Page 42 of Hoarded By the Dragon

“You are very clever, love.”

The harpy who’s skewered at least one man’s balls with her talons according to my records blushes.

“Send the bill and your report about the Leonids when you can,” I say. I hire them because they are skilled, not because I want to watch them simper after each other.

“We’ll show ourselves out,” Mace says, and there’s a gleam in his eyes that gives me warning. “Odd that Ben seems so preoccupied of late.”

“I’ll show you out,” I say, if only to keep the demon from snooping. I’d hate to have to kill him. I like him half of the time.

16

KATARINA

Griffin cleans up well.After Ben took Stella home, we go for a supply run. It took watching some videos online, but eventually, the cat has been bathed, fed, and is sleeping comfortably on my bed.

I’d asked Ben not to tell Kalos about the cat, and he had sighed as if I’d told him Maggie was never going to make her award-winning potatoes again.I won’t tell him, but he’ll find out. You can’t keep the cat a secret forever,he’d said.

I don’t need to keep Griffin a secret forever… just for now. I run my fingers through his fur which is a full shade lighter now that it’s been washed, and he buries his face into the blanket on the bed in delight. Happiness glows in my chest. Being chosen by a cat may be a joke to some people, but the warmth of him under my hand and his rumbling purr just make me happy.

I don’t want to pop that bubble for anything, especially not to tell Kalos. The house is big enough that he probably won’t even notice Griffin prowling around. I’ll keep him in the giant bathroom and closet combination at night when Kalos visits and go from there.

I sigh and check the time. Maggie said she wanted to do a health check before dinner, so I leave the cozy cat on my bed after some belly rubs.

As always, the kitchen smells amazing. Maggie sees me and points me toward the table and chairs of the breakfast nook that we all eat at during the day. The set-up is much smaller than the dining table and has a comfortable bench at the back below a large window.

Maggie hustles over after checking all the pots on the stove. “Ben told me about the cat.”

My mouth drops open, and Maggie laughs.

“I thought he was capable of keeping a secret,” I say.

Maggie shakes her head. “He’s a gossip, or at least with me he is. He won’t tell Kalos because you asked him not to though. I’m glad you have a pet. I’d love to meet him when he isn’t a secret anymore.”

“His name is Griffin, and he’s perfect,” I say.

Maggie grins. “I have no doubt about that. Cats are always perfect.”

“I’m letting him settle in, but maybe in a couple of days he’ll have free range of the house.”

I hold out my hands for Maggie to check on the baby, and she takes them. The zing of her magic always tickles, and I focus on staying still. She takes longer this time, her brow furrowing in concentration before she smiles at me again, but it’s tighter now.

“I have some concerns, but I think we should talk to Kalos about them.”

The blood drains from my face. “What?”

Is it odd to be so attached to something that happened by accident? Maybe, but I don’t care. This is my baby, and there’s something wrong. Are they okay? What if I ate something I wasn’t supposed to? I haven’t even checked the chemicals I use for work. I always wear gloves, but could they have hurt the baby?

“It’s nothing serious yet,” she says firmly and pulls me to stand with her. “Let us go talk to him.”

I focus on controlling my breathing as we walk, and tears start to well in my eyes. Something is wrong, and I don’t know what to do. Maggie pats my hand in reassurance, but it doesn’t help the spikes of worry tearing at my heart.

What if it’s my fault?

I don’t think I could bear the guilt.

“Sweetie, it could be nothing.” Maggie’s voice is worried now. The tingles of her magic try to calm my riotous heart, but to no avail.

“What’s wrong?” Kalos’s voice comes as a surprise, and the sound of it makes it easier to take a deep breath. We’ve somehow navigated all the way to Kalos’s study while I’ve been lost in my daze of panic.

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