However, at least she had something to go on. But would it help her? Oh, God, it had to, didn't it?
She pulled Socks closer, offering comfort and trying to take comfort in holding something as scared as she was. It might have worked if the loud knock on her window didn't have her heart slamming against her rib cage. Kylie jumped clear across the room.
Another scream rose in her chest, but before she released it, she spotted Miranda peering through, her palm pressed against the glass.
"You coming?" she yelled. "We're going to lose the first light."
The cold filled the room. And so did the spirit. Kylie looked over at the ghost who looked just like Holiday. "I'm so sorry. She shouldn't have done that."
Kylie tried not to envision Holiday, or God help her, the Holiday lookalike, as she had appeared in the grave. "It's okay," Kylie said, and she meant it. She could do this. If hanging out with dead people would save Holiday, she'd do it. Heck, she'd dance with the dead if it meant saving Holiday.
"I need to know things," Kylie said. "You need to show me things so I can figure out how to help you."
"Show you what?" Miranda asked.
Kylie ignored Miranda.
The spirit shook her head. "I told you, I don't think I'm the one you have to help."
And wasn't that just like Holiday, Kylie thought, too damn stubborn to accept help. Even in ghost form.
"The only help I need is you to bring out Socks," Miranda called from the window again.
"You should go," Holiday said. "That little fellow would like to be a cat again."
Kylie looked at Miranda and then back to the spirit. "How do you know what he wants?"
"It's one of my gifts; I can communicate with animals."
"No, you can't," Kylie said. Or Holiday couldn't communicate with animals. Did supernaturals who passed over change their gifts? Kylie didn't think so. Did that mean this wasn't Holiday? And if so, who was she?
"Fine, you want him to stay a skunk," Miranda said in her irate voice.
Socks chose that moment to put his paw over his eyes and Kylie moaned.
* * *
A few minutes later, Kylie walked out behind the cabin with Socks held close to her chest. It was still dark and quiet, as if the world hadn't woken up yet. Unlike her, the world didn't get woken up by witches or visions of dead people.
The air held an early morning chill, one of the first signs that summer had outworn its welcome and fall waited nearby to fill its shoes.
When she took another step, she felt it. The calling. Her gaze shot to the edge of woods. Her heart raced and the temptation to move closer whispered her name like an old friend.
Kylie took one step, almost answering the unexplainable yearning, but Miranda's voice pulled her back. "What took you so long?"
"I had to get him out from under the bed," Kylie said, not in the mood to do this, but she remembered the insecurity in Miranda's voice when they'd talked earlier about the other witches giving her a hard time about the goof. Since the first morning light lasted only a few minutes, it was a small price to pay for Miranda's happiness. Then Kylie would sit down and rehash what she'd gotten from the dream. Something in there had to help her make sense of the visions.
Miranda, holding her little black pouch of magic herbs, led Kylie around to the back. "I haven't mistreated him. I have no idea why he doesn't like me."
"I know." But after a month of Miranda following the skunk around trying different spells, Socks had grown leery of her. Kylie would have grown leery of her, too.
Miranda looked up at the eastern sky and saw the light. "It's time." She did a little happy dance. "Put him down."
Kylie gave Socks's black-and-white fur a soft stroke. As crazy as it sounded, she would miss his skunk side. Savoring the sight of him in skunk form one last time, she set him down and backed up, giving Miranda space to work her magic. Of course, Socks started following her, not wanting to be left behind.
"Stay," Kylie said, and motioned for Miranda to start.
Miranda began chanting. Something about light and your true self. Socks started forward again. Miranda waved at Kylie to catch him. Kylie spoke gently to the skunk and he stopped moving. Then, reaching into her bag, Miranda pulled out a pinch of a strange herblike substance. She tossed it in the air over Socks; a few pieces popped and sizzled as they rained down around him.
Kylie held her breath, waiting to see her beloved pet transform into a feline. But nope. The little animal with a white stripe down his back remained in his skunk form.
Miranda frowned up at the sky and commenced chanting again. She tossed more herbs in the air. This time, Socks rose up on his short skunk legs and swatted his tiny paws at the sparkles.
Yet even after all the sizzle of crackling herbs, he remained the same black-and-white skunk. Miranda looked back at the sky as if desperate and commenced another chant.
She held up her little black bag over his head and just shook it down on the animal.
Socks spotted the string hanging from the pouch and leapt up in the air to catch it. When Miranda pulled it back, Socks started to leave.
"Stop him!" Miranda's frustration rang loud and extra clear.
Kylie knelt and waved the little guy back. His beady black eyes looked at Kylie with confusion. Empathy for her pet filled her chest.
Miranda started to chant again.
Socks tried to escape again.
Miranda insisted Kylie stop him again.
It continued for several more minutes until Kylie held up her hand. "This isn't going to work."
"It has to," Miranda said. "I only have another few minutes of first sun. Just keep him there."
As if Socks understood, he darted between Miranda's legs.
"No," Miranda said.
Kylie caught the confused animal. "I think he's had enough," she offered in her most sympathetic voice.
"But he's still a skunk. Put him down. I can do this. I have to."
Kylie understood Miranda's need to prove herself, but ... "Can't you try again tomorrow?"
"One more chant. Really quick, please? All he has to do is stand there."
Relenting, Kylie set Socks down and Miranda went back to reciting some fancy spell.
When Miranda stopped and Socks was still a skunk, Kylie gave Miranda a look of condolence. "It's okay. We'll try another time," Kylie said, beginning to lose her patience.
"Wait. I forgot to bless the light and wind." Miranda paused as if recalling the words.
Kylie held her hand out, pinky first, and muttered, "Why can't you just wave your pinky at him and say, 'Change back into a cat'?"