Read Online The Awakening by Mary Abshire - Free Book Online Page B

creatures existed.
    “Boss has connections with every breed, every race. He’s worked for the council for many centuries.”
    “What are you talking about?” Tabby asked. She stood at one end of the kitchen island, untwisting the tie on a bag of bread.
    “Special contacts. You can’t wear them.” Jonas opened the refrigerator and picked out several items from the inside door.
    Tabby divvied bread slices out on plates. “That’s why I don’t go out too much, especially at night.”
    Jonas set various condiments on the counter. “I’m fixing her sandwich.”
    “She may not like your kind of sandwiches with all that stuff.”
    “Only one way to find out,” he said, snatching a plate.
    Grinning, I sat in one of the chairs and watched the two prepare the sandwiches. Their playful brother and sister attitude had me wondering how long they’d known each other. Jonas slapped mayonnaise and some yellowish brown goop on a couple slices of bread. After he finished, Tabby layered several pieces of meat with a slice of cheese in the middle. Once she was done, Jonas mashed each sandwich together, then slid a dish to me and one to Tabby.
    The three of us picked up our sandwiches at the same time. I bit into mine and tasted delicious flavors of sweet mustard with mayonnaise, ham, and Swiss cheese on nut bread. “This is good.”
    “I cook on occasion too,” Jonas said.
    “Really?” I asked.
    He nodded as he chewed.
    “He makes a killer gumbo,” Tabby said as she took a bite of her sandwich.
    “Gumbo? Are you from the south?” I asked.
    “Born and raised.”
    “You don’t have an accent.”
    He lifted his shoulders. “I’ve been away for a long time.”
    How interesting. I wondered what else I had yet to learn about Jonas.
    As Tabby and Jonas playfully argued, I continued eating, listening to them. When the subject somehow turned into shopping and other chores, I decided the time had come to ask questions.
    “So how long have you known each other?” I asked.
    Tabby stood near the sink, drying a plate. “About five years now.”
    Jonas stood next to her, rinsing utensils. “She was a stray cat we found at the grocery store.”
    “I’d lost my job and my boyfriend kicked me out. I didn’t have anywhere to go and hardly any money. Boss and Jonas were kind enough to take me in.”
    “You know what they say about taking in stray cats. They never go away,” Jonas said with a devilish grin as he washed his hands.
    Tabby shelved the last of the dishes, and whipped the dish towel at Jonas's back. He turned at the right moment, caught it, and yanked it out of her grasp. They both smiled.
    Tabby put her hands on her hips in another girlish pose. “I don’t lie around the house and do nothing all day. I clean the house and help out.”
    Jonas set the towel on the counter. “Yes you do. And speaking of which, we need your help with something.”
    “Sure. I’d love to.”
    Jonas leaned back against the sink with his palms resting on the edge of the countertop. “We need to find out if she is a demon. I think the best way to find out is to see if she can mist or wiggle into your mind and make you do something.”
    Tabby sighed. “Okay. What do you want me to do?”
    “Let’s start with the easy one first. All you have to do is look into her eyes.”
    “That’s it?” Tabby asked.
    “That’s it,” said Jonas before he turned to me. “Focus on her eyes and what you want her to do.”
    I rose from my seat and walked around to the back of the center island. A touch of fear turned into curiosity. Testing my demon abilities seemed like a great idea, as long as I could control them.
    “Do I need to tell her or think it?”
    “Try both. I’m not actually sure which will work since you're...different.”
    Different? What a nice way of calling me a freak. I took a deep breath. “Okay.”
    Tabby met my eyes and I stared deeply into hers. I slipped into her head and listened to her thoughts. This is so weird, I