Page 13 of Fiends and Familiars
“Where are you sleeping tonight?” I asked Yeth, since he seemed to be the only one inclined toward communication.
He tilted his head, eyes still on the bone. Evidently they weren’t sleeping tonight. No, he’d said they weren’t supposed to sleep tonight.
“Nocturnal?” Maybe they slept during the day and hunted for food at night. Poor puppers. Clearly they’d somehow become separated from their home and their demon-Master if they were roaming around all night long, searching for food.
“Tell you what. I’ll leave the garage door open enough for you and your buddies to go inside. I’ll put some nice soft cushions and blankets for you all, and bowls of water. You’ll be safe there. Stay as long as you want, and when I get home from work tomorrow night, I’ll have more food for you all.”
Yeth looked as if he were about to cry. His bottom lip quivered, and his red, glowing eyes stared up at me soulfully. I reached out a hand and stroked his wiry, coarse fur. He leaned into me, making a little whimper as my fingers found an especially good spot.
Then one of the others growled and Yeth jumped back, sending me a guilty look.
“It’s okay Yeth,” I whispered. “I’ll save the bone for you. It’ll be in the garage.”
Then I turned to the other three, tearing off the final tiny bits of ham from the bone and throwing them onto the lawn. While they were eating I got up and made my way backwards toward the house.
“Goodnight pups,” I said. “Happy hunting, and I’ll see you all tomorrow night.”
Only Yeth glanced up at me as I walked into my house. I locked the door and set the wards as usual, then remembered that I was still holding a ham bone.
Damn it. I’d promised him and I wasn’t going to let the hellhound down.
“Hey Drake,” I called to the vulture who was on top of my dining room table, where he could keep an eye on the squirrels. “Come with me to the garage, will you?”
The vulture waddled after me. My garage was pretty much a glorified storage area, which is why I always parked my truck in the driveway. I moved a kayak, bike, two toolboxes, and a dozen Rubbermaid tubs aside then put down four dog pillows that I’d gotten on clearance last year as well as some cheap fleece blankets. The ham bone went on a plastic Thanksgiving platter that was shaped like a turkey, and I filled two large bowls with water. Drake stood guard while I went back into the house and retrieved the package of hard-boiled eggs. Those I placed in a terracotta flowerpot, setting it next to the bone.
There. It seemed reasonably welcoming. I’d get food, treats, some more bowls, and a few toys tomorrow. Hopefully the hellhounds would take advantage of my hospitality and tomorrow night the other three would be less suspicious of me.
Then I’d need to think about what I was going to do with them all. Perhaps I could find some nice people who would be willing to adopt them? If not, I’d be stuck with four giant scary-looking canines, along with four squirrels and a vulture.
