
Death Mile
Dragon Heights, Wyoming
I waited until the wee hours to wake Garnet, whispering to her that we needed to run an errand, fetch Tourmaline, and sneak out of my apartment while Erik and Citrine slept. As predicted, his kitten shared his pillow with him. While Garnet required a great deal of love, Citrine wilted if Erik left her sight for any reason.
For the next few weeks, Erik would be stuck trying to teach his little girl some independence. She loved chicken, but she wasn’t certain about the concept of plates. She understood if he held food out to her, she could eat it, but plates mystified her.
Unfortunately for me, Garnet had gotten into the mashed potatoes and gravy, diving headlong into one of the containers and claiming it as hers. She’d devoured every scrap that hadn’t gotten into her fur, and she’d done her best to groom herself clean.
For the most part, my kitten had done an admirable job, although I’d been forced to give her another bath.
Baths intrigued Citrine, but my bathroom wasn’t large enough for two people and two kittens needing to be bathed. As such, Erik had waited outside the door, which had been far enough away from Citrine that his little girl had freaked out. I hoped some time would bolster her confidence and ease some of her separation anxiety, but I understood.
The first few hours of having her, I’d worried Garnet would shake out the same way after having been bounced from caretaker to caretaker. Within a week, if all went well, Citrine would settle. I could only hope that Garnet would continue to be cooperative about staying with Erik or my parents if I needed to go somewhere she couldn’t follow.
In the meantime, I needed answers to a question, and only the dead could answer them. A quick search on the internet had revealed that spirits capable of haunting the living could, with enough effort, manipulate objects. Haunting spirits held responsibility for Ouija boards serving as a connection to the deceased.
I didn’t have a Ouija board, but Cecilia had been willing to loan me her Scrabble board. I’d even played a game with Erik before bed in case she asked how we’d enjoyed our quiet time together.
I’d crushed Erik, and I’d rewarded myself for the victory making use of my new, cozy bed. We’d both won, and after I’d subdued the yellow using my feminine charms, I’d settled his kitten before sneaking away for a few hours.
Armed with Cecilia’s copy of Scrabble, I headed for the park in Death Mile notorious for hauntings.
After having witnessed the slaughter within the mercury mansion, I suspected where some of the spirits had come from. I hoped I could make use of the game to learn some of the truth without becoming a victim of a haunting myself.
Garnet whined, and without any coaxing on my part, she transformed into her wisp shape, offering a faint white glow around us. I found a spot where several paths converged, sat down, and pulled out the board game and tiles. Aware I courted trouble and did so without backup, I pulled out the tiles needed to spell out two words: mercury dragons.
Garnet hovered around my shoulders, and I put out the remaining tiles so if spirits could meddle in the world of the living, they’d have everything needed to communicate with me.
Before I had a chance to become bored, a tile jumped on the board, bounced into a slot. Two more tiles joined in, spelling ‘yes.’