theft.
Malcolm’s fear and fury at the prospect of being trapped here prickled on my skin. My own response was anger and denial. “I’m not going to fail,” I told Torryn.
“I didn’t say you would fail,” she countered. “You just won’t get done what you came here to do. Nothing is ever as simple as winning or losing, Alice. You should know that.”
Damned if Torryn didn’t sound just like Carly when she said that. She was right—I should know better.
Chastised, I pondered the basket on my lap. “Thank you,” I said finally. “For the gift, the information you’ve shared, and meeting us here.”
“You’re welcome.” She raised a dagger with a beautiful jeweled handle and blade etched with runes and pointed it at me. “No black magic within the borders of our territory, under any circumstances.”
I didn’t ask or what, because the answer was obvious. “I understand.”
The blade disappeared under her cloak. “Since you’ve used the black magic, you’ll have to cut it out to get rid of it. The longer you wait, the more you’ll have to cut.”
“Metaphorically speaking?” I asked.
She looked at me.
I swallowed. “I guess not.”
She pulled up her hood. “Safe travels to you all, and blessed be.”
“Blessed be,” Lucy said. Malcolm and I repeated her words.
Torryn hopped off the stump and walked away without looking back. In seconds, she’d disappeared in the trees. The little shelter and chair vanished like mist.
“That was the witchiest thing I’ve ever seen,” Malcolm said. “As theatrical exits go, hers was a solid ten. And I thought I was dramatic at that age.”
I wrapped my arms around the basket to hold it steady as Lucy rolled up my window and shifted into gear. “So what’s a pūķis?” I asked.
She pulled back onto the road, flipped on the supe lights, and accelerated. “House dragon.”
“House dragon?” Malcolm squeaked.
The purple blanket rustled. A gray kitten poked her nose out and peered up at me with two emerald eyes. “Rrrrrr?” she inquired.
“That looks like a cat,” Malcolm said, nonplussed.
“Now she does.” Lucy chuckled. “Just wait.”
Remembering Torryn’s instructions, I pulled a strand of hair out and offered it to the kitten. A little paw emerged from the blanket and swiped the hair from my fingers. Magic I’d never felt before tingled on my skin. It was light violet, with threads of purple. Fae magic. The pūķis must have originated in the fae realm. I had a fae kitten-dragon in my lap. Sean was never going to believe any of this.
The kitten disappeared back under her covers. A loud purr, edged with a growl, drifted out of the basket.
“I have a house cat-dragon,” I said, just so I could hear the words out loud.
“It might be more accurate to say she has you,” Lucy said.
Oh, goody. The basket vibrated with the pūķis’s growly purr.
“What do you think about what Torryn said, about you not succeeding?” Lucy asked me.
“I think we’re still going to do our damnedest to do what we came here to do,” I told her. “We’ve beaten the odds before. And if I’ve learned anything about seeing into the future, it’s that nothing is set in stone. Always in motion is the future.”
Malcolm snorted. “Did you just quote Yoda?”
I shrugged. “You quoted Obi-Wan Kenobi earlier, so I thought it was only fair.”
Lucy frowned. “Who’s Yoda?”
Malcolm flitted. “You mean you don’t have Star Wars here?”
She laughed. “Relax, I was only kidding. Of course we do. This is the Broken World, not the Sad, Empty World.”
I sighed. “Don’t scare us like that, Lucy.”
“I had you going there for a minute though, right?” She grinned.
“Not cool, dude,” Malcolm said, shaking his head. “So, have you come up with a name for your new cat-dragon, Alice?”
“Not yet. I figure something will present itself. She’s so tiny.”
“Don’t judge her by her size,” Lucy advised.
“I’m not about to. What can you tell me about her?”
“Just the basics. They emerged originally in northeastern Europe, but have obviously spread, just like all the other dragons.” At my expression, she waved her hand. “Yes, there are many kinds of dragons. Anyway, pūķis are fierce guardians of people, property, and treasure. They’re also little tricksters, though that tends to develop more when they reach adolescence.”
“So when does she turn into a dragon, then?” Malcolm asked. “When she’s angry?”
Lucy smiled. “Generally, from what I understand, they are in cat form when on the ground and dragon form when they fly. Your little guardian will be quite a handful.”
I blinked. “My little guardian?”
“Fierce guardian for life. She’s bonded to