Witching Time (The Wild Hunt #14) - Yasmine Galenorn Page 0,61
away the dusty air. UnderLake Park was ablaze with the colors of autumn. My window looked out into the park proper and I had a beautiful view. While the majority of the trees were coniferous—tall fir and cedar—the woodland was interspersed with a proliferation of maple and birch, cottonwood and a few oaks here and there. The brilliant colors nestled among the perpetual green lifted my heart. I loved this time of year. It made me feel alive.
Heading over to my closet, I slipped on my black leggings that had a silver spiderweb pattern embroidered on them, then slid a black long-sleeved cold-shoulder dress over my head. It had a flirty, flippy skirt that hit mid-thigh. I belted a silver chain around my waist and then laced up my knee-high granny boots with kitten heels. A blast of wind came whistling through the room and I hurried to close the window.
Brushing out my hair—the voluminous curls were a deep brown with natural streaks of purple running through them—I finished dressing with applying my makeup. I felt naked without at least a thick layer of eyeliner and a dark vampy lipstick.
After peeking in on the ferrets to find them sleeping again, I wandered into the kitchen.
It was nice to have the kitchen all to myself, and I soaked in the silence, grateful for the respite. It was seven-thirty, and I needed to be on the road by nine if I wanted to reach Wager’s office on time. Debating on whether I should just eat breakfast now, or wait for Kipa and Curikan, I saw the copy of Beltan’s Bestiary sitting on the table and noticed a bookmark protruding from it. I opened the volume to the page on autumn wights.
Sure enough, there was a sketch of a twisted figure that looked vaguely human, though it was hard to tell because it was so contorted. I ran down the list of notes. It was just as my father had said. Rare, sometimes created by followers of Reyas, they fed on life energy, but were also known to abduct and eat their victims as well. That, I hadn’t known.
“So I told him, get out of my way or I’m going to whip your ass.” Kipa’s voice echoed from the front door.
“And what did he say?” my father asked.
“He didn’t say a word. He just moved. I think that was the start of our rivalry. Herne’s never forgiven me for making him get out of the way and let me take my turn first.”
Kipa, Curikan, and Raj entered the dining room, carrying multiple bags, most of which smelled divine. Well, Kipa and Curikan were carrying the bags. Raj just lumbered along beside them, looking delighted to be included.
I leaned down and held out my arms. “Raven wants to give Raj a hug!”
Raj hurried over to me, his eyes gleaming. “Raj went for a ride with Kipa and Curikan. Kipa said it would be all right.” He headbutted me lightly, leaning into my hug.
“Of course it was okay. Raj knows that when Kipa tells him something, Raven will be okay with it. Did Raj enjoy the ride?”
“Raj loved the ride. Raj loves autumn and rain and clouds.” He let out a happy sigh. “And Curikan bought treats for breakfast. Raj is hungry.”
“Raven’s hungry too. And Raven also loves autumn and rain and clouds.” I kissed the top of his head and he headed toward the kitchen.
Kipa peeked around the corner. “We’re having a smorgasbord for breakfast.” He carried in a platter filled with whole-grain bread, cheese, sliced meats, lettuce, pickles, olives, cherry tomatoes, mustard, mayo, and ketchup, and set it on the table. “I’ll go get the drinks,” he said, heading back to the door.
Curikan followed with a tray of pastries and fruit. “We thought it would be fun to have brunch. Early.”
I stared at the spread. I would have been happy with cereal, but my stomach decided this was much better and rumbled in anticipation. “Well, then, I’d better get the plates.”
I carried plates and silverware to the table as Kipa returned with a tray of coffee drinks. For me, a triple-shot caramel mocha, a caramel macchiato for Curikan, and Kipa had an extra-large vanilla latte. Kipa had bought Raj his favorite cat food and served up his breakfast, Raj happily swaying back and forth as he waited for Kipa to feed him on his tray near the table.
“So,” Curikan said as we settled in at the table. “What’s on the agenda today?”