Don’t go home. Come to Tod’s Table and find me immediately. Paisley’s here.
Trying not to panic, Sage put her purse on her shoulder and shoved her feet into her shoes. She grabbed her jacket and rushed down the hall, reading more messages as she went.
Her cousin Flora:We’re all at Tod’s Table. Come to the Tod’s Table.
Her cousin Dex:Sage, I’m coming to get you. Don’t leave by yourself. Something’s happened, but everyone’s ok.
Sage pushed open the door, running now. She took a right and ran down the sterile hallway, heading for the front of the facility. The place was dark and quiet, and her footfalls echoed. She reached the front door and pushed it open. In the parking lot was her car, parked where she’d left it, and five other vehicles, facing away from her toward the exit, all with their engines idling. She recognized the middle truck, her cousin Dex’s black Ford Bronco Raptor, which he often bragged was as fast as a sports car, but could drive straight up a cliff, and even Khain couldn’t catch it.
“Sage!” someone called from her left.
It was her cousin Dex coming from around the side of the building, his face tense. Dex was Sage’s age, strong, cocky, and sure of himself, and unlike Sage, he had arenqua, hedidn’thave a Tether, he could shift, and he could go dim. He jogged over to her, gave her a quick, one-armed hug, and steered her toward his truck.
“Get in with me,” he said. “Give me your keys. I’ll have someone drive your car to Tod’s.”
Sage did as she was told, clutching her purse to her chest, not knowing what had happened, but knowing it had been bad, and her life was forever changed.
22—Tod’s Table
The drive from treatment to Tod's table normally took ten minutes, but Dex did it in four, leaving Sage holding onto the ‘oh-shit’ handle above her head and too scared to ask questions. Dex offered no explanation and kept his eyes on the road.
The road curved around ‘the hole,’ which was a deep, two-mile long cave with a mostly-collapsed ceiling. It was also Nana White’s own personal pet habitat. Dex drove straight to the check-in cabin at the Morning Wood Inn, then past it, through guest cabins to a back road, to the section where the family lived, straight to Tod's Table, a family restaurant that catered tofoxen.
The parking lot was packed with cars. Dex slowed, driving down the side of the long building and past car after car, then stopped abruptly at the front door. Sage opened the door and jumped down, purse forgotten. She ran up the wheelchair ramp at a full sprint, grabbed the door handle and ripped open the door.
The ever-present scent of rabbit stew and dandelion wine leaked out at her, as did the sounds of many people talking. Mina was right there in the foyer, waiting for Sage, her expression full of pain. She had Paisley limp in her arms—sleeping? Paisley was wearing Scooby-doo pajamas, and her head was on Mina’s shoulder, her long brown hair glowing and flowing neatly down her back like it had just been brushed.
Panic gripped Sage, making her throat tight. She rushed forward, touching her daughter, who was warm and pliant and seemed healthy. Paisley’s eyes were closed, and her cheeks were red. Sage peeled Paisley off Mina and hugged her tight.Paisley was alive. Alive and unhurt.
Paisley perked up and opened her eyes. “Mama,” she said, hugging her, her voice sleepy.
Sage hugged back and let the tears flow. “What happened, baby?”
“ThevodvodCrew Arcoal woke me up mama. He's really nice,” Paisley said. She put her head on Sage’s shoulder.
Sage hugged her daughter tight, whispering, “Vodvod? Woke you up?”
She buried her face in Paisley’s hair and scented deeply, sorting through scents, cursing her weak half-human nose, until she thought she scented something awful.The Pravus?
Sage lifted her head and searched Mina’s eyes. Mina inclined her head, her eyes worried, and mouthed one word.“Khain.”
Sage had never wished to be able to speakruhimore in her life than she did at that moment.Khain what?She wanted to scream.Khain what?But she didn’t want to scare Paisley. She covered Paisley’s ears and leaned close to Mina, noticing that everyone had stopped talking and was looking at them.
“What happened?” Sage whispered.
“Khain... took her,” Mina whispered back.
Sage’s head rocked back like she’d been physically punched in the face. “Took her where?”
Frannie came from a booth and grabbed Sage’s free hand. “I called thevod,” she said. “Nana didn’t want me to; she’s mad at me.”
Sage’s brain overheated, weakening her. Frannie and Mina helped her to the closest booth and family surrounded them. Sage sat sideways at the end of the booth seat, holding Paisley, thinking,Deardeae, was this really happening? Did the demon really have his filthy monster hands on Paisley? Please. It’s a lie.Tell me it’s not true. Please.
She held Paisley to arm’s length. “Let me look at you”, she whispered fiercely. “Did he touch you? What did he do?”
Paisley shook her head. Sage yanked Paisley’s pajamas open at the neck, terrified she would see the mark of the demon on her chest, but no, it was unmarked. Sage sagged with relief and pulled her daughter close again.
“I sleepy, Mama,” Paisley said. Her eyes closed and her head drooped.
