Grayson's Veil

Alice listened from the doorway to Eleanor and Grace walking off her land.

Once she could no longer hear their steps, she muttered an incantation and shut the door. The incantation was a spell of protection. She cloaks her house and puts a barrier around her land so that anything with evil intentions cannot get through. Instead, they just come out the other side of her land.

Alice is a witch. She practices many forms of magic, but aura manipulation is her specialty. When in the vicinity of an animal, person, or supernatural, she can feel the aura of that being and, at times, use it to her advantage. Her blindness does not stop her from feeling or, on rare occasions due to her blindness, seeing, the different colors and/or power levels. She once described it as ‘Just a color that either ranges from being vibrant to dull, strong or weak in energy.’

She walked back to the table and sat down, her thought’s swirling with newfound information. Eleanor never spoke of anything, but Alice had ways of figuring things out.

“Is she gone?” A voice sounded out.

Alice tilted her head to the voice. “Yes, Avice. You can change form if you would like.”

Avice stretched out her body lazily before standing on all fours. She jumped down from the table and took form of Alice. Everything was the same as Alice, except for her eyes. They did not have the milky white film across them.

Avice is the familiar of Alice. Her true form is the silver colored cat, which is linked with Alice, but she preferred being in human form. So, instead of thinking one up, she copied Alice.

She stretched one more time before moving to the window. She looked outside, trying to see if she could spot Eleanor or her horse.

“What did you learn?” Avice asked while still looking outside, watching the sun lower on the horizon.

Alice sighed. “Her sickness is getting worse. I cannot see her face, but her voice is tired and stressed. I can feel her aura fading.” She felt her eyes begin to water. Eleanor was like a daughter to her. She knew Eleanor’s mother and grandmother, making her extra protective of the girl. “The aura is a sickly gray with black along the edges…Tell me how she looked.”

“Her skin is very pale. She has dark circles under her eyes and her nails are brittle and broken. She looks like a walking corpse.” Avice admitted sadly. “What will those herbs you gave her do?”

“Like I told Eleanor, the vitamins within the herbs will help with her energy. Although I am worried, she is too far gone.” Alice placed a hand on her forehead, seemingly lost over the news.

Avice walked over to Alice and sat on the chair across from her. They sat in silence for a while, sorting out their thoughts.

“She had a new smell on her.” Avice said matter-of-factly.

Alice straightened in her chair. “What?”

Avice, stretched in the chair and resonated a purr of satisfaction. She stated again, “she had a smell on her that did not match the usual smells.”

Alice frowned at her. “Do you recognize it?”

Avice stood up from the chair, getting restless. She moved around the small home with grace only a cat could have. “It was an odd scent; one I haven’t had the pleasure of smelling for many years. It did not match Grayson, nor Phoebe. Not even her beloved horse, Grac- “

“Just spit it out!” Alice huffed. Even though Avice was her familiar, she tended to become very cold and distant. Like the cat she fondly takes form of.

Avice hissed but made no attempt at harming her. “I cannot tell you with confidence, but I will tell you this is not a human!”

Alice sucked in a breath. ‘That cannot be good,’ she thought glumly.

Tapping a finger to her lips, Alice stood up and walked to her cauldron. She waved her hand over the kindle of wood and a small flame erupted.

“I want you to follow her. Starting tomorrow.” Alice decided. “And find out what is going on with Grayson, too.”

Avice snorted and crossed her arms, “You cannot be serious.” She said, lifting an eyebrow.

Alice reached behind her, swirled her hand in a circle, and pushed. Avice felt a blow to her chest that sent her flying to the wall next to the door. Alice held her hand in place as she turned around.

“Damnit!” Avice cried, “I always forget about your aura manipulation!” She tried to move her arm, but Alice had her completely pinned.

“You will follow Eleanor starting tomorrow.” Alice said again. “I am not giving you a choice; you are my familiar and you WILL do my bidding. Understood?” She started to close her hand.

Avice felt her chest tighten. “YES! Yes, I understand!”

Alice held her hand for a moment longer, driving the lesson deeper into Avice’s brain, then slowly lowered it. Avice breathed out and crumpled forward onto her knees. She clutched her chest and looked at Alice with a glare. “I hate your aura manipulation.” She grumbled.

Alice did not comment. Instead, she turned back to her cauldron and started making a potion. “I will make you an aura concealment. It should help cloak you from the unknown being that is involved with Eleanor.” She turned her head slightly. “And I suggest you follow in your natural form.”

Avice huffed loudly as she stood up.

“And if you believe they are onto you, change into your bird or mist form and come back here. I do not want to risk anyone finding you.”

“Alice, I’m not an idiot. I am older than you, have been a familiar to several witches before you, and have survived countless attacks by other worldly beings. I think I can manage this assignment!” She finished off her rant with a hiss.

Alice turned her attention back to the cauldron and started to stir what was inside. “Good.”