Marvela Mystic | ✔️

Chapter 12 ✨ Candle-lit Grins

Marvela blinked. That was precisely what Midnight had done, wasn't it? Midnight had looked happy, without a care in the world. "I... I don't even know what regular cats do..."

Being a familiar was all she had known. Ever since she had first opened her eyes, she had been at Sable's side in the world of magic. She knew no other way of life.

The cat sat trembling, but the rat scurried to the window. He paused with two paws pressed against the glass to look back at Marvela. "Let's go find out!"

The sunlight shifted, falling across Marvela's face. In the sudden warmth, Marvela found herself standing. A strange little thrill of excitement swelled within her. She took a paw-step forward after Curious.

Then stopped.

"Wait..." she mewed. She held a black paw to her face. She and Curious would be on Asra's radar. The green-eyed witch and her feathered familiar would undoubtedly be on the lookout for a small black star-spotted kitten and her white rat. She turned to the bookshelf that hid her spellbook. "One more spell before we go..."

"That's the spirit!" cheered Curious from the window.

It hadn't taken them long before they had another potion brewing in front of them. Marvela and Curious stared into the hypnotizing liquid that constantly changed color as it swirled within the flowerpot, their makeshift cauldron. With a smile, Marvela dipped a claw into the fluid. She lightly touched her dripping claw to the star on her chest. Her fur rippled like a field of wheat in a windstorm. The potion bleached the black fur around her star white, and gradually the color spread until Marvela was as white and spotless as freshly laid snow. She touched her claw to Curious and watched as the potion dyed his white fur a cool gray hue.

The rat scrutinized his changed appearance. "Aw, a boring gray rat?" He pouted. "Couldn't you have made me a more fun color? Like purple, or blue, or... Or chartreuse?"

Marvela giggled and stuck her tongue out at him. "How about I make you a mouse instead?"

"On second thought, gray is fine."

The white cat and the gray rat left the library. Curious led the way, taking special care to avoid streets with crowds and posters. Instead, the familiar led his witch down a more scenic trail in some autumnal woods where few people currently trod. Marvela gazed up at the gently rocking branches overhead. Yellow leaves rained down on the pair. She tried to ignore the rising sun just beyond the tree limbs. Instead, she only focused on the nostalgia she found herself swimming in. She almost felt like she was home in Grudgewood Forest.

...Like she was on her way back to her cottage after a full day of scavenging for potion ingredients.

A large tabby tomcat pounced forth from the foliage that lined the path in front of them. The white kitten froze, for it was the nasty old cat she had encountered shortly after her arrival in Vigilance. The cat grinned at Marvela and her rat once more, displaying his yellowed and broken teeth. He flicked his tail in a greeting. "Afternoon!" he exclaimed. "Lovely day for a stroll, isn't it?"

"It sure is!" said Curious.

Marvela tilted her head at the big old tom who appeared to not recognize her. In broad daylight, he didn't look as scary as before. He was still scruffy and stinky, sure, but there was no sign of menace in his smiling, scarred face.

Perhaps she had misjudged his appearance just as she did Vigilance.

And Marvela couldn't help but smile back, now unbothered by the cat's visage.

From somewhere beyond the woods, a human called out. The tom's ears twitched at the sound. The bell on the collar around his neck jingled as he turned toward the voice. "Sorry, my person is calling," the tom said. He took off in the direction of the person's voice while calling over his shoulder, "Enjoy the rest of the day, you two!"