Shifting by Rachel D'Aigle Page B

and floated away.
    By the time he reached the Mochrie house, Mireya and her mother were welcoming Meghan home, Jae was asleep on the sofa, and Ivan and Irving were already off to work. Jae’s father had changed his mind and not taken him to the office that morning.
    “Hey, Sis,” Colin said.
    “What’s that?” she asked, pointing at his stirring pocket. Colin took out the fury little mass.
    “Found it in Grimble, lost, hungry and no mother.” Everyone huddled around it, oohing and aahing. Mrs. Mochrie went to the kitchen to retrieve some milk.
    “Timothy really found it,” he sent to his sister, adding, “Uncle Eddy wants us to come back when we can, say’s he got more to teach us.”
    Meghan was relieved he wasn’t leaving them yet, too.
    After feeding the kitten and pointing out its different colored eyes, which Mrs. Mochrie ogled at as inquisitively as his uncle had, she announced it was time for them to be off to school.
    “Lunches are ready. Grab one on the way out!”
    Colin reached for the kitten, which had made a home on Meghan’s lap. It hissed at him, hiding under Meghan’s arm.
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    “That’s it then!” decided Sheila Mochrie. The four children feared she had decided against keeping the kitten.
    “Mom, it’s only a baby,” cried Mireya.
    “Don’t worry, honey. I don’t think its going anywhere,” her mother clarified. “The kitten has made its choice.” The four gawked at Mrs. Mochrie as if she had lost her senses.
    “Mom, what on earth are you talking about?” asked Jae.
    “That’s no ordinary kitten you’ve found Colin Jacoby, that there is a Catawitch. You can tell by the tuft of hair and her eyes. They always have one white one, just the females you know, no male Catawitch’s.”
    Colin, Jae, and Mireya backed away. The only stories they had ever heard of Catawitchs warned of their evil tendencies.
    “Oh, it’s fine kids. Meghan is a good girl, she’ll raise it well.”
    “Me,” squeaked Meghan.
    “Yes, it’s chosen you. You’re its master now. Or mistress if you like.” She said it matter-of-factly, and then added, “I’ll go add some milk to your lunch. Strange, I wonder how it came to be in Grimble?” she mumbled as she walked away.
    “I’m to take it with me?” Meghan said, not understanding.
    “Of course,” Sheila said, disappearing into the kitchen.
    The other three stepped closer.
    “I can’t believe it,” exclaimed Jae. “A real Catawitch, here, in my house.” Mireya, leaving her fear behind, bent down and gently stroked the kitten’s pointed ears.
    “What am I supposed to do with a cat?” asked Meghan.
    “It’s considered a great honor in the magical world to be chosen the master of one of these,” said Jae.
    The kitten nestled into her soft sweater pocket.
    “This is weird,” said Meghan, shaking her head, as they departed for school.
    “You know what I love?” started Jae, “about the Catawitch choosing you, Meghan? Almost any Svoda would die to be chosen. Man, people are gonna hate you!” Meghan frowned, beginning to understand.
    “I meant that, metaphorically speaking, of course,” added Jae, seeing her face. “They’ll be extremely jealous.”
    “But everyone’s afraid of them,” she said.
    “I think it’s because the only ones you ever hear about are the bad ones. They’re actually rare creatures, and I think their magical abilities have created an evil mystique about them. But they’re only evil if their masters are, so we’ve got nothing to worry about, do we?” He grinned.
    The twins thought this was the happiest they had seen Jae in a long time. Meghan almost wished that the kitten had chosen him instead.
    “I think I will keep this to myself, for awhile,” said Meghan. “I don’t need anything else making me stick out right now.”
    “It’s going to get out, good chance my mother’s already told someone,” Jae informed her. “We don’t get much news to spread around, especially anything juicy.” Meghan