The late night/early morning deepened, but the celebration didn't slow down a bit.
Music flowed through the house and out onto the patio, enchanted drums played themselves, and laughter weaving together with the hum of life. Fireflies floated lazily in the background of the warm Louisiana air, their soft glow reflecting off glasses, jewelry, and smiling faces.
Everyone was having a good time, and days like these remind me how lucky I am for being a boy born into a all female coven.
That's when Mary approached me.
Like always she looked stunning, a navy blue sleeveless blouse fitted to her frame, with a black frilly skirt that swayed when she walked. She strutted in wedge sandals clicking softly against the patio wood. Her hair fell over one shoulder, and she carried herself with that unmistakable confident Southern Creole charm she always had.
"Happy birthday, Kai," she said warmly, holding out a small wrapped box.
"Thank you, Mary." I slowly took the present, and opened it carefully.
Inside was a of black leather gloves. They looked so smooth. "These are so cool," I said honestly, sliding one on. It fit perfectly.
"They better be," she replied proudly. "I made them myself. And enchanted them as well."
My eyes widened instantly. "Oh no way? What do they do?"
She took a casual sip from her glass cup. "They're size-adaptive. They'll grow with you. The leather will never tighten or restrict your movement. So you don"
I flexed my fingers in awe.
"They can also block blades and other sharp objects," she added smoothly. "Steel. Fangs. Claws. Even enchanted weapons, to a degree. Just don't try and use them to block bullets." She chuckled.
The patio quieted slightly.
"And," she continued, giving me a playful wink, "they should help with that little problem of yours."
Before she could take another sip from her glass. Which I could tell from the smell was alcohol, my mother appeared like a silent wraith and gently took the cup from her hand.
Her smile was warm, but the words that came out of her mouth were not. "Oh dear," Samira said sweetly, " Mary it seems like you don't remember my house rules. No drinking around my son. You do that at your own home or in the French Quarter."
Mary immediately straightened. "Yes, Miss Moon. Sorry, Miss Moon."
Samira handed her a cup. "Here is some ginger tea instead," and she leaned in slightly closer. "And where," she asked pleasantly, "did you get hide like that to make those gloves? It's very unique."
Mary visibly hesitated. "Just… connections," she muttered.
Samira only smiled. Before that tension could stretch further, another presence stepped forward.
It was woman named Tania. She is another witch of the coven. She was young, around 19 or 20, but has been in the coven a little longer then Mary.
She is of Filipino and Native American descendant. So like all the other woman in this coven she was stunning beautiful with a southern accent that drew all the men to her. But the only thing they got was lighter wallets.
She was known for her love of magical and regular animals, but at the same time she had this weird obsession with breeding them. Which from what I understand she could make a lot of money from that, but she cares about those animals finding nice homes or are able to carrying on their species. So she doesn't make as much as she could.
But her regular day job was a veterinarian and she worked at animal shelter. She would babysit me sometimes there, and I would play or pet the animals. Sometimes I would even go with her to the zoo. But now that I know about my demigod blood it explains so much.
The Zebra's at the zoo always stared at me, and I thought I heard them speaking to me at one time. I thought I was just hearing things. The dogs at the shelter always loved me, even the rowdy ones would always be nice to me. If I remember correctly His most sacred animals are vultures, dogs, wild boars, and serpents.
Which minus vultures and bores, I was always around. By why the Zebra's?
Tiana also travels the world with animal rights groups. Saving lab tested animals or endangered species from poachers. She is really active in the community. She's said she was a pescatarian, saying. "A girl needs her protein, so she has the strength to save all these animals."
Then she said something about in the sea survival of the fitness, so she does have mixed feelings on eating fish, over other land mammals in the animal kingdom. But she never judged me or the others for eating meat. She just recommended us local farms that practices human farming ethics.
But her main discipline was potion making and gathering the ingredients. Apparently her father was a butcher so she learned the trade growing up. So she knows how to cut open creatures perfectly and dissect them for their hides and more.
Tonight her earthy look was changed up. She always looked radiant but tonight, he was in a long forest-green party dress that flowed. Her dark hair was braided loosely over one shoulder, beads woven subtly through it. Her light brown eyes radiated a energy.
She held a large wooden box. "Happy birthday, Kainos," she said gently. "I found something important. And there's no one else I trust more with it safety. "
Everyone turned towards us. Even the nymphs grew got silent and stared.
"What animal did you bring this time?" I asked cautiously. Please don't be another snake. that thing was so needy and obsessive, I thought it wanted to eat.
She laughed softly. "Don't worry, it's nothing crazy."
She knelt and opened the box. Inside sat a small black cat.
Not just black, midnight black. Her fur looked like absorbed light light itself. Her eyes, however, were unique. A silverish white. They were so reflective and captivating. I couldn't be in awe of them.
The kitten looked up at me and let out a soft, commanding meow. I carefully picked her up immediately.
She was so warm and cute. Her paws pressed lightly against my chest as I stroked her fur. "She's beautiful," I whispered. "What's her name?"
"That is for you to decide. She's meant to be in your care from now on." Tania said
The air around us shifted.
"But Kainos, know this. She isn't exactly a cat," Tania added quietly. "She's a Nemean feline."
The words made the literal drums stop playing. Even the nymphs retreated several steps.
Grandma even turned fully toward us. "How," she asked calmly, "did you acquire a Nemean lion cub? Heracles killed the only one."
Tania's jaw tightened slightly.
"That lion had offspring, as it turns out" she said. "The invulnerability gene seemed to have been recessive in some lines. But I heard whispers, that over the centuries, someone noticed it and has been selectively breeding them in secret. I managed to find her and her mother. The only ones of their kind. "
She looked at the kitten.
"She is special. Her bloodline traces back to Bast, through Maahes. And her eyes…" She exhaled softly. " Look at them. I believe the Titaness Selene has touched her."
I stared at the silver gaze looking back at me.
"And her mother?" I asked carefully.
Tania's expression darkened.
"Poachers. I arrived too late. Egyptian magicians used a spell to suffocate her for he hide, I managed to stop them before they got this one."
My grip tightened slightly.
"The gloves Mary made," Tania continued, voice steady, "are from her mother's hide. The rest of her body will be honored. Used to protect the coven and our land."
Silence lingered.
I looked down at the tiny feline in my arms.
"I'll protect her, if mom allows me to keep her." I said softly. The kitten blinked slowly.
Mom stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Alright, birthday boy, you can keep her. I can't think of a more fitting gift, then a impenetrable lioness to protect you and you her." she said gently. "Why don't you go rest. We leave the day after tomorrow. You'll need your strength, and you will need to start packing."
I blinked.
"Leave? Are we going somewhere?"
"Yes," she said calmly. "New York. To Hecate's home. Consider it a road trip to bond with me and your sister. The old-fashioned way. Plus since the God's don't use phones, and I refuse I'm not using Iris Messages. We have to do it this way. I know you said you really wanted to leave New Orleans so let's make the most of it."
My heart skipped. "Wait you said Me. You. Galatea?"
Galatea looked just as surprised as well. "Your really gonna take me with you?"
Samira nodded. "Of course, you came to train him. I would be stupid to take him away from you, especially when you wanted to go there yourself. Now you both get to learn."
"What about Grandma?" I asked.
Madame Moon just smiled softly. "Sweetie, I'm the current coven leader. I can't abandon my girls. And someone has to run the Friday performances." She then pulled me into a firm hug and kissed my forehead. "There's a chance," she murmured quietly, "that you won't be coming back. So write to me so that I know your safe. "
Tania then spoke. "So Kainos what are you gonna name the little lady in your arms?"
Looked at the little feline and one name came to mind, but I didn't want to use that name. No telling what happens when you name a pet after a god.
"I'll figure it out later."
Later that night, after cake, laughter, gifts, dancing, and more celebration, I fell asleep. The silver necklace rested against my chest. The enchanted bonnet covered my hair. The Nemean kitten curled against my side, purring faintly.
My mind was quiet, and my dreams weren't full of whispers.
Outside, the house slowly emptied. Some women stayed in guest rooms. Others slept on the couches. The nymphs and dryads headed back toward the swamp.
On the patio, under the silver moonlight, Madame Moon sat. Across from her sat a man.
He was tall, lean, and ruggedly handsome in a weathered way. Long dreadlocks tied back loosely. A trimmed beard framing his jaw. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes. He wore a black tank top beneath an open shirt that revealed a scarred but muscular frame.
He smiled in between sipping calmly from his glass.
"So, Papa Bones," Madame Moon said quietly, "what did you see this time?"
He chuckled. "Moon. I thought this was a social visit, not business."
"You smooth talker. We're too old to keep fooling around. Don't pretend otherwise," she replied smoothly.
He tilted his head slightly. " You haven't been saying that, the past thirty years. I bet If Neptune returned, you'd be in a different mood."
Moon expression was cold. "And if that little witch came back, you'd abandon your family again in a heartbeat."
He smiled. "True, but touché."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small brown pouch. He shook it and poured it onto the patio table. It was bones
They clattered softly.
Papa Bones ran his fingers across them, feeling the arrangement. His smile faded.
"Moon," he said quietly, "you know I care about you."
Her eyes sharpened.
"As much as you do any beautiful woman. What do you see Papa?"
He inhaled slowly. "I see ancestry playing a deep role in your grandson's path."
She sat there calmly listening.
"I see setbacks. Losses. So many losses."
Her jaw tightened.
"And protection," he continued. " your coven needs protection."
"From who?" she asked quietly.
Papa Bones' blind gaze lifted toward the house.
"From your grandchild."
The night air felt colder from that statement. But Moon did not flinch.
"Is that all?" she asked.
He shook his head slowly. "No. Your coven… needs to be careful. I see betrayal. From inside."
She absorbed that without visible reaction. Then finished her drink. "Thank you, Papa."
He stood and prepared to leave. "I can see the mood has soured." As he walked toward the back gate, Moon's voice stopped him.
"Was she worth it?"
He did not turn around.
"Yes."
His voice was colder now. "Only with her could I truly see. It was this world… and this family… that blinded me."
He walked away into the night. Madame Moon remained seated, her glass cup resting loosely in her hand.
She looked up at the moon overhead. "Selene," she whispered. "Hecate."
Her expression hardened. "We may not have as much time as we thought."