Page 98 of Total Eclipse of the Moon
The terrace’s rocking chair lulled her with its motion as she watched the horizon for hours after sunset. She’d try again for a familiar when she visited Cora where the ley lines were stronger.
With a sigh, she rose to go inside. She could pack, although its finality hurt and left her with a sense of failure. There was nothing left for her here.
A ringing started inside her ears. A sensation close to anticipation vibrated through her. She turned, expecting an animal on the ground, but there was nothing. A dot on the horizon, in the air highlighted by the sunset. Something shimmery. And flying?
She blinked, dead sure her eyes deceived her. A dragon? But not just any dragon. Based on its shape, it was Asian. This had to be dragon business, which, although not unpleasant, still ranked as a letdown when all she wanted was one friend.
It glided through the air to land gracefully in front of her. Its body was the size of three cars. Maybe this beast needed healing. She prepared herself for an initial meet and greet.
When it got closer, she stumbled backward until her palm hit the side of the stone of the building for support. She squeezed her eyes shut and then open again. The purple shimmery visage remained.
Impossible.
"Baku?" she managed to rasp out.
He bowed.
"But you’re…dead. You died to clear the curse, right?"
"Dead?" It rocked its head back and forth. "Turns out when you give your life of your own free will it buys you a pass out of the afterworld—or so I was told." He tilted his head to speak out of the corner of his mouth. "Honestly, I think the other demons wanted me out. I annoyed the shit out of them with pop music until they kicked me off the island. Turns out I’m not the only one who dislikes it. There are restrictions on me being out here, though. No more nightmare eater. That power truly stayed with Shane. I am to be bound to you. By choice."
"Are you sure you wish to be limited by becoming my familiar?"
He lifted a clawed foot and placed it a feather touch against her stomach. "It will be my absolute honor to protect you and your daughter for all the days of my existence. I already saw her, you know."
"You did?" She blinked rapidly to clear the bleariness from her eyes. She stared down at her stomach. "Am I…I can’t be. Am I pregnant?"
"Not yet. If you can convince that stubborn lycan to stick with you, she’ll be beautiful, Madeline. So beautiful."
"I bet she’ll adore you with her whole heart." She jumped forward and wrapped her arms around the gigantic neck of the demon. Her arm span didn’t come close to reaching his neck’s circumference. He enclosed her in his embrace. "It’s good to see you in reality and not in Shane’s head."
"I’m hard to resist. I know."
"I’m honored to have you as my familiar. But…" She stepped back. "How are you going to be incognito when you look like that? You’re larger than two elephants. It’s not like I can walk through the streets with you tromping behind me."
"First, I don’ttromp.Second…"Poof.He turned into a black dog.Poof.He turned into a cockatiel.Poof.He became a cat. "I don’t do small reptiles. They’re disgusting."
"Please, don’t be the dog. The bird perhaps occasionally. I much prefer the cat." She picked up him as a black shorthaired cat with slightly purple stripes in its coat.
The cat spoke. "You must listen to my advice. That’s the part I like about being a familiar."
"You can give advice, but that doesn’t mean I have to go with your counsel. Can you eat magical relics like Aldri could?"
"Of course."
She clapped her hands together. "Then maybe I can be useful to this team of God-chosen warriors when they go after magicals gone mad. Or…" She trailed off. "Maybe not. I think my time with them is done."
"What do you mean? With my know-how and strength, and your magic, we are unstoppable. They should beg us to help them."
"I don’t know about that. I’m happy you got a second chance. But when Shane woke up, he acted like he didn't recognize me and then was scared of me."
"Inconceivable. Unless he has amnesia."
Her heart flipped inside her chest. "I’m not sure I could handle being forgotten so easily. If he did forget me, then more reason it’s for the better that I leave."
"I guess if that’s what you really want. Answer me one thing, though," Baku said.
"What?"
