TUS NUA - ch 42

TUS NUA – ch 42

New Beginnings – Mia and Midnight

(*)(*)(*)

The rain flowed down in a soft but steady mist and as Mia smiled, she called out to her familiar. “Midnight, we’ll be going soon. Stop fiddlin’ with that silly stick. You’re a cat, not a dog.”

Midnight meowed and if a cat could laugh, Mia was sure Midnight did. “Mo ghra, it’s not a stick. It’s a root and I can’t get it out. You’ll need to come look at this.”

Mia stood, placed her weeding fork in her basket, and walked to where her feline stood, tugging fiercely at something protruding from the ground.

“Okay, sweetie, let’s have a look.” Her eyes widened as she said, “Where on earth did that come from? Wasn’t here yesterday. And, Midnight, it doesn’t look good. I’m going to call the headmaster of the university. Maybe he’d be willing to ride out and investigate this. Even as a witch, I’m stumped as to what this could be.”

She looked up to the sky and commented, “Midnight, mo stor, the sky doesn’t look very nice. I knew we’d have rain, but this storm came on quickly. Let’s go inside. We need to wash up before we head to Tus Nua.”

Midnight stopped suddenly and turned her head to look at Mia. “Tus Nua? Mia, my ghra, have you forgotten? Francis is coming for supper tonight.”

Mia laughed. “No, sweetie. I haven’t forgotten but we still need to wash. I want to bring him to Tus Nua after supper. Mom is stopping at the fish market after work and promised to bring home some fresh haddock. I volunteered to cut the potatoes and onions. It’ll be a good supper.”

Midnight pretended to gag. “Onions? With fresh haddock? Mia, what are you thinking?”

“You silly cat. The onions are to be fried with the potatoes.” She looked at her cat’s eyes and knew immediately that Midnight was teasing. “Oh, you silly feline. You knew that already. You’ve caught me while my mind is racing in a few different directions. And why are you spitting like you’ve eaten something sour?”

“I did. I tried tugging that stupid root with my teeth and yes, it tastes horrible.” Midnight saw the frightened look in her eyes as she immediately thought of Mo Daes, her first feline familiar. “Don’t jump to back memories, mo stor. I didn’t swallow anything, but it sure left a sour taste on my tongue.”

“Well, just in case, I’m going to mix a potion of antitoxin for you. I’ll flavor it with sweet milk and honey. Then, I’m calling Uncle Ian and ask if he’ll do blood work on you. Just to be sure. I’m not taking any chances.”

Midnight shook her head and thought to herself, “Yes, sad memoires run deep.”

As predicted and also with flashbacks, Ian Diehl, Mia’s uncle rushed the lab results and with great relief, found Midnight to be completely healthy.

Mia kissed her uncle’s cheek, gave him a huge hug, and said, “I still need to find out what the large root is. I called the headmaster, and he should arrive sometime this afternoon – which means, I’d better get home.”

Using her portal, within a flash she and Midnight were standing in the center of her parents’ living room, where she smiled as she heard the knock on the door. “Wow, Midnight, we made it just in time.”

Answering the door, there stood Shane O’Casey, Headmaster of the Dublin School of Horticulture. Mia stifled a laugh because he truly did not have the appearance of what his important title said he was. Headmaster? (In America, he might have been called Dean or Principal, but here in Ireland?)

He wore baggy jeans, a soiled flannel shirt, unbuttoned but over a soiled t-shirt, work boots, his hair was a bit on the messy side and there was a smudge of mud from the center of his right cheek to his right ear. His soft voice spoke his apology.

“Mia, please forgive my appearance. I’m sure you realized that I rarely dress as you see me now but when I received your call, I raced here as quickly as the leys allowed. Now,”

Before he finished, Mia’s eyes widened and she almost stammered, “Uh, leys? Like in the ley lines?”

Mr. O’Casey chuckled. “Oh, Mia, my sweet girl. You’ve made my day. I keep trying to hide my witchcraft from outsiders. You have no idea how complicated that would make my position at the University. The fact that I was able to hide it from you tells me that I’m successful in my quest for anonymity. Now, take me your garden.”

One look at the huge root and the headmaster, fell to his knees and lovingly stroked the root, reverently murmuring something in Gaelic.

He looked up at Mia and said, “Oh, Mia, my darling girl. You and so blessed. But I can see your dilemma. We can’t kill this root, but we can ask the tree to move it.”

Mia looked puzzled. “Mr. O’Casey, first of all, why did you fall? Do you feel ill in anyway? Can I get you some water? Tea?”

The headmaster smiled. “Oh Mia, this is the blessed Hawthorne, it’s a Fairy Tree and the fact that it’s showing itself to you means that you and your family are blessed in every good way. In Irish Lore, it’s a sin to remove or kill the Fairy Tree but we can, out of respect as it to move its root. Pick a place where you’d like this magnificent tree to live.”

She looked across the yard to where the small grave of her first familiar, Mo Daes is buried. After she explained her reason, she finished with, “There! I think that would be so fitting.”

“Good. Now, let’s go into your greenhouse and make our sugar potion.”

Again, Mia looked at him blankly but led him to another part of her yard where the large greenhouse her father built sat.

He found what he needed, then gave Mia the instructions about mixing the ingredients.

“Now, let’s go ask the Fairy tree if she’s willing to move.”