“Meooow!”
“Fuck!”
Just Sookie. That gods damned cat.
With a sigh, I bent down to scratch her chin. “Hi there, you strange cat. Where is your mom?”
Sookie let out a trill, bumping her head against my hand.
“She’s not here, is she? Is she at Kizzi’s?”
The cat stepped back and looked at me blankly, her eyes trying to tell me something that I couldn’t decipher.
“Okay… Not Kizzi’s, I’m assuming. Is she in her cottage? Sleeping, maybe?”
The cat continued to stare at me, her tail swishing behind her. Somehow her gaze felt… condescending.
I stopped to consider that I was having a conversation with a cat, and that perhaps I had finally lost my mind. The critter had such intelligence in her gaze that it was easy to forget that she wasn’t another folk.
I tried one last time. “Can you show me where she is?”
At this, Sookie turned and took off running. Ignoring the strangeness of the situation, I followed. I only made it a few paces before I lost sight of the critter around the corner.Gods, that little lady is quick. Impossibly, she was much faster than my vampire speed.
The cat had disappeared like a wraith, leaving me in the midst of the town square with more questions than answers. I let out a deep sigh, the air coming all the way from my toes.
Feeling a little foolish and discouraged, I decided to freshen up at my rental cottage before continuing my search. I discreetly sniffed at my collar. A bath certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Perhaps Fiella was with Kizzi somewhere or taking a meal break. I was sure I would find her soon enough.
I owed a visit to Mayor Tommins as well. My long day just became even longer. It seemed I owed everyone in this town an apology or two.
CHAPTER 37
Fiella
Ifelt as light as air when I woke up the next morning in my own bed, the dark cloud unable to settle over me.
I had finally figured out who had destroyed my shop, and while that didn’t undo any of the damage or erase any of the lingering pain I still felt, it did make me feel more settled. At peace with the situation.
The mayor of Willowvalley had been thrilled when Kizzi and I dropped Josten off at his dungeon. Apparently, he had received many reports about various magical mishaps, but he didn’t have enough proof from the local townsfolk.
We provided enough evidence to have Josten locked up for alongtime, and for his sorcery magic to be stripped. Good riddance.
The distraction had been enough to pull my thoughts away from Redd. At least temporarily.
The handsome vampire always crawled back into my mind, no matter how hard I tried to keep him out of it.
As I swept the seemingly endless dust into the corner of my shop, I considered the vast empty shelves that now lined the walls. While most of the wreckage and damage had beenrepaired, and my new shelving was beautiful, it looked sparse without my beloved collection of knick knacks.
I had brought home a few pieces from Willowvalley–a few sets of teacups and goblets, a painted vase, and a lovely lamp–but it wasn’t nearly enough. Not even close.
The measly supply I had would only make me a handful of silvers in sales. It wouldn’t even come close to covering the debt I had accrued for the supplies to fix my shop.
I needed to travel. I needed to restock. And I needed to do it soon.
The day crawled by at a snail’s pace. The shop felt empty. Cold even though a fire was crackling in the newly installed hearth.
I was working in the unfinished loft, having climbed the half-built stairs more like a ladder. The new daybed I had just hauled up looked lonely without any storage crates surrounding it.
