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Authors: Diana Rowland
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off—not with demon-fast reflexes, but apparently Eilahn didn’t have to worry about that. The damn creature rubbed her cheek against Eilahn’s fingers and started up a purr that shook the carrier.
Eilahn turned her gaze up to me—no longer the confident, kickass demon, but this time a hopeful eager child with a “can I keep it, pleeeeeeease?” expression on her face. I blinked in surprise. This was a side of her I’d never seen before. I hoped she didn’t want to eat it.
I resisted the urge to sigh and instead forced a smile. “You rock, Tim. Thanks for finding her for me.”
Super. My demon had a cat. Because my life wasn’t strange enough already.
I had to bite my lip to keep from grinning at the exuberant joy Eilahn took in the cat as we walked to the motor pool. Every hundred feet or so she set the carrier downso she could coo at the creature and let it rub against her fingers.
And the questions. Good grief, the questions.
“Is the food that Tim obtained of sufficient quality?”
“We will need to acquire a cat box, yes? What is the proper litter to be used?”
“Veterinary care! I must make an appointment for inoculation. That is how it works, yes?”
“Catnip. Felines require catnip, I have heard.”
At least she wasn’t asking about recipes for kitty gumbo.
We finally made it to the motor pool, and I asked her, “How do you know so much about cats?” On the one hand she seemed incredibly wise and knowledgeable, but on the other she was like a nine-year-old.
“I have read about them,” she said, her brow drawn down into a slightly puzzled frown as if to say,
How else would I know about them?
I masked a smile and proceeded to deal with the various paperwork I had to fill out to take possession of the replacement vehicle. Once that was done there was a bit of a delay while the demon fretted over the best configuration for transporting the damn cat.
“I do not wish her to grow upset,” Eilahn said, frown puckering her forehead. “I have heard that cats do not care to ride in cars. If I am in the front and she in the back, will she not grow distraught? Perhaps I should hold her in my lap.”
“Um, that’s a pretty darn big carrier to hold on your lap,” I pointed out.
She blinked. “I did not intend to have her in the carrier.Why can I not simply hold her in my lap so that I can stroke her fur? Will that not calm her?”
I had a vision of a psychotic cat careening around the inside of the car—followed by an image of my mangled death in the ensuing wreck.
“No,” I stated. Firmly. “The cat stays in the carrier while she’s in the car.” For an instant I thought the Eilahn was actually going to pout. “It’s safer for the cat,” I added. At that she gave a reserved nod.
“Then I will sit in the back seat,” she said. “And I will turn the carrier so that I can reassure her.” She nodded to herself again, clearly pleased with her solution.
I had to smile. “If you want we could stop by the store on the way home and pick up some supplies. I mean, it’d probably be easiest to do that now.”
The smile that spread across her face was radiant. “You truly do not mind the addition of a feline pet to your household?”
I shrugged. “I’m cool with it.” Hell, I wasn’t a hundred percent on board with the concept, but it sure seemed to make Eilahn happy. It felt kind of nice to be able to pay her back somehow.
We made it home without any more incidents, other than shoving my credit card balance a bit higher. Eilahn had insisted on bringing Fuzzykins into the store, though again, I had to put my foot down and insist that the cat stay in the carrier. I had no doubt that if Eilahn had her way, the cat would be riding on her shoulders. The demon had looked longingly at an outrageously priced “Kitty Kondo”—a carpet-covered monstrosity for cats to supposedly play and lounge upon—but Eilahn seemed to understand that such a thing would be pretty far outsideof my
Eilahn turned her gaze up to me—no longer the confident, kickass demon, but this time a hopeful eager child with a “can I keep it, pleeeeeeease?” expression on her face. I blinked in surprise. This was a side of her I’d never seen before. I hoped she didn’t want to eat it.
I resisted the urge to sigh and instead forced a smile. “You rock, Tim. Thanks for finding her for me.”
Super. My demon had a cat. Because my life wasn’t strange enough already.
I had to bite my lip to keep from grinning at the exuberant joy Eilahn took in the cat as we walked to the motor pool. Every hundred feet or so she set the carrier downso she could coo at the creature and let it rub against her fingers.
And the questions. Good grief, the questions.
“Is the food that Tim obtained of sufficient quality?”
“We will need to acquire a cat box, yes? What is the proper litter to be used?”
“Veterinary care! I must make an appointment for inoculation. That is how it works, yes?”
“Catnip. Felines require catnip, I have heard.”
At least she wasn’t asking about recipes for kitty gumbo.
We finally made it to the motor pool, and I asked her, “How do you know so much about cats?” On the one hand she seemed incredibly wise and knowledgeable, but on the other she was like a nine-year-old.
“I have read about them,” she said, her brow drawn down into a slightly puzzled frown as if to say,
How else would I know about them?
I masked a smile and proceeded to deal with the various paperwork I had to fill out to take possession of the replacement vehicle. Once that was done there was a bit of a delay while the demon fretted over the best configuration for transporting the damn cat.
“I do not wish her to grow upset,” Eilahn said, frown puckering her forehead. “I have heard that cats do not care to ride in cars. If I am in the front and she in the back, will she not grow distraught? Perhaps I should hold her in my lap.”
“Um, that’s a pretty darn big carrier to hold on your lap,” I pointed out.
She blinked. “I did not intend to have her in the carrier.Why can I not simply hold her in my lap so that I can stroke her fur? Will that not calm her?”
I had a vision of a psychotic cat careening around the inside of the car—followed by an image of my mangled death in the ensuing wreck.
“No,” I stated. Firmly. “The cat stays in the carrier while she’s in the car.” For an instant I thought the Eilahn was actually going to pout. “It’s safer for the cat,” I added. At that she gave a reserved nod.
“Then I will sit in the back seat,” she said. “And I will turn the carrier so that I can reassure her.” She nodded to herself again, clearly pleased with her solution.
I had to smile. “If you want we could stop by the store on the way home and pick up some supplies. I mean, it’d probably be easiest to do that now.”
The smile that spread across her face was radiant. “You truly do not mind the addition of a feline pet to your household?”
I shrugged. “I’m cool with it.” Hell, I wasn’t a hundred percent on board with the concept, but it sure seemed to make Eilahn happy. It felt kind of nice to be able to pay her back somehow.
We made it home without any more incidents, other than shoving my credit card balance a bit higher. Eilahn had insisted on bringing Fuzzykins into the store, though again, I had to put my foot down and insist that the cat stay in the carrier. I had no doubt that if Eilahn had her way, the cat would be riding on her shoulders. The demon had looked longingly at an outrageously priced “Kitty Kondo”—a carpet-covered monstrosity for cats to supposedly play and lounge upon—but Eilahn seemed to understand that such a thing would be pretty far outsideof my
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