A slap of thunder shook the entirety of the small home. My eyes were locked with a pair of bright blue ones. Lady Louise still lay in the same position I had found her on the kitchen floor, though at some point one of her long-fingered hands had found one of my tiny, black paws and was gripping it tightly.

            "Rosetta..." she whispered. I could just barely make it out through the heavy downpour of rain that was pounding against the house.

            Keeping her eyes met with mine, she let go of my paw and began to bring them to her chest.

            I knew what she wanted. Information about her daughter. If she was in the hospital. If she was safe. But how was I supposed to answer that? I was just a fox, after all.

            The Lady seemed to remember this halfway through her attempt, as her hands went back to resting against the floor and her eyes closed. She looked like she would go back to sleep. Nothing else she could do in her condition. Powerless to do anything with a body that couldn't keep up.

            I could understand. Is that why it was bothering me so much, seeing her like that?

            "She's safe."

            She couldn't hear me or understand me, but 'saying' it out-loud would hopefully make me feel—

            "She is?"

            Lady Louise's eyes were open and back to staring right at me, and I was back to staring at her. Almost at the same time, we pulled ourselves off from lying on the floor—her kneeling and me on my feet.

"My daughter must be safe, if she's letting you speak to me now," the Lady said, breaking the silence and giving me a soft smile. "It is nice to hear your voice again, Flametail."

Flametail...

Horrible names aside, I could barely wrap my mind around what wonderful new thing was happening. I could talk to the Lady now? Did that mean I could talk to anyone? Did my stuck-up Master really loosen her leash, just a little?

"Guess I'm finally making a good impression," I thought, still a bit wary about this whole thing. Could I really communicate with her like I had been with Horny and my Master?

"Horny..." Lady Louise said with a small laugh. Though, it sounded more like a humorous cough.

            Guess it was pretty similar. Before I could think of a way to explain the other horrible name, she reached out and gently patted the top of my head. "I knew you wou—"

            A heavy knocking, loud enough to rival the crashing of thunder outside, on the front door broke through our little moment. The Lady's hand shot to her chest as the hairs on my neck bristled—a sensation I was still trying to get used to.

            Lady Louise's other hand reached for the discarded shotgun that was lying not far behind her, but stopped when her fingers touched it.

            "Horny," she said again.

The front door slammed open and, all at once, the crashing thunder, howling wind, and pounding sounds of the rain amplified and spilled into the house. Rugs were pulled up from the ground, books fell from their shelves. Lady Louise reached out and plucked me from the air before I even knew I had left the floor.

"Hornroot!" she screamed into the raging storm. I could only hear her because I was pressed up right against her.

A tall figure stood in the doorway, with a smaller figure draped over one of its arms. As soon as it took a step into the room, it flung the smaller person into the house before spinning around and pushing the door closed with no small amount of force. Though the noise died down considerably when it was shut, the way the storm continued to build and shake the house made me believe this whole place would be pulled up from its very foundations.

But all that was forgotten, completely and utterly, when I shifted my attention back to the person who remained lying on the floor.

Yellow jacket and red boots. So bright and ridiculous looking there was no way I could forget it. Another memory. Another black splotch. Dragging the dead body of Dr. Quincy and seeing the witch, August. The one who made the fog. Pointing and showing me the way to their mother before vanishing.

Escaped, until now.

"My Lady, forgive my urgency, but you must use your Knowledge on this boy, at once," the other man said. A very agitated man wrapped in what looked like a damp bed sheet. A familiar I was hoping I wouldn't be seeing again for sometime.

Lady Louise locked eyes with her familiar for only a moment before crawling the few feet needed to reach the boy in the raincoat. I watched Hornroot as we moved, his yellow eyes staring intensely at his Master, his entire body tense, ready to abandon the need to keep the door sealed to aid her.

"If the boy tries anything to harm the Lady, you do not hesitate, Flametail."

The cold, hollow voice rang in my head and sent a chill up my spine. It kept the snarky comebacks, that we're practically instinct at this point, at bay. Instead, I could only stare back down at the boy who still remained with his face and body against the ground, wondering what I could possibly do to stop him if he tried anything.

I felt her arm grip tighter around my body as she reached her free hand towards the hood that had been thrown over his head. She was shaking, pale, but far stronger than I would have given her credit for. If I wasn't so focused on watching for even the slightest movement from the boy, I would have tried asking her to stop crushing my ribs so effectively.

Lady Louise's hand had just about reached his hood when the boy spoke his first words. "I used to think rain was pretty nice. It was something to look at."

The Lady did not respond right away, nor did her hand move any closer. I wasn't sure if she even heard him over the sounds of the storm bombarding the house. Maybe only I could because of my stupid, big ears—

"Is that why you make it rain?" Lady Louise asked.

"My Lady," Hornroot called from across the room. "Please, there is not—"

"Hush now, Horny," his Master said, her eyes remaining on the rain-slicked boy. I, however, did not miss the way her familiar flinched at the new name. "You are August, are you not? The witch everyone is after?"

"I guess," August mumbled, his words even harder to distinguish with his continued insistence to remain lying on the floor where Hornroot had thrown him. "I don't even know what I did. I mean, more than make it rain all the time. That can't be why all these people are after me. I'm usually careful about not staying in one place too long. Oh, wait, did I mess up? How long has it been? Three years? Maybe I messed up."

Lady Louise once again had to pause for words. I was now staring at him less because I had to and more because I just couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Was he serious? He didn't know what he did? What, did he just conveniently forget about all those kids he helped kidnap? The pain he caused. The family he tore apart.

"Is that a dog?" August asked, moving for the first time since being thrown--the hands near his face clenching. "A dog bit me today. I don't think I like them anymore."

"Please, do not growl," a voice far more pleasant than Hornroot's echoed in my head. "We don't want this one anymore riled up than he is."

Had I been growling? I hadn't even noticed. I tried to force myself to relax in Lady Louise's arm as she slowly placed her hand on top of the wet, yellow hood. "You will find no dogs here, August, only allies."

"Allies, huh?" August lifted his head just enough for us to see surprisingly red hair draping down the front of his face. "Had those before, didn't really work out."

Yeah, because we stopped you.

"This will not turn out for you like it has in the past," Lady Louise said. Each word she spoke rang with conviction, despite her weakened appearance. "I promise."

August raised his head even more. Enough to lower the hood and reveal a pair of bright blue eyes peeking from behind the veil of dripping hair. Seeing those eyes sent a chill all throughout my body and made me had to stifle another growl.

They were just like Mallard's. Just like mine.

"How can you sound so sure?" the witch asked in a tone that reminded me a lot of Ash's lack of putting any sort of emotion behind her words. As if he had long given up on hope.

"Because your past allies were not me."

The Lady placed her hand into the thick, wet red tangles before August could object. I saw him flinch and instinctively prepared to latch my jaws on anything that got too close, but he moved no further after that. Well, besides his eyes widening and his mouth slowly falling open.

A new warmth resonated from the Lady's body as she kept her hand on August's forehead. Being directly in the arms of a witch as they performed their Knowledge reminded me of when Mr. Copper turned his blood gold, or when Meadow kissed my injured hand.

No. No. Don't think about that. Not now. Not ever.

Each time was warm. Their bodies resonated warmth and comfort. As if it was only like this for the ones with 'passive' powers like Mr. Copper's doors or Meadow's—

Stop.

"Flametail? What is happening? Is my Lady alright?"

Hornroot's voice filled me with a strange mixture of relief and worry. Relief to have a reprieve from unnecessary thoughts, and worry with just how much he heard.

"She's fine, I think. She's using her Knowledge on him," I answered back.

As I thought those words, I felt the Lady's arm slack. Her hand left August's head and I slipped out of her grip as she stood back up on shaky legs.

"My Lady—"

"I'm fine, Hornroot."

Yes, though her knees shook, Lady Louise kept her shoulders squared and her eyes locked on the witch who still lay on the floor. To me, a pathetic little creature standing by her feet, she appeared as immovable as stone. As though even the raging storm outside wouldn't be able to...

I realized then just how quiet it became.

"Holy shit. No way." August brought both his hands up to his head, running them through his red tangles. He tilted his head up until his blue eyes met with hers. "What did you do?"

"I took your Knowledge away..." Lady Louise outstretched her arms, indicating our surroundings and the lack of chaos raging outside, "...and all that comes with it."

"Holy shit!" August shouted. He was on his feet in a flourish of yellow and rain water and had his arms around his fellow witch before she knew what was happening. "No fucking way, dude!"

"You will unhand my Lady at once—!"

The hug was brief and August turned, pulled off his raincoat, and threw it in Hornroot's direction as he ran passed him. "Holdthisformethanks!"

I was sure Hornroot had quick enough reflexes to either dodge or catch the soggy thing, but for some reason he just let the coat smack him in the face and stay there. Whether he was rendered immobile by his rage or confusion didn't much matter to me. I had never wanted to laugh so hard in my life. Though, the noises that came out of this fox body when I tried made me quickly stop.

Lady Louise remained where she stood in a similar state of immobility. Her arms remained in their outstretched position as she stared down at the large wet stain in her night gown. I could only imagine how cold it must have been.

As I watched, she slowly brought her hands down to her sides. With a little sigh, she looked to me, a small, forced, smile fighting against her desire to look much more agitated, I could only assume.

"Flametail, would you be so kind as to check on our new, ah, acquaintance? I worry that, in this state, he may be liable to get himself hurt."

Personally, it seemed much more 'liable' for him to be hurt by the other two people in this room, but I nodded once to the Lady's request before making my way to the front door that August had left open in his haste to get outside.

Also, what happened to him being an ally?

            Our new 'acquaintance' was back on the ground, just outside the Lady's humble home. He lay on his back and seemed to have made it a point to avoid the shade of the nearby trees and simply lie in the full glow of the sun. He didn't appear to be moving as I stepped onto the grass with him, and the long red hair kept me from seeing much of his face.

With the rain jacket off, and because he only wore a soaked tie die shirt beneath it, I could see just how skinny and pale this witch was. There was also the familiar sight of a make-shift t-shirt bandage that was covering most of his right forearm. The almost completely white shirt was stained pretty severely with his blood.

Seeing it reminded me that I could smell it. But I pushed down the somewhat disturbing images of finishing the job whatever creature started in favor of fulfilling the Lady's request.

"Hey, uh, August? You alright?"

No response. Before I made any drastic conclusions, I tip-toed closer to the witch and discovered him to be fast asleep. Chest moving slowly, snoring slightly with each breath. Beneath the curtain of red hair rested a round face, almost white, with bags of black under the eyes.

I stood there watching him sleep for a few moments more before I sat myself down near his head.

The neighborhood was quiet and vacant, like normal. While the storm left several puddles in the streets and littered debris everywhere that I could see, it really had vanished almost like it had never been real.

My Master's mother was a witch who could stop someone from dying and stop a witch from using their Knowledge. For years, I was told Lady Louise was dangerous, but sitting here, seeing the remnants of a storm that had been turned off like a faucet—it was just then starting to sink in.

"What happened to him?"

"He fell asleep," I answered without turning around. My attention had turned to the setting sun. Somehow, it made me nostalgic.

Hornroot walked over until he stood on the other side of me. He didn't even spare the witch a glance. Whether it was because of the earlier rain coat incident, or because he actually trusted my judgement, I couldn't be sure.

            "Tomorrow our Lady intends to retrieve Miss Rosetta and take an excursion through the city."

            "I see."

            "You, myself, and August will be accompanying them. A show of force after what transpired this day. Our Lady wishes to make a statement. She wishes to show them that she is not afraid."

            Something in his tone kept me at bay. I wanted to voice my concerns over such a ridiculous plan, but the voice that rang in my head was unlike any I heard come from old Horny before.

            So, instead, I asked: "Are you afraid?"

            To my utter surprise, Hornroot made a strange little noise through his nose. Almost as if he found what I said funny. A faint, ghost of a smile even touched his lips.

            "What an odd thing to ask."  The old familiar's eyes did not leave the orange light of the setting sun. "Of course I am afraid. This is twice now I have failed our Lady. Though it may not fully show, I am old. Very old. And, in my old age, I am making mistakes. I am growing weak. And each failure of mine brings my family—"

            "Bah!" Hornroot suddenly shouted out-loud, causing me to nearly jump from my sitting position with how out of the blue it was.

            But, then, he did say—

            "The time will come when I can no longer be useful," Hornroot went on. He moved over to August and scooped the still dozing boy up in one smooth motion. "You should be pleased to hear that I no longer find it prudent to see you removed from existence. You have my thanks, for today."

            And just when I thought the old bird might have been halfway decent.

            "Oh, don't mention it. Really, don't ever again."

            I thought I might have heard him let out another snort-laugh before carrying August into his Lady's home.

...

*Author's Note*

And here is where we meet yet another new witch. Well, he was around in the first book, you just didn't see much of him.

So, what do you all think of this August character? Someone trustworthy? Someone that can even be useful? Whatever your thoughts, I'd love to hear em!