“It’s the least I could do, seeing as I’m the best man,” the cat announced, finally enabling me to identify him.
“You’re Fluffikins.”
His tail twitched behind him but didn’t fully wag. “That’s Mr. Fluffikins to you.”
“You’re the one who fixed the roof after Merlin blasted a hole through it.”
“Right again. Now where can I find our groom to be?”
“They’re in—” I stopped short as an idea occurred to me.
“Say, what have you got planned for Merlin’s bachelor party?”
“Excuse me?” A low growl emitted from his throat, telling me I’d caught him off guard. Well, I’d been caught off guard, too. The least I could do was share the misery.
“His bachelor party?” I said, as if its occurrence had been a given all this time. “I assume as best man, you’re the one who’s planned it.”
But the black cat did not appear to be properly chastened. Darn it.“I thought as his human assistant that was your domain.”
I balked at this, crossing both arms over my chest.“I’m his familiar, not his assistant. Thank you very much.”
Mr. Fluffikins merely shrugged.“I guess I can take care of it, if you haven’t. I’m used to having to put out fires.”
“This is not a fire. Just a last-minute addition,” I reasoned.
“How many bachelors are we expecting for said party?”
“Actually, I think it will be just the two of you. Merlin doesn’t have many friends.” Admitting this aloud made me sad for my poor kitty cat. Was he demanding? Sure, but beneath all that fluff and bluster, he was a genuinely good guy.
Fluffikins considered this.“I thought you were expecting a big turnout.”
“Yeah, but they’re all friends of the bride.”
“Say no more,” he commanded, then trotted around the side of the house. I didn’t know him well enough to trust him, and given our interactions so far, I didn’t much like him, either.
Still, time was running out and my to-do list was only getting longer by the minute. At this point, I’d take whatever help I could get.
3
And then dusk fell, heralding the arrival of our guests from Nocturna via the magical birdbath in our front yard.
I’d always hated that Merlin’s cauldron—his connection to the greater magical world—was in such a visible spot, but he refused to let me move it to the backyard, stating that the otherwise unassuming birdbath might get damaged during transportation.
To his credit, Mr. Fluffikins helped solve one of our bigger logistical problems without even being asked. As soon as he learned what we were planning to do, he erected some kind of barrier that kept non-magic folk from being able to see what was happening in and around our house. That took care of one massive worry. Now I just had to make sure everyone had a place to sleep tonight.
I had some general ideas of where I could put out pillows, blankets, and other nesting materials for the cats, but it was hard to finalize a plan without knowing the exact count of overnight guests I’d be accommodating.
As each cat sprung forth from the birdbath with a blast of glowing green magic, I attempted to keep count.
At least at first.
When the number surpassed twenty-five, I had to divert my attention to keep from pulling my hair out. The original plan had been for no more than twelve cats—a nice round number—but every day the guest list grew by what felt like a mile. Peacekeeper that she was, Luna refused to deny an invite to anyone who wanted one, which made me wonder why we didn’t just hold the ceremony in Nocturna rather than trying to cater to everyone in our small two-bedroom ranch.
I had to admit that Luna did appear to be in her element as she played hostess to her shockingly large friend group. She chirped and trilled and made a number of other cat-bird hybrid noises as a steady flow of friends shuffled over to her and offered their congratulations.
While our yard was filling to the brim with merrymaking felines, Merlin remained on the other side of the portal, helping each new guest cross through.
Mr. Fluffikins spoke to no one, channeling all his energy into making sure his barrier held.
Seeing as everyone else was occupied for the moment, I slipped into the house to prepare dinner for our guests.
Earlier that week, I’d stopped by the party store to purchase a couple packs of small decorative paper plates. Unfortunately, since I couldn’t find a bridal design, I’d had to choose between various cartoon characters, graduation motifs, or baby shower designs. Ultimately, I decided to go with My Little Pony, because the white unicorn with the dark purple mane reminded me a bit of Luna.
I purchased two packs of twenty and hoped it would be enough.
The cats who lived in Nocturna rarely got to indulge in the simple pleasures of cats in our mortal realm. That’s why I’d gone all out with all the best cat food brands. I’d bought the local pet store out of Fancy Feast on more than one occasion. I’d also picked up a few cans each of Sheba, Iams, Friskies, Blue Buffalo, Wellness Complete—even the store’s bargain label. Yes, I was going all out for these cats. And I sure hope they appreciated it!
As soon as I pulled the metal ring to open the first little can, the pet door flapped open, and all the guests came rushing inside to join me in the kitchen.
Wow. As it turned out, cats loved that sound so much, it had somehow worked its way into their DNA. I mean, I was pretty sure that our visitors from Nocturna had never heard the sound of a can opening before, but still they innately knew something good was about to happen.
I spooned a serving of beef pate onto a plate with a pink pony and set it on the ground. A chubby Scottish fold instantly pushed herself to the front of the crowd to claim it for herself.
All the others mewled their excitement as I got to work on the second can—a seafood medley from Sheba. Before I could set the plate down, a cat with a tortoise shell coat used four sets of very sharp claws to climb up my side and settle herself on my shoulder. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from crying out in pain.
“That’s for me,” the torty announced matter-of-factly.
And so it went, until all the cats had been served—some even tricked me into giving them seconds, but I just played along rather than make a big deal of it. Yes, I’d have to take another trip to the store to make sure I had enough for the morning, but for now at least everyone was happy.
Once their bellies were properly full, some of the cats wandered back outside while others explored the house. Others sat around the house grooming themselves post-meal.
I, however, didn’t have any time to rest. Instead, I grabbed a trash bag and began picking up the used pony plates. Once I had a full bag, I headed outside to toss it. That was when I overheard a conversation between Luna and a few of the cats from Nocturna—one that they definitely wouldn’t have wanted me tohear.
“All I’m saying,” a posh voice floated into the night air. “Is you could have done much better.”
“Everyone thinks so,” another voice chimed in.
“She’s right, dear. Why settle for Merlin? There are so many other cats to choose from. What about Tom?”
“I love Merlin.” Luna’s voice came out strong and sure. “And I’m very happy to be starting a family with him.”
“Starting a family? No, dear. You’re just going through the motions of some odd human ritual. You can still change your mind.”
“Actually, we’re expecting kittens,” Luna announced proudly, which made me smile to myself.
The other cats gasped in a chorus.“Oh, you poor thing. First you gave up your magic for that stray, and now the rest of your life?”
“Well…” Luna began but paused when her voice cracked.
Oh, no. This was not okay. They could not upset Luna on her wedding eve, nor could they talk bad about my Merlin. I simply wouldn’t allow it in my presence.