Page 40 of A Drink of Destiny

I showed Dern the photos of the sabertooth lion kitten yet to grow her saberteeth. He dropped my phone facedown on the table when the back door swung open and a woman marched in. For a split second, I thought Sharon Claudis herself had found me in the Other World.

“Beverly, this isn’t the right time to barge in here. Actually, never is the right time to do that,” Dern said, his voice going all weird like he was suddenly a professional.

Beverly was a shebear and from the smell of her I’d guess that she was dead if someone forced me to pick dead or alive. She stood akimbo with her ample bosom heaving like she was in love or about to strangle someone. I couldn’t tell which.

“I’m gonna kill her. I’m gonna kill my granddaughter. I’m going to claw my way out of here and I’m going---” Beverly started and then stopped. “I didn’t know you were with another patient.”

“He’s not my patient, Beverly. These aren’t my office hours,” Dern said, keeping his voice even.

His scent told another story. One of annoyance and impatience.

“She keeps going after that dragoness. I can’t believe my eldest raised such a dumbass!” Beverly tossed her hands in the air.

“Who?” I asked.

“Shush, Mori,” Dern said. “You too, Beverly. We’ll talk about this at our session tomorrow.”

“But it’s happening now!” she growled.

“Don’t you growl at me. I’ll put you right back in the cellblock. The good Dern signth the paper to get you out and you better bet your fluffy ass, I’ll signth the paper and put you right back in it!” Dern stood up. “Now, you go outside and sit under that apple tree and practice your breathing. That temper of yours and never learnin’ how to deal with your offspring and grandkids is the reason you’re in here. Now, march! Unless you want to go back.”

“You’re an insufferable, chewy piece of old wolf hide!” Beverly sighed, turning on her heels and marching out. Her yellow floral patterned dress swishing around her ankles as she walked out, shutting the door behind her.

“Sorry about that,” Dern said, sitting back down. “Do you want some tea? It’s not magic. Just tea. I need some sugar after that woman. I always do.”

“Who is she? Wait!” I said and let out a long, slow breath. “Oh, my old bears! Oh, my Juda and Frost and all their little babies! You’re not resting! You’re not waiting for something to happen so that you can move on! You’re like an ancestor now!”

Dern shrugged and shot me a sheepish grin like he’d been found out.

“Why did you let me think that you were here as a punishment, Dern? Was that where you were the day Ormund wouldn’t let me talk to you? You were with her?”

“Not her,” Dern shook his head. “With another patient. I’m a therapist to violent souls. I mean, violence has its place. Everyone knows I used violence often enough but if you’re a weapon you have to know when to wield yourself and when to sit back and not be a weapon. She never learned that. I didn’t want her to see the photo of Helen because that conception was a possible rebirth option for her. She was almost ready a while back but some stuff happened that set her back a bit. So, someone else who was further along got reborn instead.”

“Wait! Is she Beverly Claudis by chance?” I asked and Dern shrugged.

“That’s why you’re so caught up with Sharon, isn’t it?” I slapped the table.

“Don’t knock my tea over, you brute!” Dern leaned back in his chair. “I’m so caught up on Sharon Claudis because she wants to sacrifice my friend’s nephew!”

“So you say,” I teased him, but couldn’t help but to smile.

“Eh, it’s almost time for Ormund to come home. So, I hate to kick you out, but I’m going to. If I don’t get laid, I’m never going to be in the mood to deal with that shebear tomorrow.”

“You’re a good guy, Dern,” I said and rounded the table to kiss him on the cheek. “Just get a mirror in here, huh? So I don’t walk in on you on the toilet.”

“We’ll see. Mori?”

“Yeah, Dern?”

“Don’t tell anyone else what I’m doing. I’d like to keep my peace and quiet, okay?”

“I’ll let you have as much as these dumbasses give you,” I grinned and headed back toward his bathroom. “I’ll come back another day for a real visit. I’ll bring some tea we can have together!”

“Take care, Mori! Tell Preston it’s coming!”

“What’s coming?”

“Go home, Mori! You don’t live here!” Ormund’s voice came from the kitchen after the backdoor opened.

“Hi and bye, Ormund!” I shouted teasingly before crawling back out of the mirror into my cozy house in the Nightshade Bear Territory.