Page 3 of No Potions Needed

“Well, close the windows anyway,” I said, still shaking his hand.

“Are you afraid the ghosts will escape?” he leaned in close to whisper.

“That’s exactly it!” I grinned.

Maybe Mori was right about lying sometimes if it protected people from their own short-sightedness.

“I didn’t know you were a fortune teller like Dern,” Rian’s grinned broadened when I finally let go of his well-manicured hand.

“I am many things, Rian. Many many things. Which way is Dern’s room? We can walk ourselves while you work on that snack. Thank you. You’re such a good friend.”

Rian pointed and I walked away before he could say anything else. Mori caught up with me and asked what the hell that was about over the group link.

“He was cute but he really needs to shut the windows, and I told you I was hungry. Why not grab a bite to eat while we’re here? You’re not going to be in the mood to eat after the alphas catch up with us,”I pointed out.

“Touche, Ni. Touche.”

Dern’s room was much cozier than I expected it to be. Bigger too. Two large bay windows looked over a pretty garden. The walls were light mint green and the whole room smelled like watermelon. They hadn’t sprayed our subject down with pheromone blocker spray, thankfully. He smelled like many old, ornery wolves that I’d met. He smelled like big secrets too. Almost like my carrier when someone tried to guess what was in the potion that allowed jaguars from our pard to astral project to their true-mates. I hadn’t done that yet. I wanted to see the world before I had to go home and lead a life trapped in the village. My pard would need me and I’d go, of course, but for now I was happy to see everything.

“Is he the jaguar guy?” Dern asked Mori.

“Yes, this is Othoni. Have you met before?” Mori asked, sitting down in a chair next to Dern’s bed, not bothering to shake the old wolf’s hand.

“I haven’t but others have talked about him. Ormund over there,” he nodded toward the windows, “for example.”

Mori waved to the windows, but I didn’t see the guy in question straight away. Though, I didn’t always see spirits. A second later, huge white and brown feathers came into view before anything of the man could be seen. He looked like an angel from old human art I’d seen at some of the museum’s Mori had taken me on a tour of.

“He’s not a harpy before you ask,” Dern said. “He’s not even from Earthside. He died here but he wasn’t born here but that’s a story for later.”

“Isn’t that the story we’re here for?” Mori asked, crossing his legs and taking out his laptop. “I hope you don’t mind if I type my notes. I’ve been told you’d like your story recorded in some fashion. I could use voice record on my phone but…”

“Do that too,” Dern said. “Do it in the new-fangled way too. I’ve been reading so much about these damned Starscales that I think that we’ll see more and more mates like me and Ormund and like Marsin and Astral. Times are changing. Things are--- I don’t want to be here for the weird stuff though.” Dern huffed and Ormund crossed the room to sit on the edge of his mate’s bed. He took Dern’s hand in his and kissed it. For a second, I ached for that attention. Not from Ormund exactly but from some alpha who didn’t care about where I was born or who I’d be later in life. I just needed some big, hunky alpha with arms big enough to brush all my baggage out of the way and---

“He’s a looker, huh?” Dern said in my direction as if he read my thoughts. “He’s always turned heads. He claims that it’s his wings but we know better, don’t we, kitten? Sit down. I told them to bring sweet tea and sandwiches when you got here. Knew you’d come hungry. Sit down, kitten. He doesn’t bite.”

I sat down in the empty chair and Mori asked, “So, where would you like to start with telling us your story, Dern?”

“Not yet,” he shook his head. “I could do the whole Appalachian hospitality thing and lie and say I wanted you to have your refreshments first but I’m waiting on Teddy. I shot the poor, scaly asshole. So, he should hear this too. Besides, y’all will be glad I waited.”

“For the love of Juda and all his babies,” Mori pinched the bridge of his nose. “Tell me that you do not believe Teddy’s my true-mate like my carrier does.”

Dern flattened his lips to his face and rolled his eyes. He was already exasperated with Mori and his scent said as much.

“Not everything is about you, buttercup. I know you’re a special boy where you come from. Everyone loves the kid of the shaman and healer who can see dead folks. I’m a fortune teller. I know all about being the special boy but let me tell you, ain’t none of us special. You can wait a few more minutes like everyone else.”

“Are you trying to be a dick?” Mori asked, his eyebrows shooting up his forehead.

“No,” Dern shook his head. “Just telling you what someone should’ve told me when I was younger. Would’ve saved me a whole lot of trouble. You’ll need to remember that in the future. You have to look beyond your own nose, pup.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. Dern was being a dick, but Mori’s expression was priceless. The old wolf wasn’t the first one to tell him nepotism wouldn’t get him anywhere but in general I considered Mori a decent guy. As far as I knew he hadn’t chosen his parents.

“So, you’re really not going to tell me after we traveled all the way here upon your request?” Mori asked, trying to drag the conversation back on track.

“I never said that. I said we’re waiting on Teddy and look here comes the snacks. Thanks, blondie,” he said the last part to Rian. “Let us know when the dragons get here. Tell Jacob he can blow a seahorse but send in Teddy Moonscale.”

“Dern,” Rian said, in a knowing voice. “I don’t think Teddy wants to talk to you. You shot him. Twice. When we shoot people, we don’t get to expect them to be our friends.”

“And when we get old, we don’t revert to toddlers, but I guess they didn’t teach you that at Hemlock Academy, huh, pup?” Dern huffed. “Tell Teddy to get his ass in here. Tell him the story eventually includes his carrier.”

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