A Witchy Inheritance

Chapter 6

A small part of me was still worried that whoever Cicero was might still be a threat so I closed the door, but I didn't lock it. That way I could make an easy escape if I needed to. I then walked around the corner of my living room to where my small kitchen was and tossed the clothes across the floor before returning to the living room and sitting down in my recliner, the only bit of furniture in that room that didn't have a good angle of the kitchen. It would give Cicero some privacy as he changed. The little black cat trotted around the wall and a few seconds later I heard small cat noises as I assumed he changed back. The adrenaline completely seeped out of my system and I felt almost numb.

However long it was later the beautiful tall man turned the corner, but instead of sitting down he leaned on the half wall that separated the kitchen from the living room, giving me as much space as he could while still being in the same room. He waited a beat or two before speaking, as if trying to judge my reaction ahead of time. "We really should bring those two boxes inside. I know you don't completely trust me to walk past you and do it and I'm sure you don't necessarily want to have your back to me right now but leaving them outside is not necessarily in our best interest."

I pushed up from where I sat, he was right, I didn't particularly want him any closer to me than I needed and I didn't particularly want to put my back to him either. "Why, what exactly is in those boxes beyond cat toys and clothes?"

The man that was somehow Cicero snorted and folded his arms across his chest, "there are approximately two cat toys in one box and those are only for show as well as two cat sweaters, again just for show. Their in the same box as my clothes which there are not necessarily a lot of, just your basics, several pairs of jeans, two shorts, a jacket, a hoodie, and a few shirts. The other box is the one I'm more worried about. Though your aunt labeled it miscellaneous cat stuff, it is actually a good chunk of her witching materials and she wanted to make sure they made it to you. The only way she could think about doing that without suspicion is to label it as mine. As for your earlier question, I am a Witch’s familiar, my job is to be a companion to a witch that might, for whatever reason, need me. Normally a familiar stays with one witch or two tops in their lifetime but you make my third. It is rather common practice for a which to will their familiar to the next witch in their family line which your aunt was pretty sure is you. A familiar will stick around for a short adjustment period, six months tops, before being reassigned elsewhere. I'm not entirely sure why she thought it was you and why she didn't talk to you about it but your aunt had a very particular way of doing things that in my five years with her I never fully understood. All she told me was that you would be inheriting her gift of sight upon her death." He shrugged as he said the last part.

I felt my heart speed up again. I had been having some very weird dreams since my aunt died. I had been chalking them up to stress but about a week ago I had dreamed about an incident with a customer at the bar and the next night at work it happened. While I had been a little creeped out, I hadn't thought much of it. But I do remember my aunt always seeming to know things before they happened but then there were also times when she would say something would happen and it wouldn't.

It was almost as if he had been tracking my thoughts because he rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Your aunt did not have the best accuracy when it came to seeing things. I don't know whether it was lack of practice because she only gained the gift when your grandmother died or whether she was just a placeholder for the gift for you. I don't know but her accuracy was only at about 65%, which is rather low for someone with the sight. She was much more gifted with herbs, spells, and recalling knowledge than anything else, I believe that was her true gift. Have you been having any weird dreams since your aunt died?"

I didn't say anything, but I’ve never been good at keeping a blank face so my expression, or whatever Cicero saw there must've given him the answer he needed.

"I promise to stay right here against the wall if you will bring the two boxes in so that you could see for yourself the materials your aunt left you."

I wasn't sure I trusted him but curiosity was definitely getting the better of me.