“All right, I think I’m sensing your energy. A little unbalanced, unsure, but seeking.” He scanned the room, and a smile lifted on his face. “Let’s head to the cat towers.”
“I like cats.”
Those words were nearly my last. To say the cats and I didn’t get a long was an understatement, and I have the scratches to prove it. I’m pretty sure I’d even heard one of the feisty felines call me a bitch.
Tarrin pulled me out of the cat area, panting like he’d ran for miles. “No worries, Temperance. We’ll find a magical fit.”
I wasn’t going to let the first try get me down. Tarrin led me around the tent, and lots of creatures, both familiar and foreign, connected their gazes with mine. But I didn’tfeelanything, and I didn’t hear any of them saying, “Oooh, pick me.” The inner child in me squealed, though, when she saw a cute pig grunting around and gasped when a wolf sniffed my leg as it walked by.
Still, as cute and magnificent as they were, I got nothing from either one of them. Not even a hissed insult like in the cat area.
I waved to Remy as we passed her sitting near an aviary with a different Tarrin handing her a shimmering gray owl. It hopped onto her covered arm and wiggled its head against her chest. Her mouth moved as she spoke to it. Part of me thought that Remy would connect with a lion or a dragon if they existed. Something fierce and scary, but I think that owl fit her more. Quiet, intentional, and smart. I’ve also seen owls snatch creatures and bite off their heads sitting on a nearby branch. So, I guess the scary still fit.
We walked further to the back of the tent to a long rectangular table with various lights shining over open egg cartons.
“What’s this?” I asked while scanning over the various colors and sizes of the eggs. Some had scales, some looked soft, and others changed colors.
“Our future creatures. Sometimes the creature feels its witch nearby even at this stage. Do you feel anything?”
Originally, I’d been curious. But as I stared at the eggs, that feeling I got when Rylan was around buzzed beneath my skin. It slithered around, weaving through my blood, and bones, warming me like a cozy fire.
I turned around, expecting to see the billionaire, but he wasn’t there. Perhaps this feeling was for one of these creatures.
“Maybe.” I stepped closer and reached my hand out, palms down like I did inside the wand tent.
Tarrin nodded while I slowly walked along the table with my hand hovering over the eggs. “If you connect with an egg, then we get you all set up to take care of it until it hatches. Most of these are due any day now.”
As if my hand were a magnet, it paused over a carton with eight eggs nestled inside. Two green grapefruit sized eggs towered over the smaller apple and golf ball-sized ones with different colors.
Tarrin stayed near me, watching as I moved my hand over each to feel where that pull came from.
“Oh.” I gasped as the slithering inside me magnified. The egg beneath my palm suddenly changed colors.
Tarrin clapped with glee. “Oh, it’s matching your outfit, how cute. I’d say we have a winner.” He waited for me to confirm, and I stared as the egg changed from matching my blue jeans, gray shirt, and tan sweater to a pink heart.
“Yes, it’s a match.” I wanted to scoop up the little golf ball-sized egg and give it a smooch. Love for this unknown creatureblossomed inside my chest so intensely, I assumed my heart would pop.
“Perfect, I’ll get you the supplies. You can hold it under the light, if you’re comfortable.” Tarrin gave me a thumbs up and moved around the table to grab a lamp and other items I’d need to keep the egg warm.
“Hi there,” I cooed while scooping the egg up into my palms.
The soft egg warmed in my hand, and the colors began to shift so fast that I panicked.
“Tarrin!”
“I guess you won’t be needing the hatching supplies after all.” Tarrin smiled and set the box of supplies down.
“What do you mean?” The egg wiggled in my palms.
Tarrin leaned down, his smile and voice softening as he watched the egg move around then stop. “It means your new friend is ready to say hello.”
Seconds later a little seam in the soft barrier broke. It was happening so fast. I was getting a…
Snake…
And not one I remembered from any science book or zoo exhibit.
“They are like the hognose snakes of your realm, but with magical flare,” Tarrin told me while a little upturned pointed-nose snake head popped out of the hole in the egg.
