“I beg your pardon?”
“You said you’d do whatever I want, right? Then no more of the bowing.”
Indigo tilted her head. “Nobowing?”
“It makes me feel awkward, and I haven’t done anything to deserve it.” I hesitated, then added, “Besides—friends don’t bow to one another.” I held out my hand.
Indigo hesitated, then took my hand in her bone-crushing grasp and shook it with a firmness I envied. “Friends, then.”
“Thank you, Indigo. I really value your offer—what is it?”
Indigo had gone white as snow, and was staring at something behind me.
I swung around, and my heart dropped, flopped off my stomach, and skidded its way down to my left foot.
Standing at the edge of the courtyard, close to the night mares, were two different creatures.
One was wolf-like in form—except its head would hit me about at my waist, and it was covered in black fur that was somehow simultaneously wet-looking, and blurry, as if the creature couldn’t come into focus. The creepiness of its form was only increased by its burning crimson eyes and its massiveteeth.
The other animal was a giant cat. Like, we’re talking mountain-lion size. It looked really unhealthy because it was panting, and its red and gray fur was patchy, letting me see the gaunt lines of its body because it was just as skinny as a night mare. It also had yellow eyes—chances were both of these creatures were something Night Court exclusive, goodie—and teeth large enough to make my throat ache. Its enormous paws were accented with massive claws—which were spattered with red.
“What are those?” I whispered as Indigo and I slowly backed up.
“The wolf-like one is a shade. The cat is called a gloom.” Indigo jumped on top of the bench she’d been sitting on earlier. I scrambled to do the same—not like I thought the extra height was going to make much of a difference.
Both the gloom and the shade could pounce on us with those teeth and claws before we even started screaming.
“They’re creatures from the Night Court?”
“Yes. That’s why they have this appearance.”
My skin broke out in goosebumps as the gloom screamed—for real, it sounded like an injured goblin.
Shadows moved, and several more of the shades and glooms stalked out from behind the night mares.
I peered behind us, and was grateful for the dead hedge at our backs.
“Why areyouscared?” Indigo hissed—apparently with this newfound loyalty her good manners were coming off, too. “You have natural magic to connect with animals!”
“Maybe, but I don’t make it a habit to try communing with animals that couldkill me!”
“What are you talking about? You hang over the night mares like they’re sweet ponies!”
“Because theyaresweet ponies—they’re coming this way!”
One of the glooms and one of the shades sauntered closer to us, crossing the courtyard, and stopping at the halfway point.
Several long moments passed, and my heart beat so rapidly I could hear my blood flow in my ears.
Eclipse, the leader of my little night mare herd, also crossed the courtyard, stopping next to the monstrous creatures.
She doesn’t seem alarmed by them, and I’m confident enough in her love for me that I’d say she doesn’t want to see me hurt. Maybe…they won’t hurt me.
Cautiously, I stepped off the bench.
“Are you really going to risk it?” Indigo asked. “Shades and glooms can—and have—killed! At least the night mares are somewhat domesticated—but the shades and glooms haven’t been in the Court for over a century!”
“I trust Eclipse,” I said.
