Myka's Tail Ch. 05

"I would be glad to help Kelli, and I do admit that your second father's idea is intriguing."

"Then that is where we shall start," Millicent declared. "Kelli and Gina will work with Daniel to prepare the best magical defense that we can construct. We shall meet again once they have the beginnings of the necessary spells and patterns prepared."

"Wait a minute," Kelli's dad called out, drawing everyone's focus. "You all talk about magic defenses, and Dan is talking about a magic network defense, but what about physical security? Dan will tell you that the best network security in the world is worth shit if someone has free access to your server room."

"If necessary, Steven," and it was Cassandra answering this time. "We can go to the other covens in the area and request their help in keeping defenses in place. I know a few of the other witches here and I think they would be willing to help in exchange for the use of the completed locus for some of their rites from time to time."

"That is a great idea Miss Cassandra," he began before he was interrupted.

"Please Steven, it is just Cassandra. No need to stand on ceremony here," and I noticed that her request caused Ali to scoff in annoyance.

"Fine, just Cassandra then. Like I was saying, help with guarding is nice, but can't some of you make something like magic robots or something? Things that don't need to eat or sleep, and that can fight and defend at a moment's notice."

"That is an interesting thought," Millicent responded. "I can discuss this with Penelope. She knows two of the best artificers that currently exist, and there aren't many. Golems, your magical robots Steven, would certainly be a formidable deterrent."

"And I will look into communicating our need to the pack," I said with a strong desire to contribute. "I would rather keep the pack from harm, but if this is as important as you say, then they will be perfect for patrols and added physical security."

My dads, Kelli, and even some of the other members of the Circle were all nodding in approval at all of the suggestions that had been given, and everyone stood up to leave because it was time to get to work. Kelli had her arms around me and our dads had come up behind us, placing their hands on our shoulders, and there were nods from many and hugs for friends before transport spells were prepared.

"I shall maintain contact with all of you," Millicent said, still in that authoritative voice. "And once our first tasks are well under way I will call us together again."

The rest of the Circle took their leave and transported away, but Millicent stayed long enough to kiss Kelli and I on the forehead, leaving behind the burning warmth. My eyes widened as she took a moment to place a hand on each of my dad's shoulders, and I was sure that for some reason she was giving them both a silent thank you. She always seemed to find another way to surprise me.

Once done, however, Millicent turned without a sound and wove her magic into a transport circle and vanished, leaving the four of us in the darkness of our clearing. I wasn't sure what it was, but I shivered for a moment after she had gone, and I had an urgent desire to leave.

"Guys, I've been through the wringer and back, and I need to sleep," I said, finally letting the exhaustion I felt be heard in my voice. "Also, Kelli and I have dinner tomorrow with Paul and Kass, and I have a ton to do between now and then. Can we go home now?"

"Yes sweetie, we can go home now," Kelli replied, giving me a tender kiss.

She called up a small globe of light so that everyone could see as we walked back to the house, and she and my dad seemed to be deep in discussion the entire time. He was going on and on about how the stones, or whatever the markers would be made of, would in essence be the hardware of the system, and the Circle's magic would be the software. Both were chatting like kids on Christmas morning about possible ways to go about setting this up, and I had to remind them that they would need to include Gina in these discussions to do things right.

Throughout it all, Kelli's dad and I were chuckling at their antics, and we both took many opportunities to make fun of them as we were walking. Even though things had been so lousy, it was nice to have us all together and I was glad to have my sense of the feelings we all had for each other to push away my fears. Soon enough we were home, and we all said our goodnights. Kelli and I left for our bed, leaving our dads to bear the brunt of informing our moms what had happened.

Within minutes after undressing and sliding between the covers with Kelli, our arms and legs wrapped around the other, sleep claimed both of us. When morning came, I was grateful that my dreams were untroubled and that I was able to get a full night's rest. In fact, it had been so restful, once I woke up in the morning I felt none of the exhaustion and weakness from the previous night. I was awake, hungry, and ready to start my day.

Mom had breakfast ready for me when I came up from the basement, and I ate like I hadn't seen food in months. Not only did I finish the plate she put in front of me in record time, but I ate an entire plate of seconds as well. I suspected that this was because the events of last night had taken so much out of me, and I was sure that my appetite would return to normal in a day or two.

"Hey, are you alright Myka," mom asked, and I wasn't really surprised at the concern in her voice.

"Dad talked to you, didn't he?"

"And Steve. They were practically shaking when they told Amanda and me about it. You need to be more careful little girl, and not rush head on into danger like this."

"That's not how it happened mom," I sighed, and tried to set the record straight. "It actually started while I was sitting in Kelli's lap on the back deck. That is when the pulsing and the pain began. Everything else was just reacting to what I knew needed to happen to fix it."

"Is there any way you could block it out, or ignore it, so this can't happen again? Or why not let the others permanently get rid of the power there? Steve said that was one of the options."

"Did he also tell you that if we did that, I might literally lose my mind? As in a body without a soul, nothing but a walking zombie. That's what could happen if we did that."

"Well, I mean, he did mention something," mom said, and her hesitation spoke volumes. "But surely it wouldn't be as bad as all of you are making it out to be. Right?"

"Mom, like it or not, after coming back from Scotland, I have been linked to the power source that is focused in our clearing. If I am being honest, I actually feel that I have become its defender. I didn't want this mom, but because Mathias chose to do what he did, and because Kelli and I chose to bond together, the responsibility is now mine. Look on the bright side, though. You always were telling me to be more responsible."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," she scolded in her grumpiest mother voice, but it was mere moments before we were both laughing out loud. "I know that not all of this is your choice, and I cannot claim to understand even half of what you guys do now. Just promise me that if you can help it at all that you will be as careful as you can possibly be."

"You don't have to worry about that mom," I replied as I wrapped her up in a hug. "I have to think about Kelli first now, both sets of parents along with Kita, and my responsibility to the land. And my decisions will take those things into account in that order."

"Well, I'm your mother, and I will always worry. Though I might worry a little less now."

She returned my hug, and left me with a kiss on the cheek before telling me to get to it or I would be late for the class I had to teach that morning. Mom was right about the class, of course, but I took an extra few moments to squeeze her hand, and project as much love over our connection as I could. It was not nearly what I could send and receive from Kelli, but in her eyes I could see that she knew she was loved.

That was the last moment of peace that I had for the rest of the day, because after that things just got difficult. Kita joined me as I went to class, and I got the sense that Kelli had been able to communicate with her just enough that I now had a bodyguard for the day. The net effect of this was that my students paid more attention to Kita than they did to the lecture, and the pop quiz I gave because of that didn't win me any points.

I was behind in getting my revised proposal ready for my advisor, and Dr. Chance was breathing down my neck because of it. I also had twenty papers to grade by Monday, and I knew with meeting Paul and Kass for our regular Friday double date, because of a lack of time, I was going to be pulling my ears out within a couple of days. Even so, I wouldn't have missed the time Kelli and I spent with them for the world.

At the end of the day I made sure that my students were given what they needed to be productive over the weekend. We discussed for the fifth time where they were allowed to go without one of the professors or myself, and I reiterated once again what they needed to accomplish to succeed in the assignment. The meeting with the two professors that were here with me this semester seemed to drag on with a relentless plod, and I finally was able to show them the data that I had been gathering and where it was leading me.

Once I had secured their approval, I checked the time as I bolted out of the field house, noticing that I was only just this side of being late. As I tore through the house after slamming the door, mom shouted something out to me that I had to ignore, and I barely acknowledged Kelli and dad sitting at the table going over drawings that looked like arcane flow charts.

My shower was completed at a speed even a world class sprinter would be proud of, and I used a little of the time I had made up to get my hair and tail just a little bit more dry. With Paul and Kass we never went anywhere fancy, so I put on a low waist pair of jeans along with a bright yellow belly shirt, and finished it off with some four inch heeled black ankle boots. Once dressed I grabbed my purse and bounded up the stairs to get Kelli so that we could get going.

"So if this spell is a ward of intent," my dad was asking as he pointed to some of the writing that Kelli had laid out on paper. "Shouldn't we place it in the outer ring so that someone with ill will can't even get to where they need to be to tap into the circle? Would that act as a sort of physical shield?"

"It would certainly make it more difficult to approach," she replied, so engrossed in the discussion that neither had noticed my return. "But someone of sufficient power could access the inner rings without having to be within them."

"It wouldn't hurt anything, would it? And does it matter how many spells you work into this? Is there a limit?"

"With as much power as the clearing has to tap, we could probably add in some extra spells without any issue. We can bring that up with Gina tomorrow, and then with Millicent and the rest when we have a more concrete idea of what we are going to do."

Once Kelli had reached what sounded like a stopping spot, I cleared my throat to let them both know I was there.

"Oh shit," Kelli cried out, and then blushed in embarrassment at her outburst. "We're almost late."

"Yeah we are," I replied with a gentle mocking. "So hurry up slowpoke. And hi dad. Love to stay and chat but we have to go."

"Yeah, yeah," he added. "You two always on the run. Jet setting every which way you want to go."

I gave him a kiss on the cheek as Kelli gathered up her things, and then we both waved goodbye on our way back down stairs. Within minutes Kelli had transported us back to our apartment near the university, and we ran out the door and headed to dinner. Tonight was at one of our usual hang outs, a small jazz club that also had a decent menu to go with their music. Fridays and Saturdays were always live band nights, and Paul and his crew had often played here. Tonight, however, was just for music and food, and enjoying friendships.

"Oh my god," Kass called out as Kelli and I made it over to our usual table, and she jumped up to pull me into a hug. "You look so hot tonight Myka! But then you always do."

"And you look gorgeous as ever Kass," I replied, giving her a light brush of a kiss on the lips, making her blush.

"Kelli, you look great in that dress too," she added, giving Kelli the same treatment she had given me.

"Myka, Kelli," Paul interrupted, giving both of us similar treatment as well. "I know we're together nearly every Friday, but it is always great to see you both."

"And it's always great to see the two of you as well," Kelli agreed, as she laid a soft hand on his cheek, causing Paul to lower his eyes and blush. "We're hungry though, so let's get some snacks ordered right now."

With the greetings and hellos out of the way we all settled down to good food and conversation. Talk was about work, and school, and a lot of other mundane things. It was nice being part of each other's lives, and I was able to watch the bonds that joined the four of us tighten further with each moment that passed.

"So, in about four weeks we're going to be in an actual studio laying down some of our songs for a possible album," Paul said between mouthfuls of his jambalaya. "And I can tell you right now, I am nervous as hell."

"Why," Kelli asked. "You guys are great, and I think you could really go far with the sound you have."

"Well, we are pretty much self-publishing this first album and we have to be perfect to have any hope of getting noticed."

"Hey love, we have a solid group with a fantastic sound," Kass told him as she took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "We flow well together and we will hit it right just like all of our shows."

I glanced down as Kass loosened her grip on Paul's hand, but she hadn't let go yet. For some reason, my brain was not putting things together and my eyes almost slid past their fingers and back up to their faces. Almost. Seeing the ring on Kass' finger, the diamond giving off tiny sparks of light, was enough to yank my mind completely away from our conversation. If I hadn't been sitting I might have stumbled or even collapsed.

"Holy shit!"

"What's wrong sweetie," Kelli asked, concerned at my sudden outburst.

All I could do was point to Kass' hand, and her gasp let me know that Kelli realized the significance of my shock. I looked up at their faces, and both of them were grinning from ear to ear, clearly happy that they had surprised us both.

"You guys have no idea how hard it was to keep this under wraps this past week," Paul cried out in excitement. "And we were hoping it would take you at least this long to notice."

"Oh my god! Congratulations! This is so great," I nearly shouted as I pulled Kass up from her seat and into one of my tightest embraces. "When did this happen? And how long have you been planning it?"

"Well, Paul and I have been discussing it for a while now," Kass gushed, clearly enjoying the attention. "He actually asked me three weeks ago, and I said yes right away."

"It couldn't have happened to a better couple," Kelli said. "But why the wait, and how in the name of the goddess did you miss this Myka? Isn't love and emotion supposed to be your thing?"

"I have been watching our connections," I grumped, and everyone had a chuckle at my expense. "And they have been strengthening steadily, but I just figured that it was because we were all spending so much time together. Now that I know this was in the works, the fact that the cords binding us all have felt like steel rope for the last little while makes sense."

"Paul and I were sure that you were going to see right through our deception," Kass giggled with glee. "We waited while we shopped for the perfect ring, but I am glad that we were able to sneak this one by you for a while. It made it a lot of fun."

The next half hour was totally about our friends, and Kelli and I grilled them both for every little detail that we could get out of them. We felt honored when we found out that the two of us were the first to know, and we promised to be there when they had their engagement party in a couple of weeks. All in all, it had been a fantastic night, and it wasn't even over yet.

Eventually, both the food and the questions were finished, and the music was starting to get good so we all made our way out to the center floor to dance. The flow of the melody, and the beat of the percussion weaved a sensuous rhythm into our bodies, and the four of us were able to take over the space from anyone else that was there. It wasn't that we were being rude, or trying to push others out, we were all so caught up in the moment that everyone else there decided to hang back and watch us.

I could almost feel the eyes on Kelli and me while we strutted and pranced around each other, our lithe movements almost hypnotizing. Paul and Kass were holding their own as well, and the way they were looking at each other had the entire room smoldering at a slow burn. At the end of the set, we were all breathing heavier than normal, and not completely due to the exercise. It was time for the band to take five so they could grab some water or go to the bathroom before their next set, and the four of us made our way back to the table for a quick drink as well.

Soon enough the break was over and the band moved on into the next part of their show, which was more blues than traditional jazz, but it had a mellow and infectious sound that wormed its way into your soul. Much of the crowd decided that it was a good time to go back onto the floor because the music was slow, and would allow couples to hold tight to each other while still in public. When Kass asked me to take her out on the floor for a few turns while Paul danced with Kelli, I could barely hide my surprise. I sensed that she had something important to tell me, and my instinct told me that she had had a difficult time working herself up to this.

"So what's the problem," I whispered to her as I pulled her close and rested my hands on the back of her neck. "I'm guessing you have been psyching yourself up for what you want to say for some time."

"You know," she replied, and I could hear a slight quaver in her voice. "Sometimes it is seriously creepy how well you know just about everyone you are friends with."

"Sorry," I said, and I placed my hand on the side of her face to comfort her. "I can back off if it makes you uncomfortable."

"No, no. I will admit that it is strange sometimes, but don't change who you are because of me or anyone else. You are right, though, that I have been needing to talk to you about something, and I am seriously nervous about it."

"Go ahead Kass. You know you can tell me anything."

Being so close together while we were dancing, I could feel her heart beat racing along with the sounds of her somewhat ragged breathing. She was nervous as hell and I couldn't figure out why, so I gently pulled her head down and let it lay on my shoulder while we continued to sway to the crooning blues guitar. This seemed to calm her down enough to speak, and I heard her take in one last deep breath before she spoke.

"So, I know it is tradition at the bachelor party for the groomsmen and the friends to provide entertainment," she began, and I giggled at the exaggerated way she said entertainment. "But I know Paul, and he is too much of a gentleman to want that kind of show. He doesn't want to disappoint me by participating. The problem is he also doesn't want to ruin the night for the guys by being a killjoy."

"God, that sounds so like Paul. He just has a hard time initiating conflict sometimes."

"Yeah, he does," Kass agreed. "But it is who he is and I love him for it. I have come up with a plan, sort of, and I needed to ask if you would help."