Page 26 of Castings & Curses

To the others’ surprise, it wasn’t easy to convince the cat Bygul had mentally dubbed Gator-Baiter to come with them.

Apparently, Gator-Baiter enjoyed going head to snout with the alligator population and wasn’t much looking forward to leaving that little hobby behind.

It was only the promise of becoming the familiar of a very powerful witch—and the chance to wield some of her magic—that convinced Gator-Baiter to relocate a thousand miles from the Louisiana bayou.

* * *

After Pippa’sclaim about cumming with distinction, hilarity ensued.

Into that hilarity came Pippa’s kitten and the very first familiar of the Zero Cum Laude Coven, Hocus Purrcus.

The kitten leapt onto the table and was immediately followed by a huge white cat with gray tail and paws.

Hocus Purrcus always seemed to show up wherever Pippa was, even if Pippa swore the kitten had been curled up in the pack den when she left it hours before.

Such was the mystery of the bond between a powerful witch and her familiar. Even when apart, they were often drawn together.

The most interesting thing about the bond Hocus Purrcus had forged with Pippa was that he also seemed to have forged a similar bond with Chester, the cat Pippa’s mate had adopted for inexplicable reasons around the same time Pippa and Hocus Purrcus bonded.

The result was that Hocus Purrcus often dragged Chester with him when his bond with Pippa pulled him to her.

However, the white cat currently making a beeline for Natalie, wasnotChester.

* * *

“Aw,look, she’s chosen her witch,” Soraya said.

“I was sure she’d go for the necromancer,” Muezza said, “given she’s a volcano of power.”

“Nah,” Bygul said. “The necromancer may be powerful, but the coven leader—she’soff the charts.”

“How do you know that?” Tivali asked. “I can’t even sense her power.”

“I recognize the staff,” Bygul said. “It’s famous among witches. A truly powerful artifact that can only be wielded by a descendent of the Witch Queen herself. It’s critical in helping her descendants control their inherited power, so trust me, for Natalie to be in possession of that staff, all the power of the most powerful line of witches ever born is seething inside her somewhere. Talk about a volcano waiting to explode. It’s enough power to have a witch skirting the edge of madness. Frankly, it’s a miracle she hasn’t leveled a city yet.”

“In that case,” Muezza said, “I’m not surprised the cat chose her. She must have sensed her power.”

“Let’s just hope she’s strong enough to help her control it,” Bygul said.

“She went up against an alligator and won,” Soraya pointed out. “I’m thinking she can probably handle one little witch.”

“Famous last words,” Tivali muttered.

* * *

“And just wheredid you come from, hmm?” Natalie asked as the cat parked herself right in front of her plate and stared at her.

Rowan, who was seated on Natalie’s left, reached out a hand to pet the cat, only to receive a swipe of claws for his effort.

“Most impressive,” Natalie murmured, for the cat had batted Rowan’s hand away without even looking. “Does anyone know where this cat came from?”

The cat continued staring intensely, as if waiting for her to do something.

“Not a clue,” Pippa said.

“Never seen her before,” Tempest said.

Corwin, who had somehow maneuvered himself so that he was seated directly across from Natalie, muttered to his alpha, “You didn’t adopt another cat, did you?”

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