But they hadn’t. The mark stood proud against his skin, covering the left side of his chest. Fennec foxes were tiny, with oversized ears.Barelythe size of a small cat. This couldn’t be happening. His chest heaved.
His gaze snapped to Alice. She stared at his chest, but her face gave nothing away.
“What do I do?” he rasped. How would his father react?Not fucking well.
“The gods send thefamiliaryou need, not the one you want,” she said gently. “They bonded you to that little thing for a reason.”
Little thing.The gods had never done him any favors before, and they wouldn’t start now.
Except Clover. Her emotions had soothed him in his darkest times. Sometimes he wondered if she sensed when he wasslipping into the darkness and did what she could to bring him back. He didn’t know how; thought of happy memories maybe?
“It’s going to be okay,” Alice tried again. “Your father can’t blame you for the gods’ decision.”
Amos let out a humorless laugh. “Yes, he can.”
A few days later, Amos was out riding to clear his head, when something in his head stopped him.“Will you stop already? My legs don’t move that fast.”It wasn’t so much a voice as it was a sense of knowing someone’s thoughts. He couldn’t explain it.
Amos jerked, spooking his horse, and pulled the mare to a stop.What the hell was that?he thought, bewildered.
“I’m yourfamiliar, and I’ve been chasing you for the last thirty minutes,”the voice panted.
Amos’s eyes widened and he twisted in the saddle to peer behind him.“I don’t see you.”
Dismounting, he walked around his horse and placed his hand on her flank to let her know everything was fine.
“I see you.”
Amos squinted, noticing a tiny speck moving toward him in the distance. He’d thought about this moment a million times since receiving his mark, but nothing prepared him for the moment he saw the tiny fox sprinting toward him. The fox’s ears were comically large compared to his small body. Dust coated his light fawn fur as he ran, and when he skidded to a stop at Amos’ feet, he panted hard.
Amos begrudgingly admitted the fox was cute.“Can I pick you up?”
The fox yipped.“Please. I’m tired.”
Scooping up the little beast, Amos held him close.“You’re not a dragon.”
The fennec fox cocked its head.“I see your education has paid off.”
Amos scowled.“You don’t have to be a dick. I expected a dragon.”
“Why? Royals don’t know what theirfamiliaris until their mark appears. Afamiliardoesn’t know anything until the bond forms. Then we change from a regular animal into afamiliar.”He stopped.“It’s nice. We get unlimited knowledge.”
Amos’ brows rose.“Really? Like what?”
“Do you know what unlimited means? It means it’s too much to just spout off. If you ask me a specific question, I can give you an answer. Like letting you know you can speak to me out loud if I’m within hearing distance. You won’t have to get that glazed over look.”
“Okay, then why aren’t you a dragon?” Amos grumbled aloud. “Hey!”
The little beast bit his arm.“You’re starting to hurt my feelings.”
“Sorry, but I’m the first Desert heir to not have a dragon.” He blew out an exhausted breath. “I don’t know what my father will do to me.”
“The gods send you what you need. There’s a reason it’s me.”He rested his head on Amos’ arm.
“So I’ve heard,” Amos muttered.
“What did you mean about your father?”the fox looked up at him again.
Amos ignored his question and moved the fox to one arm so he could grab his horse’s reins with the other. He led them to a nearby brush and sat on the ground near a tall plant for a little shade.
