Page 6 of Spookily Yours

But where was her family? The human didn’t seem to have anyone else living with her, and I didn’t detect the traces of anyone else. Maybe a faint smell of another human—female, and then some older ones, but nothing else.

It’s nice.I thought.Better than any home I’ve ever had.But I couldn’t say that.

She’d carried me into the kitchen, setting me onto the floor as she rustled through the fridge, clearly frowning at its contents.

“What do you think, little beastie? Do you want some water? I need to go to the store to get some things…” She bit her lip. “I didn’t exactly expect this to happen today.” She sighed, her cheeks turning slightly pink as she continued mumbling to herself.

Oh. That was cute.

I cocked my head, staring at her with fervent attention as she filled a bowl with water.

She stopped, staring back at me. “Will you be okay while I go?”

Crouching down to place the water bowl on the floor, she rubbed between my ears, and an involuntarypurremitted from my throat.

That was… new.

I’d never really had the occasion to let humans pet me when I was in this form before. It surprised me how much I liked it whenshedid it.

I meowed in response. I hoped that it communicated,I’ll be fine, human.

But what did I know?

The human stood up, brushing off her orange skirt—cat hair I’d left behind, I was sure—and then nodded at me.

“Okay, boy. I’ll be back. Be good and don’t get into anything.” She winced, looking around the room. “I’ll have to clean up when I get back. Geez.”

I flicked my ears back in amusement as the human talked to herself.

“Gods, Willow,” she muttered to herself.Willow.I liked that. “You have got to stop talking to the cat like he’s going to respond.”

If only she knew.

Heading to the door, the human—Willow, I corrected myself—picked up her phone, hitting a contact before putting it to her ear.

“Yeah, Luna?” she said into the speaker. “I’m going to need a raincheck for tonight…” She winced. “I know. I’m sorry—” And then she was out the door, leaving me all alone to explore my new home.

Flicking my tail, I walked across the human’s hardwood floors. I figured if I was stuck here till I figured out how to reverse this damned curse, I might as well get my lay of the land.

What’s this?My nose caught a scent and I couldn’t help but follow it.

What was that delicious scent? My mouth watered, and I knew it was the feline side of me that had been dominant for too long. That was what guided me through the rooms of the house, searching for the location of the wafting smell.

Pushing open the cracked door, I padded into a room, stopping suddenly as all of my senses were overwhelmed byher.Willow. Her scent was all over this room, and I realized with a jolt exactly where I’d entered a moment later. Bedroom.

Darting out of the room, I dashed to the other end of the house—peeking my head into what looked like a library. There was an empty bedroom with lilac walls, and then—there was the source of the twitching to my nose.

It smelled like catnip, rosemary, marigolds—the things my cat sideloved.

The room itself seemed to be some large storage room, though everything had its place. The back wall was covered in bookshelves, filled with a whole myriad of supplies: essential oils, crystals, plants, herbs, dried flowers, candles, incense and books.

Jumping on the table in the center, I surveyed the crystal ball, a grimoire laying open, plus a stack of books, and more candles that littered the table.

It suddenly occurred to me what exactly she used this room for.

Witch.

And then a thought ran through my mind.

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