15. Ava

”Olivia, slow down, will you?”I gripped the dashboard as my bestie floored it down the road. Her blonde hair streamed behind her like a comet”s tail from the wind coming in the window.

”Live a little, Ava,” she called over the roar of the engine. Olivia had always known how to push boundaries. Today felt no different.

We whipped into an empty parking lot, and Olivia stomped on the gas, spinning the car in tight circles. My heart raced while my stomach churned, but all I could do was clutch at the oh-crap bars, praying to whoever listened that we”d survive Olivia”s joyride.

”Gods, Liv, you”re scaring me to death!”

”Isn”t this fun?” She laughed, and for a moment, I envied her carefree spirit, a gift from her goddess lineage, no doubt.

Finally, she steered the car back toward home, tires screeching their protest. We pulled into her garage, and I stumbled out, woozy from the adrenaline and nausea mingling in my veins.

”Thanks, but I”ll walk from here,” I said, trying to hide how shaken I was when she began making a portal to my place. ”I can”t handle a portal.”

”Sure thing.” Olivia beamed, oblivious of my near-death experience by her hands.

My legs wobbled as I made my way back to my place. The breeze was a welcome caress against my skin when I pushed open the back door. ”Winston, front door, please” I murmured, knowing the sentient house would oblige. A gust of air confirmed his compliance before I collapsed onto the couch, thankful for solid ground and the familiarity of home.

A few minutes later, as my nausea faded, my thumb paused mid-swipe over my phone screen, the faint sound of a meow piercing the silence. I looked up, squinting towards the foyer where a small, hairless creature sat staring back at me. My brows knitted together.

”Who are you?” The words fell out, half-amused, half-baffled.

It meowed again, tilting its head. A Sphinx cat, with skin like peach fuzz and large, lemon-shaped eyes, right there in my house. I”d only ever seen them online or on TV, never up close.

I pushed off the couch, curiosity nudging me forward. It was then that Lucy-Fur, drama-mama herself, burst down the stairs like hell itself was on her tail.

”Demon!” she screeched. ”Intruder! It”ll devour us all!”

I couldn”t help it, I laughed. ”Really, Lucy? Call Lucifer, then, if this thing is a demon.”

”Use your head, woman. The King is giving me the silent treatment,” Lucy-Fur spat, her white fur bristling. ”Can you believe him? After Scotland? A few days in my body is nothing. He”s too dramatic and being childish. She seethed with annoyance. ”Just a wee vacation, and he acts as if I”ve betrayed the seventh circle.”

I reached down, my fingers sliding under the warm, wrinkled belly of the hairless cat. With a gentle tug, I lifted it into my arms, and despite Lucy-Fur’s hissing protests, I couldn’t suppress the laughter bubbling up from my throat.

”Put that demon down! It”s going to eat you alive!” Lucy-Fur was practically vibrating with fury, her long white fur puffing out.

”Lucy, it”s just a cat,” I said, adjusting the Sphinx in my arms as it began to purr, a faint vibration against my chest.

”That is no cat.” Lucy-Fur scowled, her green eyes narrowed to slits. ”It looks like a chicken ready to be baked.”

Ignoring her dramatics, I held the Sphinx closer. The sensation of its skin was odd, like holding a ball sack if I was completely honest. I chuckled at the thought, shaking my head. ”You”re ridiculous. Go back upstairs, take care of your kittens,” I told her as I scratched the purring kitty. ”I’ll handle this so-called demon cat.”

”Don”t let that thing near my babies,” she demanded.

”Remember, if anyone”s going to eat us alive, it”s you, or did you forget you”re a demon stuck in a cat”s body?” I shot back, a playful grin on my face.

Lucy-Fur was a demon before Luci turned her into a cat as punishment for something vile she did.

With a sniff that conveyed all of her disdain, Lucy-Fur turned on her heel, paws, rather, and stalked back up the stairs, her tail high in the air like a flag of truce.

”See? No demons here,” I whispered to the Sphinx as Lucy-Fur disappeared. ”Just us oddballs, a little mystery guest,” I murmured to the Sphinx in my arms. ”Let”s go get you settled before Lucy has a furball fit.”

I made my way to my office, careful not to disturb the curious creature too much. Once inside, I flicked my wrist and conjured a litter box in the corner. The Sphinx watched with its large eyes, its tail twitching with interest.

”Here,” I said as I placed the cat down gently. It sauntered over to the box, sniffed it, and seemed to approve. Next, I fetched a bowl of Lucy”s preferred kibble. She could share after pitching that fit.

The Sphinx didn”t hesitate, padding over and crunching on the small bites with gusto.

Satisfied that the cat wouldn”t go hungry, I turned to the task at hand. I grabbed my phone and snapped a few pictures of the Sphinx. Then I sat down at my desk, opening a design app to whip up a quick ”Found Cat” flier.

”I hope someone”s looking for you,” I muttered, typing out a description and contact information. Printing off a copy, I grabbed it and headed outside.

The walk to the mailbox felt good, a chance to stretch my legs after the morning”s chaos. I stapled a flier to the light pole beside the mailbox, stepping back to ensure it was visible from the road.

”Good deed for the day: done.” I nodded to myself and walked back to the house.

Once I was back in the office, I logged into Shipton Harbor’s social media group on Birdbook. My fingers flew over the keyboard as I posted about finding the Sphinx, attaching the best photo I”d taken. With a final click, the post went live.

”Your fifteen minutes of fame,” I told the purring Sphinx, who seemed content to explore its new surroundings. ”Enjoy it.”

I shut the laptop, a twinge of guilt gnawing at me for neglecting my writing. That”s when the shrill ring of my phone grabbed my attention. I glanced at the caller ID. Jax”s name flashed on the screen.

”Hey, Jax,” I greeted, a smile creeping onto my face despite my earlier mood. ”What”s got you up and calling in the middle of the day?”

”Couldn”t sleep,” he replied. ”Needed to hear a friendly voice. What”s new with you?”

”Sam turned into a bat,” I blurted out, still grappling with the reality of it myself.

”A bat?” Jax sounded incredulous. ”That”s incredibly rare. The only other vampire I know who can do that is Dracula.”

”Wait, Dracula”s real?” I asked, half-laughing, half-serious.

”Very real,” Jax confirmed. ”Lives in Transylvania, acts just like every stereotype you”ve heard about him. To be honest, I”m surprised he survived the culling when our vampire mother exterminated the evil ones.”

”Bet that was a sight to see,” I mused, shaking my head.

”Indeed,” Jax said. ”Anyway, what else is going on?”

”Nothing much, just... dealing with unexpected guests,” I said, glancing at the Sphinx cat now comfortably curled up on a pile of papers.

”Sounds like your usual kind of day,” he teased.

”Pretty much,” I agreed, the corner of my mouth lifting in amusement.

I tapped my fingers on my desk, stalling. ”Jax, there”s something else...”

”Tell Sam that if shifting becomes too much for him, he can call me,” Jax offered, totally missing my hesitation. ”Though, I”m not sure how much I can help since it”s such a rare ability. But at least he”ll know he”s not alone.”

”Thanks, I will,” I said. A deep breath steadied my nerves. This was it, the conversation I”d been avoiding. ”Um, the necromancers have formed a council, as you might”ve heard.”

”Go on,” Jax prodded gently.

I chewed on my lower lip. ”They want compensation for the necromancers who were imprisoned by vampires. We both know your council won”t go for physical payback,” I rushed out the words like ripping off a bandage. ”So they”re willing to discuss financial compensation instead.”

”Financial?” His tone didn”t give anything away.

”Yeah,” I said, feeling the council”s demands heavily. ”It”s either that or... Well, I don’t. Dad and I are head of the council, so we’ll try to keep the peace. There has to be something we can agree to.”

I paced the length of my office, phone pressed to my ear, waiting for Jax”s response. The silence on the other end was thick, charged with unspoken concerns and a history marred by conflict.

”Okay,” Jax finally broke the silence. ”I will take this to the vampire council and let you know what they say.”

”Thanks.” I stopped pacing and leaned against the desk, relieved but not relaxed. ”Please let me know when we can schedule a time for our two councils to meet.” I paused as something occurred to me, a niggling doubt that made me bite my lip. ”Actually,” I started, hesitating before blurting out my next thought. ”Perhaps Dad and I should be the only one to meet with your council. I can”t guarantee that mine won”t want to subjugate yours. They”re... pretty angry.”

”That is understandable,” he replied after a beat. His tone was calm, but he had to have been planning what he was going to say. ”I promise to be in touch soon.”

I nodded even though he couldn”t see me. ”Talk to you then and say hi to Hailey for me.”

I ended the call and set the phone down, the quiet of the room closing in around me. That had gone better than expected, but the road ahead was still littered with potential landmines. I”d have to tread carefully.