"I'm going to havesomuch fun with this!"
Rei clambered back onto the bed and wrapped her tiny arms around me, giving me a hug. She pressed a wet-nosed kiss on my cheek, then climbed off and raced out of the room.
"Don't leave the Sanctuary!" I called after her, but she didn't reply.
A few moments later, there was a knock on my door, and I poked my head out to find Touya standing there with a peeved look on his face.
"Did—did I just see araccoonrace out of your room?"
Seventeen
Keoni
I was sitting againsta tree with a book in my hand—now that I could 'use' my back legs, I could finally sit whenever I wanted, and I loved it—when I spotted the raccoon sneaking through the bushes.
I bit back a smile as I watched Rei shuffle quietly over to Haruto, who was sitting under another tree, reading a comic book.
Rei stood just behind him, then peered over his shoulder. I didn't know if she could read, but she was sure acting like it.
Haruto's gaze moved over the page, but he must've seen something from the corner of his eye because he turned his head, then scrambled away in shock.
"What the fuck?" he exclaimed, and my eyes widened. I'd never heard Haruto be so loud.
Silas, Zamir, and Nolan came running from different directions, looking ready for a fight. Of course, they'd assumed something had to be very wrong to have made Haruto raise his voice.
Oh God, Rei was going to be an utter terror, wasn't she? I just knew it.
It was strange how someone as mild-mannered as Zephyr had a familiar who was so... active. But I imagined that was what had made them work.
"Hey, I was reading that! There was a talking raccoon in there!" Rei complained, which just freaked everyone out even more.
"Wait, are you a new resident?" Zamir demanded, then turned to me, since I was the only one who wasn't climbing the trees with shock. "Are they a new resident?"
Chuckling, I got to my feet, and walked over to the others. I raised a brow at Rei, and she stuck her tongue out at me in return. Damn, I really liked her.
"Everyone, this is Rei. She's Zephyr's familiar," I introduced, and a shocked silence filled the clearing.
Nolan was the first to break it. "Zephyr's familiar? You mean the one who..."
"Died? Yup!" Rei answered cheerfully, popping thep. "That's me!"
"What? How? Huh?" Silas demanded, his confusion clear on his face.
"Reincarnation, duh! Now, I gotta see the rest of this place my sorcerer built, so I'm off," she declared, but instead of leaving,she walked over to me and somehow clambered up onto my back. "Come on, Horsey. Show me around."
"My name's Keoni," I reminded, and she huffed.
"I know what your name is. Now get walking,Horsey."
I sighed. I did not like this nickname, but I had a feeling it would stick.
"You know, I'm only letting you get away with this because you're my mate's familiar," I grumbled as I started heading toward the exit, and she snorted.
"I know," she said, sounding all kinds of smug, and I rolled my eyes, then glanced back at her.
"How are you talking to us anyway?"
"Zephy is a lot stronger than he was before. He made me this," she said, and I glanced back to see the pendant hanging around her neck.
