I noticed his fangs were out, too.
That was when I realized I’d made a terrible mistake. Dean had released his hold on them, but Marcus hadn’t stopped fighting. Dean picked up the sword Kelsey had dropped and I screamed as he lifted it high and started to stab himself.
* * * *
Zoey
The cat hissed and seemed to have far better senses than any feline should, but then this probably wasn’t an ordinary pet. This was Myrddin Emrys’s familiar, and she or he would be enchanted in some way.
“What do we do, Mom? I think the cat knows we’re here,” my son whispered.
“I think you’re right. How much have you tested this thing physically? Can it get in here with us? If we brush against it, can it claw at us?”
“Well, I try to not do that because I figured it would get me in trouble, but once when we were trying to sneak Sean back to his bedroom we brushed up against Uncle Declan, but he thought we were a piece of furniture and Rhys had to stay really still because Uncle Declan put a beer on his head.”
“Please tell me he didn’t have company.” My brother-in-law pretty much plowed through every female who would let him climb on top of her. Or behind her. Or in any position her flexibility would allow.
“Nah. He was watching Lord of the Rings and making fun of Legolas and saying he could do all his arrow stuff while he was drunk and fornicating. What does that mean?”
“It’s nothing you should think about at your age.”
Lee nodded. “So Rhys was right and it was kissing stuff. Anyway, we pretty much ran the minute Uncle Dec took another drink and then we dropped off Sean and Uncle Dec was upset because he spilled his beer. He makes fun of Robin Hood movies, too, but I think he’s jealous because he's not allowed to shoot stuff on this plane.”
I agreed with him, but that didn’t help us out of this situation. If we got too close, the cat would likely feel us and then know where to start clawing.
Something soft brushed against my cheek and I realized Dannan was managing to float near my face. The pixie could definitely move in close quarters when he needed to. He was whispering something to me, and by whispering he was really shouting, but their voices are super quiet. Pixies can absolutely talk. It’s just hard to hear them.
“Me. Me. I can do it,” he was saying.
“I don’t think you should fight the cat,” I replied. “I’m pretty sure it would eat you.”
Lee twisted around, somehow managing to keep the cloak closed while he moved. It made me wonder exactly how much he’d worked with the damn thing. “It can’t eat Dannan if it can’t catch him. Dannan is the best flier, and we all know that cats get distracted by shiny objects.”
Dannan’s head was nodding and he held up his tiny sword as if to say he could take care of himself. He was a warrior and he had wings. That tiny face was resolute. He could take on the feline and give us time and space to do our job.
“You are getting the best maple syrup. Straight from Canada, my friend,” I promised. Pixies like sweet stuff. Syrup was their favorite. If you ever want to befriend a pixie, take him to IHOP and let him try all those crazy syrup flavors. He’ll love you for life.
I could practically feel the enthusiasm coming off the tiny warrior. He hadn’t had many wars to fight in. The world had been pretty peaceful lately, but I worried that was about to change and we would need all the help we could get. People tended to underestimate my tiny retinue. They saw them more as accessories, jewels that clung to my hair and made me seem more Fae than I am. Yeah, I’d heard that before. But they were so much more. They were my eyes and ears, and now one would be the distraction I needed.
“Be careful, Dannan.” I gave him my blessing.
“Dude, take that cat out if you can. He looks mean.” My son’s blessing was a little on the bloodthirsty side.
Then Lee opened the cloak the slightest bit. It was odd because that slice of light was brighter than what we saw through the cloak. Like opening the veil and seeing another world.
A memory pierced through me. It was stamped on my brain, that moment when the