Familiar!

"I'm just a guy. A software IT tech. Or I used to be until you and your family came along. Now I'm probably unemployed."

She shook her head. "You are a true Mage. You can touch the fabric of the universe and change it. Anything you want, you can have."

"You know everything you just said sounds nuts. Right?"

"Anything you want is yours for the taking. Anything." She grabbed my hair and yanked, tilting my face up toward hers. "Except me. Or my sisters."

"I don't want your sisters." I grimaced as my brain banged and thumped over the treatment. "Or your mom either."

"And me?" The growl was back in her voice while her fingers tightened in my hair.

"I can't. Not that I don't like having you around, and God only knows why I do, but I can't. No one can."

Slowly her hands released my hair while her eyes lost their fierceness. She looked deep in my eyes looking for assurances what I said was true.

"No one. Not ever." I repeated my earlier claim. "You will always be free."

Kathleen shifted on her knees as she hesitated before resolving some kind of internal issue.

"Thank you." She leaned close, closing her eyes as her lips touched mine in what was probably meant to be just a quick, chaste, kiss.

GOLD! Harsh, unrelenting, golden light filled my eyes. It was everywhere as soon as she kissed my lips. The transformer buzz started again. Except this time it wasn't just a buzz, it was a strong thrum vibrating my bones and making my head reel as sight, sound, and touch exploded across my awareness. I could feel everything, sense everything. The warmth of the sun, the coolness of the air, the sound of Kathleen's heartbeat, everything and anything. Grabbing at her, I pressed upward, prolonging the kiss when she tried to break it off.

<Daniel.> The voice in my head was back.

<Kitty?>

<I told you, I am NOT a Kitty! Now, let me go.> There was a pause then the voice turned somewhat softer. <Please. Or I will sock you again.>

I didn't want to but I let her go, separating myself from her. Just as I eased back, she grabbed me and pulled me back in.

<Wait.>

<???>

<Think of your house. As it was. Not like it is now, as it was. A week ago.>

<Kitty . . .>

<Not me! Think of your house. Picture in your mind what it looked like. What it smelled like. What it felt like. All of it as it was a week ago, not like it is now.>

I thought about my house. All the colors, the worn spots in the carpeting, the furniture, my mom's antique hutch and china. Nothing broken or shredded and everything in its place as it was.

<Don't forget the mouse.>

<Mouse?>

<There's a mouse living in the kitchen behind the cabinets. Don't forget to include the mouse.>

<I don't want a mouse in my kitchen!>

<What am I going to play with if you forget about the mouse?> The voice in my head pouted.

<No mouse!>

Painstakingly I built the image of my house in my mind. I wandered through it, looking into every room, every closet, every cabinet and seeing everything in my house. Instead of leaving it like it was, I fixed the leaky faucet in the bathroom tub, sealed the drafty windows, and made the carpeting look brand new again, while spreading some cat toys around the living room as I pictured it just the way I wanted it.

<Now make it real. Not just a dream or a wish, real.>

<How?>

<Use this. Catch.>

The golden light got brighter as she pulled more of it toward us. It was the same deep something I'd felt before when I'd made her shields permanent and unbreakable. The thrumming in my bones got stronger and stronger as she fed more of the golden light to me. The light began spinning and swirling around us.

<Make it real. Now!>

The voice snapped at me, showing me how to use the golden light to do what she asked.

Following instructions, somehow I forced the spinning golden light into the image in my mind until the two fit together perfectly. Then I released both of them.

A pulse flashed outward. Not the warm pulse I'd felt from Kathleen, but a hot, burning pulse of heat moving outward like a wave. I could feel it changing things. The furniture was no longer shabby or shredded. My mother's hutch stood upright, filled with unbroken china. The holes in the walls were repaired and my ceiling restored. My clothes, unripped and undamaged, appeared back in my closet and bureau again. Everything was as it had been, including my white bedroom curtains. Curtains hanging as they originally had over my bed. My bed. With Kathleen in it. Naked. Under the covers. With me.

<DANIEL! NO!>

A fist landed against my jaw, knocking my head backward and making me go black for a moment as my head split apart and hammered more pain at me.

"I AM NOT YOUR KITTY!" Kathleen's snarl followed the punch. She had the sheets pulled up to her neck to hide her body as she glared at me. There was a now familiar warm pulse and a glossy black cat sat on the bed where she'd been a heartbeat before. Voicing an angry yowl, and leaving parallel rows of scratches across my chest, the cat launched itself off the bed and out the bedroom door.

"There's a mouse in my kitchen!" I yelled after it while holding my aching head in my hands.

All I got in reply was a loud hiss and spit right before the front door slammed.

Chapter 7

There was a dead mouse on my doormat.

I'd gotten up and looked through the house after Kathleen had run away. Everything seemed to be okay and where it was supposed to be. It was like the tornado of destruction had only been a bad dream caused either by my concussion or the pain medication the doctors had given me. Only the drippy tub faucet wasn't leaking anymore and my razor had a fresh blade in it.

The rest of the house was just as it'd been too, other than the cat toys on the carpet in the living room. The cat toys almost convinced me it hadn't been a dream. They were real so the dream had to have been real too, except I remembered buying cat things at the pet store recently. The thing was, I couldn't imagine why I'd do something like that, I didn't have a cat.

All I could think of was either the drugs, or my concussion, were making me believe in things which weren't real. I mean, come on, my crazy neighbor's daughter feeding me soup and getting naked in bed with me? If that wasn't a brain injury fantasy, I didn't know what would qualify.

Despite the fact I thought none of it had been real, I'd set out a fresh bowl of cream, leaving it on top of a note saying I was sorry. I didn't hear anything unusual but later I found the note ripped to confetti sized bits. Some of the bits were charred and blackened along the edges. The milk was untouched. Which was about par for the course with my neighbors. At least I didn't have to clean up spilled cat food.

Nor did anything change the next day, or the next. Now I had a dead mouse on my doormat. I went back inside to get a dustpan and dispose of the carcass.

Afterwards I puttered around the house. I was healing and not as stiff or sore as I'd been, but I still wasn't ready to run any marathons. My two black eyes faded from dark purple to green and yellow while the various cuts scabbed over. Mr. Espinoza came over to check on me. We sat at my kitchen table drinking coffee while he told me stories I'd heard many times before.

The next day I felt strong enough to drive to work, hoping against hope I still had a job. I'd left a voice mail message with Gary, my boss, but still hadn't heard back from him. Security had to call for clearance before passing me through with a visitor's badge because my employee one had been revoked. At that point I suspected it was over but I still had to try.

"Dude!" Jason looked at me and pointed at my bruised face. "What happened? Your creepy neighbor finally go over the edge?"

"I got mugged." I temporized since I couldn't actually remember what exactly had happened. "I was in the hospital with a concussion for a few days and then I wasn't able to do much else for another week except sleep."

"Man that sucks."

I nodded agreement. "What's new around here?"

"That gremlin is back. I've been working the O.T. trying to find it, but I can't. Like before, the code's clean but the software hangs. I'm about ready to rip my hair out."

"Anything I can do?"

Jason shook his head. "I'm working on it. The boss thinks you planted some kind of worm in the code and then left."

"You know I'm not like that." I was shocked at the accusation. "I'm not. You know I'm not."

"I know. He's just mad because the system went down again and you turned up missing. He's gotta blame someone."

Jason shook his head. "He's seriously pissed over it, man. When the account crashed and you didn't show up or call by Tuesday, he had me put all your stuff in a box."

He toed the copier paper box on the floor next to his workstation. It was filled with the things I'd left there; my IT Certifications from college, photos, keepsakes.

"I think I got it all."

"What if I went and explained to him? You think he'd let me come back? I really need this job."

Another head shake.

"He's already interviewing for someone else. He started last Tuesday morning. There's some weird looking girl in there with him right now. I think she's going to get the job, she was here once already last week." Jason shook his head again. "She's got neon pink hair with fingernails three inches long and painted to match. She's like pink, pink, and more pink. I swear, if I have to look at her more than two minutes the color receptors in my eyes will probably burn out and I'll never be able to see the color pink again. Which, in her case, might be a good thing."

I sighed. I'd barely gotten out of the hospital before my boss was already interviewing for my replacement. That's gratitude for you. Bending, I carefully lifted the box of my personal belongings.

"Take care man." Jason touched me lightly on the shoulder and opened the door for me. "Sorry it happened."

"Me too." Nodding at him, I carried my box to my truck and went home. I had no idea what I'd do now.

My house felt empty. Another week passed and I stopped putting out the bowl of cream, I couldn't afford it anymore. Wondering where I was going to get the money to pay my bills at the end of the month, I was hunched over the remains of my dinner when there was a knock at the door. For a minute I thought it might be Kathleen, then told myself to knock it off. I wasn't a horny teenager any longer and didn't need to constantly fantasize about my neighbor's daughter. Even if I did think she was pretty.

Answering the door I came face to face with a stranger in a brown suit and tie. Before I could tell him I wasn't interested in whatever he was selling, he jerked his hands up and hit me, knocking me backward into the house as the windows shattered and glass flew everywhere.

<DANIEL!>

I heard the scream and wondered who it was. I wondered who I was. And who was the guy walking into my house. My head started aching again and my vision started to first go gray before quickly edging toward black.

"Weak. You are weak and not a worthy opponent. Why are you in my territory? Why challenge me for it?" The man scowled as he looked down at me in the wreckage of my living room. He lifted his hands again, preparing to repeat whatever it was he'd just done to me.

Kathleen appeared in my kitchen doorway, grabbing at the door jam as she skidded to a stop. She took in the stranger, my newly destroyed living room, and me lying on the floor helpless before thrusting out her hands.

"Praesidium!"

The air turned silver and flashed as light fractured and split into rainbows. The bolt of power aimed in my direction splashed as if it was an ocean wave hitting a solid wall. The man in the brown suit took a look at Kathleen and a nasty grin spread across his face.

"A Familiar. She will make my Master very happy when she joins his menagerie."

At that point the stranger began throwing what seemed to be bolts of pure energy. Each time, the bolt splashed off the silver rainbow shield Kathleen had erected over us. Faster and faster he threw them until the energy he was tossing around was nearly one continuous surge of power aimed in our direction.

"Daniel." Kathleen was kneeling at my side, flinching with every blast which struck the shield. "Wake up."

"Kitty." I mumbled the word. I was glad to see her, even if she wasn't really there.

"Wake up." She shook me slightly.

Instead of trying to do what she asked, I just closed my eyes. I was so tired, and I just wanted to sleep.

"Daniel, wake up. Before he breaks my shield."

"Can't. Promised."

Another bolt slammed into the shield, ricocheting off and hitting the wall. Heat flared and smoke rose from the flames now licking at my drapes. Kathleen coughed as the smoke wafted our way.

"Daniel! Wake up!"

"Why did you go away? I missed you so much."

Kathleen stopped shaking me and flinched as another power blast skipped off the shield and slammed into the house, making it creak. Bending she touched my face gently.

"Daniel . . ." My name was an almost inaudible whisper from her lips.

"Mm?"

"Kiss me."

I opened my eyes to see Kathleen leaning over me. Her eyes were molten gold and freckles stood out on her cheeks. I liked her freckles. I wished they'd come visit more often.

"Kiss me!"

The urgency in her voice made it a command more than a request. So I did.

GOLD! blasted through my senses. Just like the last time this happened I could sense everything. The pain I was in because of the physical damage to my body. The fact I was dying because of it. The stranger who'd done it to me, and the satisfaction he had over accomplishing it so easily because I'd been completely unprepared for his surprise attack. His mental gloating because he thought this would soon be over. Once I was dead he would take Kathleen and force her to serve him.

I could feel him readying another blast to send in our direction. And, I could feel the fear radiating from Kathleen. I paused at that realization. Fear?

<Daniel.>

<Kitty?>

<Take this.>

She passed me a torrent of spinning golden power. As I touched it the power lanced into me, burning through every cell in my body. I screamed as more and more power built up behind the first, the pressure mounting as I strained to hold it.

<HEAL YOURSELF MAGE!>

I exploded outward into tiny fragments which immediately spanned unimaginable distances. I touched stars whose light wouldn't be visible on earth for eons yet to come. I explored galaxies which held secret answers to questions still unthought. I skimmed the minds of alien races. I looked into the dark depths of black holes and saw the enormity of forever and the vastness of eternity. I . . .

"DANIEL!"

Kathleen screamed my name and slammed her fist into the center of my chest. She raised it, preparing to hit me again. Instead of waiting for it to land, I reached up and touched her cheek before sliding my hand behind her neck, pulling her down to kiss her lips. Sharp golden sparks jumped between us and the thrumming returned until I finally broke off and looked up into her golden eyes.

<Hi Kitty.>

<Not a Kitty.>

<Did you leave me a mouse?>

<Yes.>

<Why?>

<You need someone to take care of you.>

<Oh. Okay.>

<Daniel?>

<Mmm?>

<Let me go.>

<Why?>

<You have something you need to do.>

<What?> I kissed her again, savoring the feeling of her lips as more golden sparks snapped between us.

Kathleen sat up and hissed while pointing at my unwanted guest.

"Kill him!"

I looked up at the man in the brown suit. His face was a rictus of angry frustration as he continued to pound unsuccessfully on Kathleen's protective shield with raw energy. Flames washed over everything in my living room, charring and burning and filling the air with smoke. I could hear sirens in the distance as the fire department responded to someone's call that my house was on fire.

My house. Was on fire. Because of this stranger. The three separate thoughts went through my mind as I stood up. Facing him I lifted a palm in the universal symbol.

"Stop this."

In response he lashed at the shield again.

"Stop."

Another attempt at breaking the unbreakable as he screamed at me. He would not stop until the shield failed and he killed me and took Kathleen. I could not let it happen.

Holding out my hand to Kathleen I waited for her to join with me. As her fingers slipped into mine I felt the familiar golden jolt of power. Drawing from her I built a spiral of the golden energy, compressing it and packing still more and more power into it. Using the smallest touch of the power I had swirling around me, I looked at my attacker. Sparkling motes surrounded him as he hammered at the shield. I saw all the way to the very center of those motes and understood his weakness. It, like software coding, was binary. Easy to see. Easy to change.

I glanced at the swirling tornado of power Kathleen had given me. Looking at it and trying to see what I could do with it, I flexed and shaped it while trying to feel how it worked and how I could use it to do what I wanted. A few more moments of study before I turned to Kathleen, I was ready. I had no idea if this was going to work. It seemed like it would, based on the data I could see about the stranger and from manipulating the golden tornado, but I had no actual experience to go on. Just a gut feeling.

"Drop the shield." I kept my eyes on the stranger. I'd only have one chance when Kathleen dropped the shielding. Once chance to strike, so I'd better make it count.

"You're sure?"

I nodded. "Go."

Kathleen erased her shielding with a wave of her hand as I rammed a needle fine spear of energy directly into the center of his being. A spear not meant to pierce, but to grab and pull. Power sluiced to either side as the sorcerer tried to incinerate us once the shield dissipated, my spear point acting like a wedge to push it away and keeping us untouched.

Grabbing at the center of his power I wrenched and tore at it, ripping it loose and locking out his ability to manipulate power at the same time. I just flicked the binary switch which allowed him to be what he was. He collapsed like an empty sack and lay unmoving on the floor. He was no longer a Mage. He'd never be a Mage again. I held his ability to use magic in the center of the tornado of energy I'd built and I had no intention of ever giving it back.

Still, I had to do something with it, I didn't want to keep it and I couldn't destroy it. Casting with my mind, I tried to find somewhere safe to put it. A bright spark beckoned. Kathleen's younger sister Katrina. Of the two girls, Katrina had magical potential while Katya did not. Katya's ability to manipulate or touch power was essentially nonexistent. It was there, but beyond reach even with the power reserve I had built. But Katrina was a different matter. Her potential was balanced, neither active nor inactive. A small push was all she needed to go either way, almost fully human with nearly no magical ability like her sister, or . . .? The question was; did I have the moral authority to give her that push? Could I play God? Even if I could, should I?