“Well, I should probably—“
“Hold that thought!” Kelley interrupted, fishing her phone out of her apron. I hadn’t heard it chime, but that wasn’t exactly surprising since she tended to keep it on silent mode.
“Oh, hey, it’s Drake!” she announced with a giddy grin, but as she read on her face rearranged itself into a frown. “He says he’s going to be out of town for a few days and wanted to know if I could find someone to cover his shifts.”
Kelley lowered the phone but continued to stare blankly where it had been.“We’re supposed to go on a date tonight, but apparently he’s already left. He didn’t even say why.”
“Maybe he’s planning a surprise for you,” I said, forcing a fresh wave of enthusiasm. Of course, I knew the truth about Drake’s sudden disappearance. If I saw him before she did, I’d have to tell him to do something special for Kelley or to risk losing her as his girlfriend. Then again, if he was truly a vampire, maybe she was better off without him.
“Or he’s cheating,” Kelley said with a groan.
“No! He would never!” I reached over the counter and squeezed my friend’s arm reassuringly.
“You did say he was acting weird lately. Do you know something I don’t?” She raised an eyebrow my way.
“No, no, no. No way! I didn’t mean that at all. Drake is crazy about you. Don’t doubt that for a second. Anyway, I got to go.”
And I rushed out of there as fast as I could without actually breaking into a run. Definitely not my finest moment.
12
After leaving the coffee shop, I drove around town for about an hour trying to gather my thoughts. During the relatively peaceful past few weeks, I’d begun to fantasize about getting back to a normal life. I’d actually thought that dangerwouldn’t be waiting around every corner, that Iwouldn’t have to strain so hard to keep my cat’s magical world a secret.
Oh, how very wrong I’d been.
The more I thought, the more I despaired the current state of my life. I mean, what was the point in even finishing my master’s degree at this point? It’s not like I’d ever be able to get a normal job, not so long as I had my responsibilities as a familiar.
I’d once flirted with the idea of going even deeper into my education to land a doctorate. I loved school and would have enjoyed being a professor. But how could I ever truly make myself available to my students and colleagues if the enormity of my cat’s secret always came first?
At least now I had an understanding boss at the coffee shop. I still couldn’t summon the time or the passion needed to finish off my half-done thesis. What made me think I could take things to the next level with a doctoral dissertation? Or add classes on top of my current off-balance load?
Then there was the glaringly painful fact that I’d obviously never be able to fall in love, get married, have kids—all the things I didn’t want now but knew I’d desire one day.
My cat and his magical needs always had to come first. Which meant I always had to come last.
I loved Merlin and Luna and knew I’d be crazy for their kittens, but what would happen if I ever wanted more?
Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have been so fixated on the future, seeing as I didn’t know whether we’d survive our current predicament—or the next one, or the one after that.
I was definitely getting ahead of myself, but I also couldn’t help it.
It wasn’t just me, though. I worried about Drake, too. A part of me had broken seeing him crumble to the floor like that.
I’d always viewed him as the ultimate chill guy, but even he had his limits. What would life be like for him now that he knew what he was?
I guess I should have been grateful that my problem was so small compared to his. Not only had Drake become a creature of the night, but he was all on his own. My magical servitude came with a whole family who loved me dearly, who had my back, no matter what.
It was with this one final thought in my head that I returned home, only to find one very angry kitty waiting at the kitchen table.“Oh, look who finally decided to show herself!” Merlin yowled. “Our water bowl has been empty for hours!”
“I was only gone an hour and a half,” I said, shaking my head and forcing myself to take slow, deep breaths so I wouldn’t lose my cool.
“Likely story!” Merlin shouted back at me.
I bit my lip as I reached down to grab the cat’s stainless steel water dish. I also reminded myself of the resolve I’d had in the car—this was my life, and these cats were my family. I loved them, even when they were working my last nerve. Still, I’d given up the chance to become a respected academic to work as the servant to one very spoiled kitty, regardless of the fact that he was also magical.
I finished filling the dish and set it on the table beside Merlin.
He took one hesitant drink, then sneezed and whispered,“It’s not the right temperature. What are you doing to me here, Gracie?” proving that no matter how magical our world became, at the end of the day, Merlin was still an average, everyday cat, too.
“My apologies, your highness,” I said with a mocking curtsy.
Merlin flicked his tail and narrowed his eyes at me for a moment before finally relenting with a sigh.“Fine, I’m sorry I’m being so rough on you. I’m having a hard time today, but I shouldn’t be taking it out on you.”
Wow, an actual apology. This would go down in history as one of my favorite days ever, despite the multiple attempts on my life via various undead creatures.
“Because of the zombies, you mean?” I asked tenderly as I picked up his bowl and carried it over to the sink. If he could apologize, then I could try a little harder to meet his needs, too.
“What?” Merlin stared across the room at a sunbeam he probably wished he was lying in rather than sitting here talking to me. “The zombies? Oh, no. I mean, sure they’re a problem, but what really worries me is my Luna.”
I set the bowl back down, and he came over to investigate. When Merlin decided the water was at the right temperature for consumption, he leaned forward and lapped it up heartily.
“I know you’re only looking out for Luna,” I said gently. Yes, I’d already made my opinion known on this matter, but it still weighed heavily on my cat’s mind. I also felt like I needed to stick up for Luna here. Girl power and all that.
“Please don’t tell me I need to apologize,” Merlin mumbled, lifting his head momentarily.
“Well, that wouldn’t be the worst idea.”
“I already tried, but she wouldn’t accept it.”
Well, that was a shocker.“Are you sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure,” Merlin snapped, then had the good sense to look ashamed for losing his temper. “Sorry, sorry. I know it’s not your fault, but I’m not making any of this up. When I tried to apologize, Luna said she was too tired to argue anymore and asked if we could discuss it later.”
“Oh,” I said, not knowing what else I could offer. “Well, I’m sure everything will be fine. She probably just wants to deal with one thing at a time, and the zombies should definitely take precedence.”
“Mmm-hmm,” Merlin said, turning back to his water.
Yikes. I really hoped these two made up before the kittens arrived.
13
When at last night fell, the two cats and I marched out to the yard and straight over to Merlin’s cauldron, aka the unassuming stone bird bath that served as his tie to all things magical, including the city of Nocturna.
We had to wait for a couple odd cars to drive past, but as soon as the coast was clear, we hightailed it to the cauldron. Merlin jumped up and splashed at the water, then motioned for me to jump on through.
This was only the second time I’d traveled via cauldron. My heart beat wildly as I plunged into the tiny opening to the next realm, but at least I managed to land on my feet. The cats joined me a few seconds later, and together we surveyed the bustling cobblestone streets of the old city. The buildings mimicked the Bavarian style and were made to accommodate cats rather than people. This gave everything an adorable fairytale quality, and I found it quite enchanting.