Page 55 of Searching for Thanksgiving

Morah adjusted her tiara again. “I gives them advice—on love.”

Snickers from the men at the long table drew a sharp look from not only Morah, but from all the other women in the room. The chuckles quickly turned to coughs and mumbles. Jack chuckled and nodded in approval.

“And what is the response of your Goddess to your advice?” Jack asked.

“Wells, Arilla is still working on it. She has been busy helping her sister and Aikaterina. They have very busy lives, and its hards for her to take times to follows her heart, but I told her how busy my mommy and daddy are and how they works together.”

Jack cleared his throat and smiled at Morian and Paul. “You are a very observant young lady.”

Morah nodded. “Thank you.”

Crystal grinned at Morah’s prim, confident response. She had no idea where her dad was going with this questioning, but it was obvious that he had a plan. He walked to the end of the table and turned to face Morah again.

“So, to clarify everything, you and the others left to go on a quest to search for Thanksgiving who you suspect is Crystal. What happened when you arrived at her home?” Jack continued.

“We was tired, but we wasn’t hungry. Arilla made my knapsack magic. We could ask for whatever we wants.”

“And where was Crystal?” he asked.

“She wasn’t home… but she came home with Devon and Stripe,” Morah replied, brightening up.

“Did you or any of the others feel afraid or threatened by Devon or Stripe?” Jack asked.

“No. Devon was scares of us, but we was good. We tried not to scares him too much,” she replied.

Crystal reached forward and placed her hand on Devon’s shoulder when he chuckled. He reached up and squeezed her hand. There was something calming in that brief touch.

“None of you were afraid of Stripe?” Jack asked.

Morah gave an unladylike snort. “Hope and Sacha loves Stripe. He lets them draws on him. He is good. I knows because I’m a Priestess in training. We knows these things, don’t we, momma?” she said, turning in her seat to look at her parents.

“Yes, Morah. We know these things,” Morian confirmed.

“Where are you going with this?” Zoran drawled.

“I would like to call my next witnesses,” Jack said.

“What witnesses?” Zoran demanded.

“Stripe, along with Hope and Sacha,” Jack replied.

Roars of outrage filled the room when the doors in the back opened and Devon’s black and gold striped symbiot padded in with Hope and Sacha on either side. They were followed by two very grim twin dragons with a petite, dark-haired woman tucked between them, and Vox and Riley.

Jack motioned for them to walk to the front. Crystal was surprised when Vox and Riley took a seat next to her. Riley winked at her.

“This feels a little like the old days before those dreadful insects kidnapped me. I was a bail bondswoman and had to attend court sometimes. Of course, there were never any aliens, and there was only the judge and jury back then. This is way more exciting,” Riley murmured.

“You were kidnapped by aliens?” Crystal whispered in horror.

“Oh, yes. I’ll have to tell you how I saved this big guy,” Riley responded, patting Vox on the thigh.

Crystal leaned back in her seat when Vox emitted a low, rumbling purr.

“Cat-shifters are—,” Riley was saying before she clamped her bright pink lips together.

“Hope, Sacha, can you tell me about Stripe?” Jack was saying.

“He loves cuddles and scratches,” Hope said.

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