Page 94 of Starry with a Chance of Nightshade

“Stop. He’s nice,” I said. “And I like him.”

Torid burped in my face, and it smelled like a mix of trash and creature.

“Eww, that was rank,” I said, waving a hand before my face.

He did a very dramatic full-body shake before plopping on his backside, lifting a hind leg, and scratching his floppy ear. I couldn’t help but laugh. He glanced around. I saw recognition dawn on his face as he realized we were on the campus grounds. Instantly, he zeroed in on one of the many gargoyle statues around us.

Taking hold of the broom handle, I stood and glanced around for the statue I’d been positive had come to life and showed up to help my friends and me years ago. The spot the statue had been in years prior was now a fountain. A different stone gargoyle statue was there, with water feeding up and through it, coming out of its mouth.

Torid frowned, and I had to wonder if he was upset that he couldn’t pee on the other one again. Before I could ask, he was darting off with a new gargoyle statue as his urination destination.

I could only hope that statue wasn’t more than it appeared to be, or my poor goblin would be on another shit list. Taking a deep breath, I used the moment to look around more, trying to ignore the ache in my chest from thinking about my roommates and friends.

My thoughts went to the professors who had come to our aid. Now that I was back in Grimm Cove, I could pay the university library a visit and look through their records. The burning need to find out what had happened to them was great. I had to see if they’d made it out alive and if they were all right. And I needed to thank them.

My hand went to my lips as I thought about kissing Shaggy Professor. It was a kiss I’d thought of often over the years. Oddly, the kiss reminded me a lot of kissing Stratton. Kind of like how looking at Stratton made me think of Shaggy Professor.

Torid ran back toward me and drew up short. He sniffed the air.Ra-ats!

My nose curled. “Eww, gross. I know you’re still hungry, but your leg is hurt.”

I’s fine, he said with a butt wiggle.

I wasn’t sure I agreed but arguing with him would get me nowhere fast. “Torid, I don’t know where the monsters went. They could attack you again.”

Can I eats them?

“You most certainly can,” I responded.

He wagged his tail more.

I gave in. “Okay, you can hunt for rats for ten minutes. That’s it. And you have to stay on campus grounds. Then we need to clean your leg and find Stratton, got it?”

He sat, clearly losing his interest in hunting for rats.

“Are you pouting because I want to find Stratton?”

He nodded.

“You make dating hard,” I said with a grunt.

No like him,he said.

“You don’t say,” I returned. “Go eat your fill of rats. You have ten minutes. Then I’m going to find Stratton without you and your leg might get infected and fall off.”

He huffed, clearly knowing I was bluffing. He came for me quickly, licked my hand and then took off.

I took the moment to tuck my chain into my shirt again. I patted it, feeling the ring through my shirt. Thoughts of its original owner filling my head. At least what I could recall of him. What I could remember was that he was from the Nightshade Clan, and he’d been kind to me.

Like my uncle Drest. I had little memory of him as well.

By the time I was in my early teens, my uncle’s face had faded from my memory, as had the man who had come with him. I’d never wanted to ask Rachael about my uncle or his friend because whatever had happened between them that night left her crying alone in her room after she thought Demi and I were in bed sleeping.

I missed Rachael and Demi so much and lived every day hoping and praying they were alive and well. That my choice to cut ties with them had kept them safe from my father’s monsters and from the demons that seemed to appear with the creatures.

Before I could fall too far down memory lane, I heard a scraping noise coming from behind the history building. I gripped the broom handle tighter and hurried in that direction. I rushed around the back of the history building and nearly walked right into Cadee, of all people. Not a monster.

Her head was turned as she walked fast, coming just shy of running.

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