Page 5 of Monster's Reward

Good enough I found myself perpetually grateful that only I could hear her.

She glared at Professor Dewar, then whirled toward me.I’ll know when you’re in danger, Kasi-Mew, and not because I’m your familiar.

She’d started calling me Kasi-Mew about the same time she started sending me words and phrases. It was such a cute rendition of Kasima, that every time she said it, my heart melted a little.

Everyone else, Shadow called by their initials, if she bothered to say their names at all. For a long time, Professor Dewar was simply cat-hat and her cat, Verity, was hat-cat, which got rather confusing.

Finally, about a week ago, Professor Dewar graduated to PD, which unfortunately was also confusing, since Shadow already called Professor Dunlop PD.

Verity was still hat-cat.

Tell PD I’m not your familiar, Kasi-Mew.

I sighed.I already did, Shadow. Many times. She doesn’t listen to me.Much to my surprise, I’d become quite adept at communicating back to Shadow. We now had entire conversations in our heads.

For the first time in my life, I was no longer all alone because Shadow was always one thought away.

“Kasi.” Professor Dewar raised an eyebrow, clearly expecting me to perform miracles, an expectation I found to be rather unrealistic.

I don’t want to be yanked, Kasi-Mew.Shadow sounded nervous.

Don’t worry,I promised her.I’d never yank you anywhere.

Shadow looped my legs in a very cat-like pattern.

Even though she was made of shadows and wasn’t a physical presence at all, I swear I could feel her entire body rubbing against my legs.

“That doesn’t sound very comfortable for Shadow,” I said to Professor Dewar.

She let out a huff of exasperation. “Shadow, come sit beside me, right now.”

Shadow gave her a sulky look, but slowly slinked over to where Professor Dewar was waiting.

“The thing is, Professor, I’m not sure Shadow’s going to enjoy being yanked around. Besides, I respect her too much. I’d rather just ask.”

“Yank her to you, Ms. Smith. Now!”

That was the thing about Professor Dewar. She seemed so kind and gentle at first, almost like the grandmother you’d always wanted but never had, then she turned into this stern drillmaster who expected you to perform, no matter what.

But I wasn’t about to be bullied into hurting my Shadow.

So I yanked other things into the shadows with me instead.

My copy ofA Comprehensive Guide to Familiars, the textbook Professor Dewar constantly referred to in her lessons with me, despite Shadow Cats not being listed anywhere in it. (An annoying oversight,Shadow had growled the first time we looked through the book.If PD’s going to insist on calling me a familiar, I should be in the very first chapter!)

The pan of brownies Professor Dewar baked as a reward for meeting her expectations (of course, I ate one before sliding it back out of the shadows).

Professor Dewar simply gave me an admonishing look, then said, “Again.”

So I snatched the ugly crocheted hat sitting on Verity’s head.

Today’s hat was pink and blue and in the shape of a traditional witch’s hat, which seemed a bit obvious, but Professor Dewar loved crocheting gifts for her familiar, and as for Verity, well, she adored her hats, every single ugly one of them.

Which meant that stealing her hat was the best way to bring today’s particular lesson to an end.

Verity went mad, yowling and attacking shadows everywhere, accomplishing nothing, of course.

I finally tossed the hat out of the shadows toward Verity.

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