Familiar!

Mr. Espinoza glanced between me and Nazaa.

"What does it mean when you call Daniel your Master? And why does he call you a kitty? And what was that glowing thing that . . ."

Mr. Espinoza's questions continued as they moved out of earshot. Esmie, Katya and Katrina changed to feline form and vanished while Kathleen's mother eased herself out the door behind them.

Not that she'd stayed away. No, she'd shown up the next morning, right on time for my lessons, berating me for being lazy, inattentive, and a Mage.

Kathleen had growled at her before snapping her fingers. A tiny ball of fire inside a miniature silver rainbow orb the size of a large marble appeared to hover over her palm, the magic inside churning and swirling with constantly shifting and changing shapes. Her magical ability had increased somehow during the fight with Fabian and her holding the orb with her shields. I didn't know how or why, but it had.

At the marble's appearance, her mother dropped her eyes and curtseyed to her daughter, acknowledging that the balance of power had shifted.

Afterward

The news media was still having a field day about International Human Trafficking, despite the police not finding any new information or leads. After we'd left and covered our tracks, the police had arrived to find dozens of women chained and held as prisoners in several rooms of the mansion. Almost all of them were filthy and malnourished, while several sported bruises on their faces and bodies. None of them talked or spoke, only shrinking away in fear when they were confronted with questions.

Mr. Espinoza shook his head over the reporter's commentary coming from the speakers in his car as he held the door open for Esmie, Katrina and Katya to climb inside. While the girls slid into the back seat, Nazaa opened the passenger side door and sat in the front. We were all going to Chavez Ravine for the last Dodger game of the season. Katrina, Katya, and Esmie's first days of learning about baseball, and the best team in the league, were beginning.

Once they were all loaded into Mr. Espinoza's car, I jumped into the cab of my truck. Kathleen slid over next to me as I turned the key. There was only a click in response. Gently I laid a single finger on the dash.

"Start." The truck rumbled into life.

"Show off." Kathleen's words were scornful.

"Witch." My verbal riposte followed immediately.

"Mage."

"Thief. You stole my heart."

Kathleen looked up at me, her eyes smoldering with molten gold.

"Liar." Her lips met mine.

Mr. Espinoza honked his horn in impatience while the three little girls in the back seat made icky faces in our direction. Nazaa, in typical cat fashion, stared out the front windshield and ignored everything. I put the truck in gear, backed out of my driveway, and headed down the street, stopping at the corner to check for traffic and wait for Mr. Espinoza to catch up.

Lia waved through the window as we looked in her direction. She hadn't wanted to come along with the rest of us, saying she wasn't interested in sports at all. Mr. Espinoza had just shaken his head after hearing it. I didn't know if that meant he'd given up or if he was planning on converting Lia from her heretical ways. In his world view, neighbors didn't let neighbors not care about Dodger baseball. It would be interesting to see what happened with that.

"Kitty." I hit my turn signal and pulled out onto the boulevard. Apparently I just couldn't leave well enough alone.

Kathleen's fingers curled around mine and she leaned against me while shifting to get comfortable. A gentle squeeze of her fingers followed her cheek resting on the tip of my shoulder.

"Idiot."