Page 136 of Kick the Candle (Knight Games 2)
Poe landed on the branch nearest my window, tossing a mouse into the air before swallowing it whole. He tapped his beak against the glass, and I reached over to open the window and let him in, shutting out the blast of icy air that followed him into the room.
"Must be hard to sleep with your eyes open," he said. "Something keeping you up?"
I told him about Silas and what I saw at Avery's house. "Where were you anyway?" I asked him. "As my familiar, aren't you supposed to sense when I'm in distress and come to my aid?"
"Sure, if I know you're on witchy business, but you hadn't come home from work. I thought some human was giving up their ghost in the ER, so I didn't respond."
"Nice, Poe."
"Hey, you wouldn't want me flying into the hospital windows every time your heart raced during the day. If you want me on the job, give me a heads up."
Harrumph. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at the ceiling. Why in the world did the woman in the garden give me a raven as a familiar?
"Do I need to remind you that I saved you from the troll and delivered Rick to rescue you from Julius? It's not as if I haven't earned my keep."
"Sorry, Poe. You're right. I should have stopped home and got you before I went to Avery's."
He waved his wing. "Exactly my point."
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure." He hopped from the windowsill to my nightstand.
"Who was the woman who gave you to me? The one in the garden?"
Poe cracked his beak in a movement I'd come to interpret as a smile. "Hecate, goddess of the dead, otherwise known as Santa Muerte depending on where you are in the world, and a host of other names. She's your first mother and the source of your power."
I closed my gaping mouth and raised my eyebrows. "Truly? That was her?"
"Yes."
"And you, like, hang out with her when I'm dead?"
"Something like that. She remakes me each time for you, but a part of me is always with her." He nested down next to my lamp.
"Why a raven? Why did she think I needed you, Poe?"
He twitched, blinking his eyes.
"Sorry. No offense. I like you a lot; I'm just wondering why you weren't a cat or an owl."
"I don't know for sure but I can tell you my honest opinion."
"I want to know."
"Cats are for manifestations who need independence. A cat won't come when you call it. It will help you only when it comes to respect you." He paused, taking me in. "You didn't need independence."
"No?"
"No. An owl is for manifestations who need wisdom or common sense. An owl familiar is perfect for an uneducated lass trying to make it in the world. You are not uneducated, nor lacking in wisdom."
I smiled. "I'd like to think I'm smarter than the average witch."
He nodded. "Ravens on the other hand are given to those who lack self-worth. A raven will intervene only when a witch can't do something herself and then only when she decides what to do. I will tease you within an inch of your life, and I will expect you to take care of yourself. I will also make you brave and strong, trusting in your intuition. I'll challenge you to know what you want and to take it. A raven as a familiar will make you a warrior."
"Are you saying I have low self-worth?"
"I'm not saying anything. Don't shoot the messenger, m'kay. But since we've met, have you done more on your own?"
