It was after dark when Saben led the way to Benjamin’s town house. There weren’t many animals on this street and the smell of manure was pleasantly absent. Most of the ground floors of these homes were businesses, with living space above. Each building had a lovely garden space between each storefront that competed with its neighbors for the most appealing. The neighboring buildings were a tailor and a bakery, while Benjamin’s was a business office instead of a retail space.
Benjamin's new town home was significantly more modest than his expansive summer estate in Verdar. It was convenient for conducting and expanding his business interests in Rosia. When Benjamin wasn’t using it himself he allowed his employees from out of town to make use of the space.
Saben paused outside looking at the house for several moments.
“Everything okay?” Seth asked his brother.
“Oh, yeah,” Saben answered. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “It’s not something you need to worry about. I was just thinking.”
“Is it about Dad?” Seth knew Saben wasn’t likely to confide in him, but he’d open the door for a conversation anyway. Saben still viewed him as a little kid most of the time.
“No. It just seems like, I don’t know. Something’s off. What happened on the caravan, what happened to Dad, other stuff too.”
“Like what?” Seth put his hand on the cat when she shifted from laying on his shoulder to sitting on it.
Saben fiddled with something in his pocket for a moment, a coin or something Seth thought, then shook his head. “Never mind. I’m being stupid. I think I’m just unhappy about how things have been since Dad died and I’m looking to put blame somewhere. Don’t worry about it.”
Seth didn’t push. If he did, Saben would make more effort to pretend everything was good. Seth would much rather make things good than pretend they were. He’d give Saben time and space to open up.
The boys turned to the front door just as it opened. Benjamin’s office manager, John, greeted them and invited them inside.
“Seth! I’m glad you’re alright!” Benjamin called out, trotting down the stairs. “That tumble down the mountain could have killed you.”
Benjamin ushered them into a stone floored kitchen at the back of the house and dismissed John. They gathered at a wooden prep table in the kitchen.
It was clean and neat, but not as homey as the inn Seth had stayed in with his father. One wall was a brick fireplace with doors on the sides. A pot hung on a hook in the fireplace. In addition to the prep table, there were shelves of kitchen tools and a brick cooler that also served as another prep counter.
Benjamin pulled up a stool to the table and waved at the fireplace. “I had Bea leave extra stew. Grab a bowl for your brother, Saben.” Benjamin turned to Seth. “Now, what is this little one?”
“This is my new familiar,” Seth answered, holding the cat in his lap. “I found her down the cliff and wanted to keep her.”
“A familiar,” Benjamin said, his tone neutral. “This is a rather sudden decision, don’t you think? You haven’t mentioned any desire for a soul link to an animal before.”
Seth felt the cat tense up in his arms. He hugged her reassuringly but she didn’t relax.
“She helped me, Benjamin. I wanted to keep her safe, and when Saben and I talked, we decided this was the best way. I’m happy to have her as a familiar.”
“This is unexpected,” Benjamin muttered. “I suppose done is done. What did you name it?”
Saben placed two bowls on the table in front of Seth, luring the cat to the second bowl. “I suggested naming her Fluffy or Pussy, and she hissed at me.”
“Don’t feed the animal on the table, Saben,” Benjamin said with a sharp stare at the older brother.
“I’ll move her, sorry,” Seth said, and moved the cat’s dish to the floor, and placed her in front of it. “I haven’t decided on a name yet. She hasn’t liked anything we’ve suggested.”
“It’s your pet, Seth. You decide its name. Let me know the name you settle on. Anyway, why don’t you tell me what happened as you remember it?”
Seth was getting pretty practiced at telling the story. Benjamin didn’t ask many questions, and none were directed at Saben.
“They targeted that wagon specifically,” Saben said. “And they were all wearing the same uniform. Do you know who they were? Or what they were after?” Saben asked as he got up to refill their bowls.
Benjamin frowned while tapping on the table. He didn’t look at Saben and just shook his head. Seth felt Benjamin knew and just didn’t want to say.
That kinda pissed Seth off. Those guys in the coats nearly killed him and his brother. Don’t push, Seth reminded himself. Benjamin didn’t actually have any obligation to the two boys, and everything he did for them was pure charity.
“I saw broken egg shells in that metal crate. What was that?” Seth asked instead.
“I was transporting a rare magic egg for a noble house. Franco retrieved the shell shards, so I can at least prove the egg wasn’t stolen to my client. This is a pretty significant loss. Since you saw the shell, Seth, what was in the egg? Had anything started to develop?”
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Seth shook his head. “I’m sorry. It was just egg goop. I don’t remember seeing the yolk either.”
Benjamin sighed. “Don’t worry about it. That entrance you found will make up for it. I’ve filed for exclusive rights to it for the next month. It’s too close to the city for it to be left open, but even a few weeks should be profitable.” He nudged the cat’s bowl on the floor with his foot. She walked away and sat under the table. “Maybe we’ll find more of your little leopard here.”
“Will you need to repay the noble that contracted you to transport it?” Saben asked.
“You don’t need to concern yourself,” Benjamin replied. “Now, Saben, clean up and get a bath ready, you both could use it. Seth, please come to my study for a moment, I have something for you that'll help at the school Gauntlet.”
Upstairs in the study Seth sat across from Benjamin at the glossy desk. A small pile of papers and a leather bound logbook lay on the desk. There were equally glossy bookshelves completely filled with books, a good number of them similar logbooks. From a drawer Benjamin pulled out a small wooden box and handed it to Seth.
“Your father had something similar to this,” Benjamin explained, “so I thought this would be a nice gift for your start of school.”
Inside the box was a black leather bracelet with silver beads. It was of very nice quality for the simple materials.
“It is an affinity bracelet,” Benjamin explained. “It will become attuned to your talent the more you wear it. Many people use these, and over time they can make the casting of the spells you use most often easier and faster. I have a theory that it may also help strengthen your connection with your power as the bracelet becomes more attuned. I hope this will help ease your mind about losing your talent like Saben did.”
“Thank you. This is very generous.” Seth picked the bracelet up and examined it. Each of the silver beads had a symbol engraved on it. “My father had something like this?” Seth couldn’t remember having seen his father with a bracelet, but Seth supposed he probably just hadn’t noticed.
“Yes. I’m not sure if it was an affinity bracelet, but the style is the same. I thought you would like it.”
“I do, very much. Thank you.”
“I know you’re tired, but do you think you could tell me again what happened?” Benjamin asked.
Seth explained what happened, still omitting the details about the big cat just like Saben had told him to.
“Just to be clear, Seth.” Benjamin steepled his fingers and leaned back in his chair once Seth was finished. “You were the first one to find the wagon, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Did it break during the fight with the spiders? Or did any of the beasts rummage around in the wagon before they started fighting?”
“I don’t know. Everything on the wagon was already smashed up and spilled everywhere when I got there. It was after dark when I found it.”
Benjamin drummed his fingers. “And the cats like your familiar there, were any of them near the wagon? Or any of the spiders?”
Seth considered. “No. They were all by the Below entrance I think. The wagon landed near the middle of the clearing.”
Benjamin accepted Seth’s recounting and nodded. “All right. Go wash up, and send Saben up to talk to me please.”
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I didn’t follow the kid out.
The kid’s recollection of events was wrong. I woke up next to one of the cubs, and I was practically sitting on the wagon. And the spiders partially wrapped at least one of the kittens right there. I’d then leapt my way to the water with a spider chasing me. But he was right about the egg, nothing but goop and shells. I shouldn’t blame the kid for remembering wrong, though. He’d been badly concussed.
The conversation made me think that Benjamin wondered if I was the thing in the egg. Weird.
Whoops, that Benjamin guy is really interested in me all of a sudden. Look! I’m a cat! Watch me hunt this piece of lint! Pay no attention to the kitten in the corner.
“You wanted to see me, sir?” Saben asked as he came in.
“Yes. I was wondering about the familiar ritual you had done for Seth. Where did you have it done?”
“There is a ritualist that I was introduced to when I was at the school. She performed the ritual for a couple of my friends.”
“Do you know if she is licensed?”
“No sir, I don’t.”
Benjamin scowled at Saben. “Do you understand how dangerous a badly or incorrectly done soul bonding ritual can be? This isn’t a sensory spell or even a protection rite. Familiar rituals can have all sorts of bad side effects if done improperly.”
“I know, sir,” Saben answered. “She came recommended and I’ve been told she occasionally teaches at the Academy. You know I wouldn’t do anything that would risk my brother. He’s all the family I have, sir.”
I wanted a better view of these guys. So I rolled over and played with my tail. Funny I didn’t feel weird waving my ass around like this. But hey, I got a better view of them both. It was interesting that Saben didn’t take a seat while Seth had.
“I’ll want the name and address of this ritualist so I can check her credentials myself.”
Saben looked a bit shifty. “I don’t know the address. I’ll go by tomorrow and get the street name for you.”
Benjamin raised a brow but nodded. “All right. And here, you received mail a few days ago. Now go wash up, and both of you head to bed. You can both have a rest day tomorrow. The Gauntlet and the Trials are the day after.”
Oooh, mail! Saben took the envelope Benjamin handed him and headed downstairs. I was right on his heels. I wanted to read the letter too! It was sealed with wax. That’s fancy.
Benjamin snatched me up by the neck. Shit.
He waited until Saben had closed the door before turning his gaze to me. “And just what are you, I wonder?”
He flipped me over as he examined me. I was fucking mortified. He looked at the mark on the back of my neck and then lifted me to eye level to face him. “Oh,” he breathed. His fingers moved to either side of my neck and tightened.
Fucker was going to kill me.
I relaxed my body and yawned at him, partially closing my eyes in a lazy manner. I’m cute. I’m calm. I am absolutely harmless! There’s no need to kill me. I’m just a stupid cat. I am beneath notice. And when I relaxed I also let my neck slip out of his fingers so he was only gripping my skin. In case this didn’t work, I arranged my rear paws for a quick response and sneakily got those claws ready.
Did he really suspect me of being the thing in the egg? Or was this something else?
He studied me for a moment more and the burst of violence I was expecting never came. “It’s fine,” he finally said. “If you’re really a familiar, this should still work fine.” He put me on the floor and opened the door.
I lazily sauntered out. I didn’t want to give away that I knew of his intent to kill me. I can’t assume he thinks I’m harmless. I do think he thought of another way to use me.
Even if I’m wrong and he wasn’t thinking of snapping my neck, I’m getting seriously bad vibes off this dude. Even if you lived in a house, safety just wasn’t a thing here in crazy land, was it? It’s eat-your-face spiders, murderous fuckers, or whatever crazy shit I haven’t seen yet. I’ll stick with Gandalf. For now anyway. Yeah, let’s just forget about that whole soul bond shit.
We bunked down for the night in a narrow servants’ room. I missed Saben reading the letter, if he did read it. And Seth spent ages going over names for me. All of them sucked.