CHAPTER11
Cathy awoke to sunlight streaming onto her face and panic pounding in her chest. She sat bolt upright, automatically scrabbling for her phone to check the time. Oh God, she’d overslept, she’d be late for work, Kevin would miss the school bus—
Memory returned, along with a rush of guilt. How could she have slept when her child was gone? From the position of the sun, it was well into morning. How much time had she wasted?
Cathy threw back the soft woolen blanket covering her legs—and paused, frowning at it. She couldn’t remember pulling that over herself when she’d curled up in the chair last night. And she definitely hadn’t put a pillow under her head.
“Aodhan?” she called tentatively. “Noodle?”
No answer.
There was no sign of either the puppy or the mage. There was, however, now a small table set in front of the armchair. A glazed teapot perched on a wooden tray, along with a delicate china cup, a plate covered with an upturned bowl, and a folded note. Her name was written on the front of the paper in precise, looping copperplate.
Cathy,
I’m in my workshop. Come find me after you’ve eaten.
‘After’ was underlined twice, with heavy, emphatic strokes.
Don’t be concerned about the dog. I’ve taken care of it.
Cathy hoped Aodhan meant he’d fed the puppy.
I have attuned the oak to your aura, so it should obey your commands. If it does not, remind it that I possess a very large ax.
In the unlikely event that you run into any difficulties, simply think of me. I will come.
- Aodhan
Cathy spent a second blinking at the name, which she hadn’t seen written down before. If she’d had to spell it before now, she would have guessed either Aiden or Ayden, but apparently letters worked differently in fairyland.
Turning the note over, she discovered an addendum scrawled on the back.
P.S. Ignore the crow-cat. She is NOT starving.
“Ignore the what?” Cathy said out loud.
An inquisitive caw came in response. Cathy started as a flash of black swooped down from a bookcase, landing on her knee. The crow cocked her head, regarding Cathy with one bright, curious eye.
Except the creature wasn’t a crow. The animal had the strong beak and broad wings of a corvid, but further down the feathers turned to sleek black fur. A long, feline tail twitched from side to side.
“Oh,” Cathy breathed. Cautiously, she stretched out a hand. “Hello.”
Without hesitation, the small griffin bumped her beak against Cathy’s fingers, like a house-cat demanding attention. Enchanted, Cathy stroked the soft, feathered head. The crow-cat’s eyes half closed in pleasure, a rumbling purr starting up.
I wish Kevin could see this.
The thought was like a bucket of cold water. The crow-cat clacked her beak as she pulled her hand back, clearly displeased at the cessation of pettings.
“I’m sorry. I don’t have time.” Gently pushing the crow-cat off her lap, she rose, looking for her clothes. They were no longer draped over the windowsill where she’d left them. “I don’t suppose you know where Aodhan put my things?”
The crow-cat cawed, which wasn’t much of an answer. The little griffin shook out her wings, then fluttered over to the table. She pecked at the covered plate, trying to dislodge the bowl.
After a short hunt, Cathy found her clothes neatly folded on top of a storage trunk, as crisp and fresh as though they’d just come back from the dry cleaners. When she picked up her blouse, a handful of small pink petals fluttered to the floor. They had a sweet, unfamiliar fragrance, like a mix of rose and mint.
That reminded her that she herself was very much not fragrant. There were certain other matters demanding immediate attention as well.
“Er…” Cathy cleared her throat, addressing the tree trunk. “Is there a bathroom somewhere?”