Harry flew into the room a few seconds later, brandishing a frying pan. “I’m here, Miss Roberts, to defend your honor.”I dropped my head to my chest and sighed. Wait. That was an actual frying pan, not a ghostly one. What in the fresh hell was happening?
Sebastian arched a brow from his position on the sofa. “Do you all see the flying frying pan?” he checked.
Why was no one scared of me?
“Yes, it’s Harry’s,” Aunt Liz replied.
Sebastian nodded like it was normal, just as Harry moved the frying pan in a swooping motion, like he was trying to spank my invisible foe with a kitchen utensil.
“Would a knife not have been more prudent?” Rebecca asked.
Stop trying to help me.
Harry frowned. “Knives are very dangerous, Miss Lexington. You know how many people end up in the emergency room with accidental stabbings? I didn’t want to risk hurting myself.”
Oh, the irony of a dead vampire worrying a real knife was going to add to the real-life emergency room statistics.
I glared at Bella before spinning on my heel and marching through the gang of supernaturals to my kitchen. It seemed my cat would remain an enigma.
Rebecca, Maggie, and Aunt Liz filed in after me as I grabbed the salad items from the refrigerator. I needed something to occupy my mind while we waited for Aunt Dayna to get back. She had a contact within the sect and was trying to arrange a meeting. Apparently, turning up unannounced and uninvited to a death cult wasn’t wise.
I aggressively chopped the lettuce, peppers, and tomatoes before tossing them into a glass bowl. Could I persuade Aunt Liz to make her broccoli and cheese quiche to go with the salad? I paused, my eyes scanning the counter. What was I missing? Oh, right. Cucumber.
After dragging the wrapper off it, I ran it under the faucet and picked up the knife. My mouth opened to enquire about the quiche when powerful hands gripped my shoulders, and a deep voice shouted, “Boo!”
I squealed and spun around, brandishing the cucumber in one hand and the knife in another. The cucumber smacked Hudson’s chest and flung out of my hand onto the floor.
“What are you doing?” I growled.
He grinned. “Demonstrating how one sneaks up on a cat.”
“That menace is no cat.”
Said cat strolled around the corner, took one look at the cucumber, and exploded into the huge demon version of herself I’ve seen exactly once before. She was about the size of a lion, with silver eyes, curved ears, and wickedly sharp teeth.
“Oh my god,” I muttered. “Are you seeing this?” Given everyone was staring at the terrifying feline, I assumed they could.
“What is she?” Aunt Liz asked.
“Complicated,” I muttered, lowering myself into a crouch. Bella snarled at the cucumber. I reached out and plucked it from the floor to hand to Hudson. She plonked her ass down just as Harry floated into the room. She hissed at him, and he raised the frying pan, brandishing it over his head. Rebecca reached over and grasped the handle, just as the boundary wards sounded. Company, just what this situation needed.
“I’ll just hold on to this,” she said. Harry smiled at her and released his weapon. Another poor man who was under her spell. Dead or alive, they didn’t stand a chance.
I inched forward, and Bella’s wary gaze seemed to bore into my soul as she watched my approach. The sound of the front door opening reached us, and Bella swiveled her head at an impossible angle, letting out a low growl before racing toward the door. Hopefully, that wasn’t a random guest, because beinggreeted by a demon cat wasn’t in the Summer Grove ethos. We at least waited until they’d booked and paid before releasing the weird.
Dayna strode in just as Bella dived around her legs and disappeared outside. Ugh, I wanted to figure out what she was. Was that too much to ask?
Dayna blinked. “Should I leave the door open?”
“No, she’ll come back when she’s ready,” Hudson answered from behind me.
I sighed. I guess the mystery would persist a little longer.
Dayna pointed at the present my father had left, diverting my attention from furry mysteries. “Are you going to open that?”
I eyeballed the box with a frown. What did Daddy Darling gift his only daughter? He was a little late for driving lessons and my first car.
Dayna huffed. “If you don’t, I will.” My aunt wasn’t good with secrets or surprises.
