Witch Doctors Inc: SEASON TWO (Ongoing)

Part 4.5

"It was a meow-yes," I assure her. "I got the cupcakes, all three of them."

Addy blinks. "Three? I packed four. Oh, Onyx. I should have known he would eat one."

A smile tugs at my lips. Seeing Addy, I can't help it. Her buttery curls bounce around a green dress with large white polka dots. There's sunshine in her amber eyes, and more of it in her smile.

Ruby lounges on Addy's sofa, her plum-coloured hair swirled into two buns on either side of her head, with a ponytail looped through each. She munches on an apple tart, showing no sign of having noticed my presence.

My gaze drifts to Maya, who looks like she's ready to go skiing in Taneria. She's wearing a figure-hugging white sweater that's cropped at her waist, with matching white pants. Magical blue and white snow flurries swirl across her bosom, as well as forming a belt around her hips. She tops off the look with glass snowflake earrings. Onyx is curled in her lap.

I've seen this outfit before, in an advertisement for her fashion line, Cerberus Designs. When standing, pieces of magic snow are supposed to drift down the pant legs and wink out when they touch your shoes. Sitting down, the snow spills over her lap and spreads across the bedsheets, like a mist dotted with winking glass beads. Onyx, I admit grudgingly, does look rather handsome against this backdrop, a shadow against a diamante sea.

Maya's scanning a piece of paper in her hand. Her frown grows deeper by the second. "I don't think you should send this, Ruby," she says.

Ruby smirks. "Too late. I sent it yesterday. This is just my copy."

"Oh Ruby, you didn't!" Addy is aghast.

"I did," Ruby confirms. She turns to address me. "I keep getting mail for other people, so I took the initiative and sent the post office a letter."

She sticks the letter up to the monitor screen. Frowning, I read.

' Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing on behalf of Witch Doctors Inc, as it has come to our attention that you may have us confused with someone else. We have been receiving letters addressed to several other companies. In the hopes of clearing up this confusion, I have prepared the following guide to assist you with your deliveries.

***GUIDE***

Companies that we ARE:

1) Witch Doctors Inc

Companies that we are NOT:

1) Witches United

2) Witch Depository

3) Wirchington Institute for the Criminally Insane

4) Wart Doctors Inc

I hope that you have found this guide informative. We look forward to receiving more mail from you.

Yours sincerely

Ruby Manchester'

Well...what can I say to that?

"Great letter," I mutter. "I'm sure the post office will be thrilled."

Ruby grins wickedly.

Maya shakes her head.

Onyx sticks out his tongue, and a handful of winking beads disappears.

"Stop eating the magic snow," I snap. "You'll get hiccups."

I have not eaten anything, Onyx protests, hiccupping.

It's hard to look at him now and see the ferocious beast from the other day. All that power, and here he is, eating snow like a moron.

The others took his identity reveal better than I did. Addy had actually been excited about it.

"Onyx, you're a baby demon?" she'd squealed. "That is so cute!"

Adamantine, Onyx had whined. That was a long time ago. I am no longer an infant.

"So you're an adult demon?" I'd prodded.

Onyx considered this. More like a teenage demon.

My cat is a teenage demon.

Thanks a lot, universe. This is exactly what my life needed.

How is your magic diet coming along? the cat asks me now.

"It's not a diet," I tell him. "I'm cutting it out of the menu completely. No more magic. No more witches. No more trouble."

"But Lily," Addy says, her voice small and worried, "It's denying who you are."

I cross my arms over my chest. "Addy," I say. "Need I remind you who I am? I'm the person who wiped out an entire species."

Maya also looks concerned. "Magic isn't the problem. Control is."

"It doesn't make you a bad person." Addy assures me. "It was a mistake."

Ruby puts in her own two silvers. "As annoyed as I am that the giant lizard bird things are gone," she says, "at least you didn't kill the Larans."

"Ruby!" Addy protests. "Lily would never kill people."

Her faith in me just makes me sad. I don't deserve it.

"Let her sulk a while," Ruby suggests, as if I wasn't right there listening to the whole conversation. "You can't run away from who you are. It'll catch up to you sooner or later. Besides, I have some info to share."

"I'm not in the mood to hear about werewolves," I grumble.

"Oh, you'll want to hear this," Ruby smirks. "I've done some digging on Big Boss."

*