Page 49 of Dark Shadow of Guilt

Madeline drew a deep breath. She had to think about that later. For now, she worried about the wards. “Dom said nothing could get inside the house.”

“Since the black-winged assassin is not too stupid, he likely said ‘no one’ could get inside. I fall outside the ‘no one’ label.

“Uh-huh. He said, ‘no intruders’ also.” Was she arguing with a wolf?

“Not an intruder either. I’m a friend. And do not ever call me a pet.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. Why did the OneCreator leave out talking when he put wolves on Earth?”

Ignoring her, the creature paced the room, finally stopping near the kitchen entrance. “Hop to it, Earther. A bowl of water and chow.”

Madeline nodded, racing into the kitchen. Flinging open cabinets, she withdrew two bowls, filling one with water. For the second, she opened the fridge to peek inside. “Do you have a name?”

“Of course I have a name. Freki.”

I don’t believe I’m talking to a wolf ... wolver.

“Do you have a favorite food, Freki?”

The creature paused from lapping up water. “Dom usually keeps a package on the third shelf for me.”

“Got it.” She removed the raw meat, chopping it into what she believed were bite-size pieces. She placed that bowl beside the other on the floor. Pulling out a kitchen chair, she watched him eat. Since he’d avoided her question, she asked again, “Why did the OneCreator omit talking in Earth’s wolves?”

Finished, Freki smacked his mouth, returning to stare at her. “He said we were annoying. I can’t imagine. If so, it’s his problem. Where’s Dom?”

“Do other animals in Angor talk?”

“Very few. The OC claims he saw the error of his ways. He can be a smartass. Dom?”

“He’s out flying around, clearing his head.”

“Ah. When he gets home, ask him what the fuck all those gryphons are doing in my meadow.”

“They could belong to the witch Indigo.”Surreal. She was talking to a wolf.No. To a wolver about a witch. Life had thrown her a curve. She hated curve balls. She wanted her predictable life back. No talking wolvers. No Immortals with wings. No OneCreator. Maddy had worked hard to make her life stable and predictable. She’d purchased a condo. Had a rewarding job. Set routines to keep her mentally healthy. Her situation now was far from healthy.

Her shoulders sagged. Was she lying to herself? Did she really want a life with Dom, messy or not? Maddy drew a deep breath.No. No.She needed conventional, humdrum.

Freki pounced down the steps and loped away. She stared until he pranced out of sight.

Where was she?Yes. Missing Dom.No. Missing her normal life.

Since, for the moment, she was clinging to lucidity, she wanted to read the books on Sycophancy. She was ready to face her problem head on and find a solution so she could go home. Dom said he’d laid out a collection from his study and from Angor’s library.

When she opened the door to his office, she gasped. It was a massive room with floor-to-ceiling shelves on three sides. On the fourth wall was a fireplace with two comfy chairs and a small table in front of it. Perfect for reading.

But a mental alarm sounded when she perused the spines of the beautiful, ancient, leather-bound books in the library. They were arranged on the shelves haphazardly, no thought to any order. Maddy knew her future task. Though she itched to begin the job immediately, she wiped the idea from her mind. But how could she concentrate in such a chaotic environment?Easy. She gathered the books Dom had placed on the gleaming mahogany desk and raced into the salon.

She stacked the research material near floor pillows in front of the fireplace.

After brewing a pot of coffee, she poured a cup, adding one level teaspoon of sugar. Once she settled into the cushions with her mug beside her, she rested the nearest book in her lap and began her research.

Consulting the table of contents, she scanned for information on Sycophants. The first book had only a few pages, which detailed what she already knew. Grabbing another, she found a longer entry. Madeline read, committing the information to memory. Once she had absorbed chapters in five books, she set them aside to review the facts while she sipped her coffee.

Sycophancy brought on by Mind Rats was not good. Their Immortal prey became mindless creatures who lived only for their obsession. They waited on what they called their masters and followed all wishes or commands, even second-guessing to please them. At best, they were sex objects, enforcers, or maids. At worst, they waited mindlessly in corners for their next command, unable to act without an order.

She’d read about skilled Rats who could plant triggers. These unique commands, as the book had called them, varied. Her delayed response to Sycophancy could be one trigger and the transference of her obsession to Dom could be another.

Without the Mind Rat present to maintain the compulsions, most Sycs healed. Most. Not all. While some took weeks or months to overcome the obsessions, others took years, centuries, or longer.

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