Okay, it was Thursday now, and Riley and David still weren't back from their trip. 'Taya had finally given herself permission to be worried. After asking various people if they'd heard anything and getting no satisfactory reply, the actress had decided to go to the one person she thought might at least be able to locate her friends for her.
Which was why she was currently lingering in the shop known as Hocus Pocus, waiting patiently for the proprietress to have time for her, and attempting to keep Finn, the Kangal puppy, from destroying the painstakingly erected displays all around them.
Aurelia was not long in finishing up with her customer, and she came over to Mataya with a warm smile, not acknowledging the dog until Finn stopped trying to jump up on her. "Mataya, how lovely to see you," she smiled, her Belgian accent as soft and unobtrusive as 'Taya remembered it. "What brings you to my petite boutique?"
Despite her worries, 'Taya couldn't help smiling along with the pleasant greeting, reaching over to hug the witch tightly. "I wish I could say it was a social call, Aurelia," she apologised quietly. "I really need your help. Again."
The witch raised a brow, nodding in understanding. "I see," she said gently. "Come upstairs ... oui, and you, little man." This last was said to Finn, who had finally sat down and was waiting patiently to be greeted. As Aurelia turned to lead the actress and her canine charge up the stairs to the private rooms set aside for consultations, she looked pointedly at her grey tabby cat. "Mind the shop, Mariet," she told him. "I will be quite safe with Monsieur Finn."
The cat gave the puppy a long calculating look, in which could be read all manner of warnings against doing anything untoward while they were out of his sight, and lifted his chin in response to his witch, shifting from his curl on the floor to an upright position on the counter itself.
It took barely minutes for the women and the dog to be seated comfortably, and 'Taya wasted no time in explaining why she had come.
" ... the thing is, they were supposed to be back on Sunday afternoon, and I thought maybe they'd been delayed a bit because that's pretty normal for travel, right?" she finished, her worry showing on her pretty face. "But they're so good at letting people know if they've had problems, and I'm getting really concerned. It's just not like Riley to be so late."
Aurelia had sat silently through this explanation, nodding here and there as she thought over all she had been told. "You believe something may have happened to prevent their return?" she asked softly.
'Taya nodded, scratching Finn's ears where he leaned against her leg. "I don't know what could have happened," she admitted, "but something bad maybe? I mean, it's not like they've decided to extend their stay, is it?"
Aurelia shook her head. "Non, you are quite right," she agreed. "There are many things that could have happened. Something so simple as the portal taking them somewhere else, to the worst encounter with locals when they arrived." She paused, frowning a little. "There are spells I can use to locate them, but I will need something of theirs to focus my power through. Something they both use, perhaps?"
At this, 'Taya grinned triumphantly, looking down at the dog. "See? And you gave me a look that said I was crazy for bringing this with me," she crowed to Finn, reaching into her backpack and pulling out a blender, complete with plug. "Will this do?"
Aurelia stared at her for a long moment, and burst out laughing. "Oui, this is perfect," she chuckled, reaching across to take the blender with a disbelieving shake of her head. "It takes time to prepare this spell, so I will contact you when I have found them. Please, do not worry yourself overmuch. I will find your friends."
"Good." 'Taya smiled, infinitely relieved that someone who seemed to know what they were doing was in control of the situation now. "I'm either at the theatre, or I'm at home, so I'm easy to find this week. And next week. In fact, I'm going to stay easy to find until Riley and David are back safe."
"A good precaution," Aurelia laughed softly, rising from her seat. "You will know whatever I find out by midnight, I promise you, Mataya. And when we have found them, we can work out how to bring them home."
Which was why she was currently lingering in the shop known as Hocus Pocus, waiting patiently for the proprietress to have time for her, and attempting to keep Finn, the Kangal puppy, from destroying the painstakingly erected displays all around them.
Aurelia was not long in finishing up with her customer, and she came over to Mataya with a warm smile, not acknowledging the dog until Finn stopped trying to jump up on her. "Mataya, how lovely to see you," she smiled, her Belgian accent as soft and unobtrusive as 'Taya remembered it. "What brings you to my petite boutique?"
Despite her worries, 'Taya couldn't help smiling along with the pleasant greeting, reaching over to hug the witch tightly. "I wish I could say it was a social call, Aurelia," she apologised quietly. "I really need your help. Again."
The witch raised a brow, nodding in understanding. "I see," she said gently. "Come upstairs ... oui, and you, little man." This last was said to Finn, who had finally sat down and was waiting patiently to be greeted. As Aurelia turned to lead the actress and her canine charge up the stairs to the private rooms set aside for consultations, she looked pointedly at her grey tabby cat. "Mind the shop, Mariet," she told him. "I will be quite safe with Monsieur Finn."
The cat gave the puppy a long calculating look, in which could be read all manner of warnings against doing anything untoward while they were out of his sight, and lifted his chin in response to his witch, shifting from his curl on the floor to an upright position on the counter itself.
It took barely minutes for the women and the dog to be seated comfortably, and 'Taya wasted no time in explaining why she had come.
" ... the thing is, they were supposed to be back on Sunday afternoon, and I thought maybe they'd been delayed a bit because that's pretty normal for travel, right?" she finished, her worry showing on her pretty face. "But they're so good at letting people know if they've had problems, and I'm getting really concerned. It's just not like Riley to be so late."
Aurelia had sat silently through this explanation, nodding here and there as she thought over all she had been told. "You believe something may have happened to prevent their return?" she asked softly.
'Taya nodded, scratching Finn's ears where he leaned against her leg. "I don't know what could have happened," she admitted, "but something bad maybe? I mean, it's not like they've decided to extend their stay, is it?"
Aurelia shook her head. "Non, you are quite right," she agreed. "There are many things that could have happened. Something so simple as the portal taking them somewhere else, to the worst encounter with locals when they arrived." She paused, frowning a little. "There are spells I can use to locate them, but I will need something of theirs to focus my power through. Something they both use, perhaps?"
At this, 'Taya grinned triumphantly, looking down at the dog. "See? And you gave me a look that said I was crazy for bringing this with me," she crowed to Finn, reaching into her backpack and pulling out a blender, complete with plug. "Will this do?"
Aurelia stared at her for a long moment, and burst out laughing. "Oui, this is perfect," she chuckled, reaching across to take the blender with a disbelieving shake of her head. "It takes time to prepare this spell, so I will contact you when I have found them. Please, do not worry yourself overmuch. I will find your friends."
"Good." 'Taya smiled, infinitely relieved that someone who seemed to know what they were doing was in control of the situation now. "I'm either at the theatre, or I'm at home, so I'm easy to find this week. And next week. In fact, I'm going to stay easy to find until Riley and David are back safe."
"A good precaution," Aurelia laughed softly, rising from her seat. "You will know whatever I find out by midnight, I promise you, Mataya. And when we have found them, we can work out how to bring them home."