Page 69 of Familiar of the Witch

Another loud chew sounded and Tom gave an aggrieved sigh. ‘She hates me.’

Indy barked and tapped her tail. ‘She likes you,’ I disagreed. ‘She just really loves inclement-weather boots. Buy her some new chew toys.’

‘Roger that.’

We said our goodbyes and flew home the same way we’d arrived. I had all of the flight to go over the flat look Bastion had given Tom on my behalf, so when we got home I made sure to show Bastion exactly how much I loved his protective urges.

Chapter 56

I got up early and consulted the DeLea potion bible. It didn’t have a potion for anything like I needed, but I cobbled together a base by using a combination of three memory and mind healing bases together. There was a lot of overlap; but apart from removing a couple of ingredients that could have had explosive consequences, I put them together without too much difficulty.

When I added Indy’s gifts depended on how the potion progressed. There were a couple of variations I could go with, so I decided to split the prepared base into four. I’d add the hair to one, the claw clippings to another and the blood to the third. The fourth would get a bit of everything.

I had already tasked Oscar with meeting with Mum and getting a small sample of her blood so wecould key the potion directly to her. He was due back any minute and I was antsy to get to the next stage of brewing.

I took a deep breath and calmed my mind. Hurrying could ruin everything; perfection takes time. I blew out my breath and turned up the fire a little. When the colour was uniform, it was ready to be split.

I carefully decanted the hot liquid into four small pewter cauldrons and let them cool slightly. Satisfied they were stable, I went to my office to see if Oscar was back. He was talking quietly to Bastion, who had Fehu sitting on his shoulder.

‘Hey, Fehu!’ I called. I wondered where he’d been – I’d missed his feathery presence. He gave a kraa and leapt from Bastion’s shoulder onto mine. I gave his jet-black feathers a stroke. ‘It’s good to see you,’ I murmured.

I felt a rush of warmth and affection that wasn’t my own. My eyes widened as I realised it wasn’t Bastion’s feelings I was experiencing but Fehu’s. Somehow lifting the suppression rune from our bond had also let me feel Fehu, too.

‘I can feel him,’ I blurted to Bastion. ‘Fehu! I can feel him!’ I was grinning from ear to ear.

Fehu nuzzled me, tangling in my red hair and peeking through the loose strands. That was what I’d alwaysimagined a bond with a familiar would be like. I didn’t regret being bonded with Bastion, not for a second, but it wasn’t like I could keep him in my pocket like Ria kept her familiar Fido, or twirled around my wrist like Hannah kept Fifi.

I felt a wave of pleasure from Bastion. ‘You don’t mind?’ I asked. Some might feel aggrieved to share a familiar, especially one like Fehu who had been bonded with Bastion for more than a century.

‘Not at all,’ he said lightly. ‘I hoped something like this might happen. The way Fehu always acted around you, I wondered if there was something there but these things can take time.’

Oscar smiled. ‘I’m glad for you, Amber.’

‘Thank you.’ I stroked Fehu’s little head again. ‘Did everything go okay with Mum? Did she give you the blood?’

The smile slid off his face. ‘She didn’t know me, so I asked Charlize to take it. Your mum gave it willingly to her.’ He handed me a small bag of blood.

‘Thanks.’ I stepped forward and hugged him. ‘I’m sorry she didn’t know you.’ Oscar hadn’t wanted to take her blood; he seemed resigned to my potion failing, which seemed oddly defeatist. I hoped I’d prove him wrong.

‘Can you get me an appointment with Liyana?’ I asked Bastion.No doubt the Seer High Priestess would be busy, but at least I could tell her that I’d found and killed Melva’s murderer – and get my potion tested.

‘Consider it done,’ Bastion said lightly.

‘Thank you.’ I brushed my lips against his forehead before heading back into my office and the laboratory behind it. I’d just stepped into it when Benji slid out of the walls. I gasped and held a hand to my heart. ‘By the Goddess, Benji, you scared the life out of me! I didn’t realise you could move through the walls here, too. I thought it was an Edinburgh thing.’

‘It’s harder,’ he admitted, ‘but not impossible.’

‘What’s up?’

‘I’m feeling lonely,’ he said abruptly.

‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ I said softly. ‘Lonely is not fun. Are you missing David?’

‘I believe I am. I liked teaching him things. It made me feel important.’

‘You are important,’ I insisted. ‘In lots of ways.’ I set down the small bag of blood carefully. ‘Would you like a hug?’

‘Yes please, Am Bam. Perhaps it will stopthis ache.’

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