Stormy Sky Magic (Familiar Kitten Mysteries Book 9) by Sara Bourgeois (ebook reader .txt) 📕

Yes. It’s moved past Coventry. Mom messaged back.

Are you and Dad okay? I’m okay. We’re all okay here. Thorn hasn’t answered my text. I responded.

He’s probably busy, sweetie. I’m sure he’ll answer you as soon as he can. She texted, and then my phone rang. It was her, and I guessed she was tired of texting.

“Sorry, I just wanted to talk to you for a second,” she said.

“You don’t need to apologize,” I said. “I’m glad you called. Is your house okay?”

“Your dad is outside checking, but it seems fine. Might be some shingles missing from the roof and some siding that needs to be reattached, but we missed the worst of the damage.”

“It’s still pouring rain,” I said.

“You know your father. He just wants to see for himself that the house is all right. Don’t be startled if you look out a window and he’s over doing the same at your place,” Mom said. “Maybe not, though. When he gets back inside, we’re going to go into town and see where we can help. It missed our house, but I know it didn’t miss them all.”

“That’s a good idea,” I said. “I’m going to call Viv and Reggie to make sure they are okay. If they are, we can start looking for people that need help. Oh, and Dorian too. I’m sure he’ll want to be out documenting all of this.”

“Kinsley, just don’t overdo it,” Mom warned. “And don’t do anything to get yourself hurt. Leave the heroics to someone else for now.”

“I know, mom. I just want to go see if anyone is trapped in their basements. If I find anybody, I’ll call law enforcement or rescue. I promise I won’t try to dig them out myself,” I said.

“Well, go on then. I know there’s no sense telling you to stay home. Call us when you decide where you’re going to start looking. I think your father and I are headed over to some of the new subdivisions. From what I’m hearing from the Aunties, they got hit harder,” Mom said.

“Okay, I’ll call you when I know,” I said.

As soon as I got off the phone with her, I called Reggie, Viv, and Dorian. Viv was heading into the shop because she planned on offering coffee and soup to anyone who needed something to eat or just some comfort.

Fortunately, the rain had slowed to a drizzle by the time I took Tangerine and Meri out to the car. I worried about having Tangerine with me while we searched for survivors, but it felt wrong to leave her alone so soon after the storm. Plus, the severe weather appeared to be clearing, but apparently the atmosphere was still ripe for more.

I arrived at the Brew Station a half hour after I planned. I’d completely forgotten that some of the roads might be difficult or impossible to navigate and had to take several detours to get there.

Dorian and Reggie were waiting there for me drinking coffee and eating soup with a few people who had already found their way there. “Where’s Isaac?” I asked when I noticed Dorian was alone at the table. “Is he okay?”

“He’s in the back helping Viv. She can cook more food with the help, and he was having a hard time sitting still,” Dorian said.

I ate a sandwich and drank some coffee quickly. We hadn’t been there long, but the place was like a beacon. People were lining up to get something hot to eat and then talk to their neighbors.

We needed to get out of there and free up a table. Before we left, we talked to people to see which areas of the town were the worst hit. Lots of people talked about the new section of Coventry where my parents had gone, but a few mentioned severe destruction in the neighborhood between where I lived and the new cemetery.

“That’s where we should go,” I said. “My parents and some of the Aunties are already in the new subdivisions. If they need us, we can join them after we’re done in this neighborhood.”

Reggie and Dorian agreed. We told Viv where we were going, and she told us to put the word out that people could come into her shop for a meal and a hot cup of coffee. “Tell anyone with kids that there’s hot chocolate and cookies. It’s on the house.”

I teared up a little bit thinking of what she was doing for the community. Isaac was new to Coventry, but he was determined to stay and help her. “We can help more people if I’m here,” he said.

As we were leaving, several of her employees showed up to volunteer. The line was out the door, but it began to move faster once she had all hands on deck.

“Should we take my car?” Reggie asked once we were outside.

“It might be better if we walk,” I said. “We’re all wearing boots, so that’s good. I know it’s a long walk, but didn’t you guys have a hard time driving here?”

“Yeah, I did,” Reggie answered.

Dorian said the same.

“I imagine that if that neighborhood was hit hard, it’s going to be even worse there,” I said. “We don’t want your car to end up in the way of the emergency vehicles.”

“You’re right,” Dorian said. “Well, come on. Let’s get to hoofing it.”

We walked through the square and past the courthouse. I did not look up into the windows because I did not want to see her face that day. It was a distraction I didn’t need.

Without looking up, I could still tell that the courthouse was undamaged. The worst of the storm had missed the square. From the outside, I could see that my shop was unharmed as well. I could go inside later and check things out more thoroughly, but it was just stuff. When it came down to it, stuff was unimportant. People were what mattered.

People and pets. Meri was following quietly along