Page 9 of I Accidentally Hired a Shadow Walker
Now don't get me wrong, I never believed that dream actually happened, though I remembered dropping that scarf in the cave and never saw it again. Still, I do believe it triggered something inside me, and over the years, I slowly accepted that this was part of my life.
It was also something I could tell no one about, but it was part of me, and that was why I loved to be near nature, to feel the dirt on my skin, the wind, the grass, all of it.
When I was seventeen, Kaa came into my life, but she was nothing like her current self. I was out on a hike when I tripped, which is unusual, because typically, I'm very surefooted, but when I looked over, I saw this weird orange and blue seed just sitting in the dirt. Typically, when I'm out like that, I touch nothing foreign to me. I'm not crazy, but something inside me screamed to take the seed home and plant it.
My mother taught me to listen to my intuition, so I did. When it was time to move away from home for college, I finally bought a pot and planted it. I promised my mother I would take the best care of it. Three weeks after I planted the seed, Kaa emerged.
From the moment I saw her, I felt the connection, something beyond explanation. She understood me, and I should have been scared of this plant that turned into a snake, but I wasn't. Hell, I didn't even like snakes—stilldon't—but Kaa was different. She was a part of me, like if someone sliced off a piece of my soul and made it real. That was Kaa.
To me, Kaa was sweet and gentle and made sure I was okay. There were many times, especially during finals, when she comforted me. To others, she was a bit more aggressive, but more often than not, no one ever saw her. I had very few friends who knew about her. She remained hidden in her plant form whenever we weren't alone. But whenever wewerealone, I would tap the side of the pot she lived in, and she would come alive.
The most I would ever get were comments about how exotic the plant looked. Some green thumbs would even ask about water and lighting needs, growing irritated when I wouldn’t allow them to propagate from Kaa.
My go-to excuse was that I found it at some random nursery I couldn't remember the location of, and everyone seemed to accept that as truth.
My home was a welcoming oasis, full of plants that brought a smile to my face.
The first thing I did after buying the home was remodel it. It had good bones but was an eyesore. I put in more windows for natural lighting and access to sunlight for my babies. I had natural planters built into the walls. It gave my plants access to rainwater, and all the drainage went outside, so I didn’t have to worry about root rot.
I went with a cozy cottage feel—exposed brick, lots of natural wood furnishings, and stone flooring and countertops. Entering my space felt like going to a spa. At least, for me it did, especially with the heated flooring. My feet were always nice and toasty.
With the tub full and the water hot, I slid into the bath and let the water do its thing. Maybe it was because I was a Cancer and had spent mostof my time in the water as a kid, but I loved a good bath. It did something to me. No wonder I had dreams of odd women in caves with magical ponds.
I had been thinking of that dream more often, but I couldn’t figure out why. It felt like a deeper intuition was trying to yell at me, but I had no idea what the hell it meant.
As I soaked, I drew my fingers across the surface of the tattoos that covered my body. My first was the vine that wrapped around my arm that I’d got on the second day of college. Since then, I’ve gotten ten more, all nature themed. And yes, I was itching to get another one. The plan was to extend the vine that wrapped around my right leg up my body and across my chest to connect it to the one on my left arm. That would take a lot of time, money, and pain. Yes, I loved them, but I’m not one of those girls who claimed they didn’t hurt. I just liked the pain.
The vine was like a map of my inner self. Every time I reached a new level in life, maturity, power, I would add to the vines. Each leaf had a name, a purpose. It was the traces of my former self. I spoke a quiet thank you to that past version of myself for being so resilient.
Hair washed, body scrubbed, and skin moisturized, I wrapped my robe around my body and headed for the kitchen. As I passed, I made sure to give extra attention to any of my plants that looked a little down. After a quick hello and a gentle touch, they always perked right back up.
As I plucked a grape from the bowl in the fridge, my phone buzzed. It was still in my bag, discarded on the floor by the door. I retrieved the phone and found a text from Mack.
Mack: Hey, are you still coming over?
“Shit,” I muttered. I had forgotten all about his ass. Mack was my new flavor, a man with broad shoulders and strong thighs.
Just as I was about to send an affirmative response, Mack committed the ultimate sin. The phone buzzed in my hand, and a moment later…dick pic! Yep. And the worst fucking kind: dick in hand, toes in background.
BLOCKED!
I slammed the phone down, and then, a moment later, it buzzed again.
“I know damn well…” I picked up the phone, expecting a text from Mack, but I found an email notification.
It was from Raymond. I opened it to find one line.
This looks great. I look forward to working together.
4
Dammit, Deonta
Idrifted off to sleep, Raymond's face in my mind's eye, only to be jolted awake by the insistent ringing of my phone. Curses on my lips, I reached over to pick up the device and saw his name flashing across the screen.
“The hell?” I frowned, cleared my throat, and answered the call. “Hello?”
“Are you just getting out of bed?” he asked, as if he was an old friend.
