“He did come in response to your spell.”
“Which, may I remind you, was powered by pretzels.” Aodhan heaved a resigned sigh. “Well, it’s not like we have any choice, given that it seems to have taken a liking to you. Black dogs are harder to get rid of than bedbugs. Until I can get my hands on a bag of rock salt, we’re stuck with the cursed creature.”
“I think it’s cute.” Cathy’s tone altered, turning wistful. “Kevin would love him. He’s always wanted a pet. When he was little, his favorite toy was this little stuffed dog—”
“Your son taxidermized a puppy?”
“Not an actual dog,” Cathy said, much to Aodhan’s relief. “A cuddly toy, like a teddy bear. Don’t fae kids have teddy bears?”
“I wouldn’t know.” It wasn’t like he’d ever owned any toys himself, after all. “I collect books, not children.”
“Well, Kevin loved that dog. He used to take it everywhere with him, dragging it along on a piece of string. I even had to put an imaginary bowl of food down for it at every meal.” A shadow crossed Cathy’s face. “Of course, he’s outgrown all that now, but up until a few months ago I would still sometimes find that scruffy old stuffed dog hidden under his pillow, when he’d had a particularly tough day at school. I should have realized the changeling wasn’t Kevin when he never so much as glanced at poor old Noodle.”
The puppy’s floppy ears pricked forward. He cocked his head, glowing red eyes fixing on Cathy attentively.
Aodhan stared at the creature. “Say that again.”
“What?”
“Not the whole thing. Just the name.”
Cathy gave him a funny look. She’d been so lost in reverie, she hadn’t noticed the puppy’s reaction. “Noodle?”
The puppy’s ears perked up higher. He barked, as though to say: Yes?
“Why in the name of all the goddesses does he seem to recognize that name?” Aodhan raked a hand through his hair, totally baffled. “I may be a powerful mage, but I am fairly certain even Merlin himself could not accidentally transform a small stuffed toy into a real animal. Let alone summon it across the realms.”
Cathy gasped, one hand flying to cover her mouth. “Cuan said Maeve gave Kevin a puppy. Could that have been this puppy?”
“That would seem to be the most logical explanation. I can’t see a high sidhe noble naming their dog ‘Noodle.’ It’s not exactly the sort of name one wants to be shouting in front of your peers during a grand formal hunt.”
“But why did it come in response to your spell? You were trying to summon some kind of steed, not Kevin’s dog. Did something go wrong?”
“Evidently. Though I don’t know what. From what I could tell, the ritual went exactly as I—” Aodhan broke off, slapping his palm against his forehead. “I’m an idiot. Of course. I asked the spell to bring you what you needed.”
Cathy looked down at the small, fluffy dog. “And I need a puppy?”
“Not just a puppy. A black dog. One which belongs to your son.” Aodhan snapped his fingers at the animal to attract its attention. “Noodle!”
The dog jumped up, quivering with eagerness.
“Kevin.” Aodhan sent the command with his mind as much as his mouth, bending his will on making the puppy understand. “Kevin needs you, Noodle. Find Kevin.”
Noodle cocked his head to one side. Dropping his nose to the ground, he cast around for a moment, then stiffened. He let out a short, urgent bark.
“My spell did bring you what you needed.” Aodhan flashed Cathy a triumphant grin. “Like I said, black dogs are known for their loyalty, and they can follow even the oldest trail across any distance. He can lead us to your son.”