Silent Energies

Chapter Six - A New Job

After sneaking back into the bathroom for a quick shower, Katy was sitting at the dining table to check her emails.

Elias finished getting dressed and stopped behind her chair to kiss the back of her neck gently before grabbing a piece of toast from the tray in the middle of the table.

Sitting down across from her, Elias motioned to the laptop in front of her.

“Anything new come up…?” Katy nodded, still perusing the email as she sipped her coffee.

“Something in New York… Sounds like it might be a haunted statue that she was bequeathed by a relative that died…” Katy trailed off as she continued to read. Reaching the end, she looked up and shrugged.

“... Or it could just be a poltergeist that came with her new apartment.” Elias snorted and agreed.

“It’s a fine line some days, if we’re honest…” Katy agreed and scribbled some details down on a small notepad before shutting her laptop. She tore out the page and handed it to Jayson.

“Is Franklin back today?” Jayson shook his head with a cheeky smile.

“Nope, he’ll be off until Monday.” He winked knowingly at Katy, and she grinned.

“Ooh! Sounds like it went well, then!” Elias laughed at her unabashed glee. “All right then, since we’ve got you until he’s back, could you please take care of these travel arrangements for us? We’ve got a new job and I’d like to head out as soon as possible.” Jayson bowed slightly and took the page from Katy before heading out.

With him gone, Katy turned her attention to the still somehow shirtless man next to her.

“But you…” Elias feigned innocence as he looked at her. Katy grinned and rested her chin on her hands. “I’m yours all day…” Elias looked thrilled.

“Really? Well, I hope it’s not just for today…?” He raised an eyebrow and she shook her head.

“Nope, you’ve got me for as long as you want me… But we are uninterrupted for the rest of the day.” She laughed and waited for his response. He gulped down the rest of his toast and stood up, holding out his hand to her. Definitely didn't disappoint, Katy smiled to herself.

“Well then, Little One… We’d better make the most of it… Shall we…?” Katy stood up and took his hand.

“Lead on then, good sir.” Elias bowed and led her out to the Peach Orchard, his favourite place on the Manor’s extensive grounds.

X X X X X

The dappled shade underneath the peach trees was Elias’ favourite place, and he could often be found there on his days off napping in his canine form. Katy had often joined him in the past, but today was different… It felt different.

Elias sat against the largest of the peach trees, a magnificent old being that was well over 600 years old. He had met Rosa the Dryad when he first arrived at the Manor, and she had happily given him permission to use her ample shade.

Katy had told Elias plenty of stories about growing up with the dryad and the long talks she used to have with her as a child. But Rosa was a sassy old lady now and slept most of the time. The last time she had been woken up simply because the gardener wanted to trim her branches, Rosa had roasted the poor chap mercilessly, and he still cringed when he saw her to this day.

The way Rosa saw it, if she had to wake up, at her advanced age…? Then it had better be worth it.

Apparently, a haircut was not worth it for her.

Looking down at Katy, who currently lay with her head resting on his lap, Elias felt like he could just about burst. Her eyes were closed, and he could see the comfortable blue and green swirls of her aura lazily wafting about her. A peaceful breeze moved one of Katy’s curls across her face and he gently tucked it back out of the way. A smile curled the corners of her mouth, and she sleepily opened her eyes to meet his.

“Hello Little One…” he smiled. “Good nap…?” Katy nodded sleepily and stretched lazily.

Elias smiled and stroked her shoulders. Katy cooed happily and pulled herself upright to give him better access to her back. Chuckling at Katy’s not-so-subtle hinting, Elias proceeded with a more enthusiastic back rub.

“Hey...” Katy started.

“Shoot…” Elias continued working down her shoulder blades.

“Is there some kind of Cynanthrope lore that might explain why we’ve been best friends for years, but never wound up taking it further until now…?” Elias looked thoughtful, and Katy continued.

“Like, I know werewolves have fated mates and all that… But I’ve never really known if there was a weredog equivalent…?” Elias nodded.

“Yeah… It’s nothing like fated mates from the Moon Goddess for us… We do love, almost instantly in fact, and it’s an earth-moving love that will often last a lifetime… But there’s not, like, just one person on the planet for each of us…” Katy laughed out loud.

“Well, it wasn’t instant for you, at least…” Elias looked at her. Katy looked back at him and fell silent.

“Wait… What?” Elias nodded sheepishly at his best friend. Katy blushed and grabbed his arm. “How long?” Elias shrugged, still quiet.

“How… Long…?” Elias took a deep breath.

“That first night on the steps out the front of the Manor…” Katy groaned.

“But that was years ago!” Elias nodded again.

X X X X X

Katy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Why didn’t he tell me? She grabbed Elias’ jaw and turned his face to meet her eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Elias shrugged, and Katy barrelled on. “... You must have been in agony… How did you hold all of that inside all these years? ... We’ve been best friends and we’ve told each other everything all this time! Well… I thought we’d told each other everything…” Katy ran out of steam and the rapid-fire onslaught came to an abrupt halt.

“Well, how was he supposed to tell you anything when you won’t let the poor man get a word in edgewise…?” Elias snorted and smiled up at his old friend.

“Hello Rosa, my dear… Did we wake you…?” Rosa’s gnarled old feature came into view with the cracking of bark rearranging. She shook her branches to loosen up, and a small waterfall of yellowed leaves dropped from her boughs.

“No, darling Elias,” the old dryad smiled. “I’m due for a bit of a freshen up… It might be time to give that silly little gardener a run for his money again.” Elias laughed and patted a nearby root reassuringly and said with a sly smile.

“Oh, he’s all right… He still flinches every time he passes you, though.” The glee in the old tree’s eyes was obvious, and she looked around until her eyes settled on Katy’s awe-struck face.

“Miss Rosa!” Katy exclaimed and threw herself at the tree’s trunk, hugging it as tightly as she could manage. The tree spirit glanced at her with a smile.

“Little Katy!” Two large branches came down and a pair of stick hands took Katy by the shoulders, holding her out a small distance. “Let me look at you…” The dryad’s ancient eyes crinkled into a delighted smile. “You’ve gotten so big!” Katy nodded proudly, instantly feeling like a little girl again.

Katy had talked Rosa’s ears off for hours at a time as a child, telling her everything that went on at school and her life in general. The old tree had loved listening to her childish concerns, occasionally offering advice, or occasionally a low-hanging branch that provided a perfect afternoon nap spot.

As Rosa aged, however, their chats had become few and far between. Katy was growing up as well, by this stage, and no longer needed her childhood confidante as much.

“So, you’ve finally relented and allowed this fine chap to be your full partner, have you?” Rosa fixed Katy with a pointed stare. Katy blushed.

“You knew about his feelings?” Rosa nodded and Katy was taken aback. “And you obviously think I’m silly for being oblivious this long…” Rosa laughed.

“Yes. Of course. He’s a wonderful young man, and I haven’t a clue why he’s waited so long for you to finally wake up.” She teased, and Katy laughed.

“I’m just a lucky girl, I guess.” She turned to look at Elias, who had a rather amused look on his face. She met his eyes earnestly, “I am the luckiest.”

Elias placed his large hands on either side of her face, then leaned forward to kiss Katy’s forehead gently. “Right back at you, Little One,” he whispered.

The old dryad smiled proudly at the two lovers.

“I’m very glad you two have finally found each other, but I’m an old lady now and I need to rest before that gardener harasses me later… So, you two lovebirds shoo for now, and I’ll see you later.”

Katy and Elias said their goodbyes, promising to send the gardener by later to see Rosa and left.