Episode 5:
Urban Fantasy fam! It’s time for another episode of my World Building and Lore Series. On this episode, we’ll get a glimpse into the life and times of Kate West, Immortal Descent’s protagonist Ethan West’s older sister. She’s a powerful but still growing witch with secrets, bound oaths, and a determination like no other. Here’ s a sneak peek into her life as a West witch, the flashback of her with her love Roger when she tried to do something unspeakable. A lesson was learned and hearts were healed. Read on and enjoy!
“In Memory of Hope”
Today was a difficult day for Kate West. She’d spent all afternoon searching for clues to create the perfect incantation to bring her cat Milos back to life. It was brash, risky, unconventional, insane. But what was sanity in the loss of a loved one–and of course a pet was a loved one.
Milos had been with Kate since she’d got him on her tenth birthday. She’d needed a companion during the time of her mother’s illness, and nothing saved her the way Milos did. He brought her the greatest comfort that left her wanting nothing in those moments. A true friend in a time of loneliness.
At thirteen when Kate and Ethan’s mother Lilly died, Milos was the only one keeping Kate together. Not her brother, certainly not her father, not her own resolve. It was Milos.
“I love you, my Milos,” she murmured, petting his fur. He was a calico, specs of orange and black and white, dappled with brown and gray—a tapestry of personality, just like Milos himself. Sassy to a fault but loving, he was nothing if not loyal to Kate. “With you I’m never alone,” she said as they fell asleep on the daybed in her room.
The years were kind until they were cruel, and a distracted driver took Milos from Kate in a whirlwind moment. Her scream startled the air, a shrill cry of despair and loss.
“Milos! No!” Sixteen-year-old Kate wailed as the driver sped away, not looking back. Milos had escaped from the house and that was the last day he’d do so. As her cat left her behind in her arms, Kate wept, holding him close. How can a loss like this be undone? It could not.
Or could it?
“You can’t do it, love!” Roger said, his honey eyes fixed on Kate’s resolved sky blue gaze. “It’s forbidden to say the least.”
“I can’t accept it. Milos was my world!”
An injured look crossed Roger’s face. “Your world?” he repeated. As Kate’s boyfriend, Roger was known to be her world, and while the words never meant to hurt, they stung.
“You know what I meant,” Kate said her eyes apologetic yet still tinged with wild grief.
Roger moved close to pull Kate into a hug. He smoothed her hair down with a gentle hand of comfort, of reason.
“You can’t bring him back,” he said softly. “As much as you want to, magic can’t fix this… and you know it.”
After some time, Kate nodded. “I know this, but—”
“No,” Roger interrupted. “We must remember the rules of the craft. The dead cannot come back. It’s not natural, not right.”
She nodded into the crook of his neck.
“Then a vigil, and a blessing.”
Milos was buried in the backyard of their home, the blessing ceremony sending his soul to peace. And as the tendril of smoke lifted to the darkened sky from Kate’s vigil candle, she felt something envelope her for a moment. A warm tail at her legs, a purr of happiness, a presence of positivity. Now he’d be with her forever. And in that, he lived forever. This she knew. This she took heart in.
“I’m glad I managed to talk you out of it,” Roger said after several moments of silence.
“Me too,” Kate responded. “When we let go, we remember not what we’ve lost but what we’ve gained. Milos can be with me everywhere I go now. He is gone but never far away.”
Looking Ahead
I hope you enjoyed the short from Kate’s box of memories. There’s more where that came from. Stay tuned for more shorts like this one, be them sweet, happy, sad, hopeful, action packed, and more. To check out the Immortal Series, visit either my shop for signed copies or Amazon for ebook or paperback. Thanks for visiting for another episode!
Till next time!
