“You two share an unbreakable bond. Much like Gracie and Merlin,” the cat boss reasoned.
It was true. Even after Merlin sacrificed his magic, I still remained tied to him and his family. Now anyone who saw Drake and the kitten together knew they belonged together.
“Well, at least I know I’ll have a friend where I’m going.”
“What will you name him?” I asked, hating that the kittens were more than a week old and still didn’t have names.
“Hmmm.” Drake thought for a moment, then broke out into a comical smile. “Since he’s a vampire like me, I think I’ll name him after that dude from Twilight.”
I laughed, which only goaded Drake on.
“Yup, Jacob, it is,” he declared.
I didn’t have the heart to tell him that Jacob was the werewolf. He seemed so proud of his namesake.
Merlin reappeared and gave us a solemn nod.“Luna understands. She just wants a promise that we’ll be able to visit him sometimes.”
“Dude!” Drake shouted. “Of course, you can. Come whenever you want. Any time. Seriously, any time.”
“Then we should make haste before mama cat has the chance to change her mind,” Fluffikins said.
Merlin and I returned to the cat family’s nest to say goodbye.
“Bye, Jacob!” I called right before Fluffikins, Drake, and that precious little vampire kitty disappeared in a swirl of mist.
Luna blinked up at me.“Jacob? Since when is that his name?”
“Drake decided just now,” I said, almost like an apology.
She sighed.“Then we should name the others, darling.”
Merlin nodded.“Before we do, I have a request for Gracie.”
“Sure. You can ask me anything. You know that.” I settled onto the floor to bring us closer to eye level.
Merlin curled up on my lap, glancing up at me with huge honey brown eyes.“When I surrendered my magic, I freed you of the familiar contract. It was the only way to save you. But make no mistake, you were the best familiar a witch could ever ask for. I love you, and I’m so grateful that we found each other.”
“I love you, too, Merlin,” I said, admittedly tearing up now.
“Gracie, would you please help me find equally wonderful familiars to serve my children? I know it won’t be easy, but I want them to have the best, just as I have had the b—”
“Merlin,” I interrupted. “Choose me. I love your kittens as if they are my own. And I will serve them as I have served you. We’ll all stay together as a family. That is, if it’s okay with you.”
Merlin and Luna exchanged glowing looks of love.
“We do not deserve you, dear,” she cried. “But I am so happy we have you in our lives, anyway.”
“Yes, Daisy, Rosie, and Honeysuckle are absolutely the luckiest kittens alive,” Merlin said, bending down to lick his wife on the forehead.
Luna beamed up at him.“You mean…?”
“I know it was hard seeing our boy set off so young. We should give the girls the names you picked for them. Besides, they’ve grown on me.”
The cats licked each other again, and I slowly backed out of the room to give the furry family its privacy.
I was part of that family, too, and I would devote myself to those three young ladies as long as I lived.
Sure, it wasn’t the life I had planned for myself, but it’s the one I’d made along the way.
And I was going to love every second of it.
My name is Gracie Springs, and I’m not a witch. But my life is pretty darned magical all the same.