Page 32 of Monster's Pet

“Speak of the devil,” I said mischievously.

Rhiannon smiled and got to her feet, cuddling Moonbeam close. “Be right with you, Professor,” she half-shouted back.

The professor happened to be in my line of sight, or else I wouldn’t have seen him turn as white as a sheet. He half-ran toward our table, eyes fixed on Rhiannon. His obvious panic made my heart stutter.

Is something wrong with Rhiannon?

“What are you doing with thatcreature?” he spat. “That’s a manducare! It’ll drain you of magic until you’re no better than a human!”

CHAPTER 9

“What’s that?”I asked, confused.

Aiden grabbed the kitten from Rhiannon, as if he could hide it if she wasn’t holding it.

Professor Wright pointed a shaking finger at Moonbeam, staying a few feet away. “A blight on magic-kind!” he shouted. “It’ll drain you of your magic until you’re human!”

“Yes, you said that,” I said impatiently. “And there are several things wrong with that, the first of which is that being human isn’t this terrible thing you’re making it out to be.”

“You’re focusing on the wrong thing,” Professor Wright said with a scowl. “Imagine living the rest of your life without your right arm. You keep trying to do things with it, but it’sgone.”

“That’s ableist,” I said, frowning. “People can get along very well with only one arm, just like humans get along just fine without magic.”

Professor Wright angrily waved away my words and grabbed Rhiannon by the arm. “Come on, we’re all going to the headmistress’s office.”

Bruce got to his feet. “I’d better come, too,” he said.

“You may be Blackthorn in name, but you’re not in charge here,” Professor Wright sneered.

“I’ll make allowances for your attitude,” Bruce said quietly. “You’re scared right now. But you’d do well to remember that this school is only here because of myself and my wife. We are coming with you.”

“Thanks, man,” Aiden said with a weak smile. He petted his kitten, drawing comfort from her. “Let’s go.” He started toward the professor, who quickly backed out of the way, leaving a healthy distance between them.

I sighed. “He still hasn’t explained what a manducareis,” I muttered.

“I’m guessing a cat-like creature with purple markings,” Clarissa whispered, linking our arms. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. Moonbeam is such a sweetheart. She wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

Maybe not intentionally.

I mentally pictured Moonbeam as we had found her, going from person to person in the mess, licking fingers and getting pets.

She’s been licking Aiden since we got her, and his magic has been all over the place!

I swallowed hard.

Is she draining him?

What can we do about it if she is?

By the time I’d mentally made all the connections, we’d reached Headmistress Blackthorn’s office, and I was certain that Professor Wright was at least partially right about Moonbeam.

Professor Wright ranted about the manducare to the headmistress while the rest of us took seats quietly in front of her desk. She listened to him patiently before turning to us. “Tell me about how you found this creature.”

Aiden and I explained that we’d found the dead mother in the forest after following the blood trail we’d found in Care ofMagical Creatures, and then enlisted Rhiannon’s help in caring for the baby.

Professor Wright’s eyes bugged out of his head. “The mother dying is probably the reason the ley lines are gone! She drew on them so heavily to protect herself and then give birth to the creature that she drained them completely! The ley lines’ magic is inthat!” He pointed at Moonbeam. “We need to kill it to release the magic!”

Headmistress Blackthorn raised her hand to silence him. “That is a huge leap of logic, Professor. We don’t kill innocent animals. Do you have proof?”

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