Page 28 of A Dream of Stars and Curses

But I’m here now, so I might as well ask Kate. I knock on the door and hear one of her dogs come to a scratchy standstill right behind it seconds later.

Kate opens the door with a smile when she sees me. ‘Esta! To what do I owe the pleasure?’

I suddenly feel like I’m intruding. We’ve always chatted here and there, but lately, I feel like we’re around each other all the time. She probably has better things to do than baby me.

‘I can come back if this is a bad time,’ I say, already taking a step back. ‘It’s not important. At least, I don’t think so.’

‘Then you wouldn’t have found your way to me. Come in. I can spare a moment.’

I enter and take a look around. I haven’t been inside her home before. We’ve always chatted in the garden or, lately, when walking our dogs together. It’s cosy. There are pictures of Keano and Bruin all over the living room wall, and some dogs I don’t recognise. It’s like a memorial to all the dogs she’s loved. The walls are painted a dark grey and the carpet is black, but it’s not dark in here, at least not in any negative sense. It feels warm. Like an autumn evening. The window lets in plenty of light, but Kate has lit a few candles anyway. I smell lavender incense. Bushels of the dried plant hang over a fireplace, and I passed a hanging broom as I came in. I feel like the house itself is welcoming me.

‘You have a beautiful home,’ I say as I’m still looking around. A painting of the moon phases hangs over her sofa, and a small bookcase stands beside it. Huh. I kinda thought she’d have a whole library in here, but then I haven’t seen the upstairs.

Bruin is asleep in a large dog bed in the corner. Keano is bouncing around me and begging for ear scratches. I’m happy to oblige, but Kate sits on her sofa and Keano sits next to her, like he’s guarding her.

Kate nods to the space beside her. ‘Please, join us and tell me what brought you here today.’

‘Bonnie is at home right now talking to Sunitha.’ I realise I don’t remember if we told Kate about her. I definitely didn’t mention that she’s a mermaid, but I don’t know if Bonnie said. I spaced out a little when we all went for our walk together, right up until Bonnie got stung by that wasp. ‘They’re dating,’ I quickly add. It’s up to Bonnie how much she wants to say. Really, it’s up to Sunitha, but it’s definitely not up to me. ‘They had a... well, “fight” isn’t really the right word, but they’re talking it out. I thought I’d leave them to it.’

Kate cocks her head. ‘And you came here?’

I guess I’ll have to say a little more after all. ‘Sunitha is one of the Veiled. When she entered our house, she smelled something not human, but she says it’s none of the Veiled we’ve had over. I was wondering if you might know what it is.’

‘Something not human, you say?’ Kate thinks for a moment. Next to her, Keano whines until she pets his head. ‘I didn’t detect anything unusual when I’ve been in your house. Have you had anyone else over since the last time I was there?’

I shake my head. ‘We generally don’t have people over a lot.’

We’re both way too anti-social for that.

‘Don’t forget that anyone coming to your door could be Veiled—your postmen, delivery drivers, the people sticking fliers through your door. Some of the Veiled have stronger... how do I put it? Their energies are stronger. Usually it’s older Veiled or those who embrace their magic more. Glamours can also affect it. Even younger Veiled can have a more potent aura, if you will, than their elders depending on what they are going through.’

I remember something Leverett said about younger vampires struggling more with their nature. Perhaps it’s something like that.

‘Sounds like it could be literally anyone leaving their scent on our doorstep.’

I shiver slightly. When I put it like that, it sounds like our house is marked. Only, who marked it, and why? From what Kate said, it’s likely just a coincidence. A Veiled knocked on our door to deliver, I dunno, pizza, we accept it, and the Veiled leaves again with their scent automatically clinging to the doorbell. Nothing sinister about that.

I breathe a sigh of relief when Kate nods.

‘I doubt anyone left their scent on purpose,’ Kate says. ‘These things happen naturally for many Veiled. Humans can’t detect it, so there’s no danger of anyone finding out that a werewolf, for example, frequents the area.’

I nod, more to myself than to her. ‘Like cats spraying their favourite trees.’

Kate gives me a proud teacher smile. ‘Exactly like that, except a little more incidental. Cats mark their territories on purpose, but I don’t think this is the case here. Did Sunitha sense this inside your house or only as she entered?’

‘Just when she first came in, I think. She did sniff when we asked about it, but she let it go.’

Kate nods. ‘Then perhaps the sense of someone else was stronger at your door? It doesn’t sound like she felt any danger.’

If Sunitha just let it go, it’s probably fine. All this confirms that I overreacted. My gut is rarely wrong, and I haven’t worried about it since I got to Kate’s. If my gut says it’s fine, Sunitha says it’s fine—or just shrugs it off like it’s nothing, anyway—and Kate says it’s fine, chances are it actually is fine.

‘Thank you,’ I say. ‘I was so focussed on it when I left the house, but I’ve felt better since I got here. I feel silly that I came over for this now.’

For a moment, Kate looks surprised, but then she smiles again and I feel better yet. ‘Nonsense. I’m glad you feel you can come to me with any magickal concerns. I’m happy to have a look through your house if you like? Perhaps I’ll pick up on something I missed before.’

‘No, that’s alright. As you said, the Veiled sometimes leave their scents by accident. If I find anything, I’ll let you know.’

Now if I found a pile of bloody bones on my doorstep, that would worry me. But there hasn’t been anything out of the ordinary except for all the Veiled in my life lately—and they’ve always been there, too, I just didn’t know—so I get up from the sofa feeling reassured.

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