doors, the Fams of Camellia and her husband, Laev T’Hawthorn.
We smelled a new FamCat. A new FamCat has come to visit us and play?
Mica, the young female calico asked. She scanned the room and Tiana holding her Fam. The cat screeched and leapt onto Camellia’s shoulder.
It’s RATKILLER!
she yowled.
Five
T he calico cat, Mica, screeched,
He hurt me when I was a feral kitten!
Tiana’s Fam stopped gnawing on the clucker leg and looked at the new arrivals, Mica first.
I just gave you a tap.
He smiled, and because of his half fang it seemed more like a leer.
A looove tap.
Brazos leapt in front of Camellia’s feet, bristled and bottle-tailed.
She is mine. Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, MINE. MY mate.
RatKiller snorted.
“RatKiller.” Glyssa’s lips twitched.
“He’ll need a new name, of course,” Tiana said.
“Do you want more tea, GreatLady D’Hawthorn?” the housekeeper asked, using Camellia’s title. Not the first time the three friends had been viewed with disapproval by Laev’s Family staff. It didn’t bother them.
Camellia lifted the pot she held. “Thank you, GentleLady. I can heat this up.” She looked at the remnants of their meal. “The food can be cleared, but could you translocate another dessert plate with little cakes and flatsweets?”
“Yes, GreatLady.” Back stiff with offense, the housekeeper gestured and the two massive trays, one of no-doubt antique Hawthorn china and the other of food, floated with her from the room.
RatKiller went back to chewing the clucker leg.
You are a Fam now?
the long-haired, nicely groomed black Brazos sneered.
Took You long enough. I didn’t think You’d ever find a person to like You.
He lifted a paw, licked it, and smoothed the fur over his ear.
You see this Residence? I live here, I am the TomCat here. I have a rich FamMan.
Sniffing, RatKiller nuzzled his head, and the bone in his mouth, against Tiana’s upper chest. She now had small shreds of meat on the robe. The second garment she’d ruined today.
MY FamWoman lives in the hidden garden, where Your FamMan can’t go. Where only Special People can go.
Brazos growled.
My FamMan was there once.
“Enough!” Tiana said, then cleared her throat as her cat widened his eyes in a pitiful manner. “Are you still hungry?”
He burped around the bone.
I could eat more.
Camellia stroked her FamCat. “Mica, will you show our guest, um, RatKiller, the Fam no-time storage unit outside against the patio wall?”
Yes
, the calico sniffed, too, and, adding Flair to her jump, sailed across the room to land in front of the open door. She crooked her tail.
Come on, Brazos. Come on, RatKiller.
She flicked her tail and sauntered out.
I would like hot, hot furrabeast bites!
RatKiller said.
And cold, cold milk! Does your no-time have that?
Mica said,
Of course. My FamWoman makes all our food and drink.
And a no-time would produce the food and drink at the same temperature it went into storage.
RatKiller licked under Tiana’s chin before he jumped from her arms, leaving the picked-clean bone behind.
I will see you later, FamWoman.
He didn’t walk, he swaggered. Brazos, the black cat, followed, prowling, ready to pounce. Well, better any fighting take place outside the house.
Tiana glanced down at herself and caught both her friends looking at the smeared and dirty robe. At least it didn’t look like it had any cat-claw holes.
Her friends’ lips were twitching when she glanced up again.
“RatKiller!” Camellia gasped.
Glyssa just shook her head. “You have interesting times ahead of you.”
“I guess so. I’m sorry about the robe, Camellia.”
“A cleansing spell will take care of it. Here, let’s examine your gown.”
“I should have known better than to wear white,” Tiana grumbled.
“Why? You thought you’d stay inside the Temple,” Glyssa said absently. She stroked the sleeve of the heavy cloth. “Whoever worked on this did an incredible job. It appears to be
We smelled a new FamCat. A new FamCat has come to visit us and play?
Mica, the young female calico asked. She scanned the room and Tiana holding her Fam. The cat screeched and leapt onto Camellia’s shoulder.
It’s RATKILLER!
she yowled.
Five
T he calico cat, Mica, screeched,
He hurt me when I was a feral kitten!
Tiana’s Fam stopped gnawing on the clucker leg and looked at the new arrivals, Mica first.
I just gave you a tap.
He smiled, and because of his half fang it seemed more like a leer.
A looove tap.
Brazos leapt in front of Camellia’s feet, bristled and bottle-tailed.
She is mine. Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, MINE. MY mate.
RatKiller snorted.
“RatKiller.” Glyssa’s lips twitched.
“He’ll need a new name, of course,” Tiana said.
“Do you want more tea, GreatLady D’Hawthorn?” the housekeeper asked, using Camellia’s title. Not the first time the three friends had been viewed with disapproval by Laev’s Family staff. It didn’t bother them.
Camellia lifted the pot she held. “Thank you, GentleLady. I can heat this up.” She looked at the remnants of their meal. “The food can be cleared, but could you translocate another dessert plate with little cakes and flatsweets?”
“Yes, GreatLady.” Back stiff with offense, the housekeeper gestured and the two massive trays, one of no-doubt antique Hawthorn china and the other of food, floated with her from the room.
RatKiller went back to chewing the clucker leg.
You are a Fam now?
the long-haired, nicely groomed black Brazos sneered.
Took You long enough. I didn’t think You’d ever find a person to like You.
He lifted a paw, licked it, and smoothed the fur over his ear.
You see this Residence? I live here, I am the TomCat here. I have a rich FamMan.
Sniffing, RatKiller nuzzled his head, and the bone in his mouth, against Tiana’s upper chest. She now had small shreds of meat on the robe. The second garment she’d ruined today.
MY FamWoman lives in the hidden garden, where Your FamMan can’t go. Where only Special People can go.
Brazos growled.
My FamMan was there once.
“Enough!” Tiana said, then cleared her throat as her cat widened his eyes in a pitiful manner. “Are you still hungry?”
He burped around the bone.
I could eat more.
Camellia stroked her FamCat. “Mica, will you show our guest, um, RatKiller, the Fam no-time storage unit outside against the patio wall?”
Yes
, the calico sniffed, too, and, adding Flair to her jump, sailed across the room to land in front of the open door. She crooked her tail.
Come on, Brazos. Come on, RatKiller.
She flicked her tail and sauntered out.
I would like hot, hot furrabeast bites!
RatKiller said.
And cold, cold milk! Does your no-time have that?
Mica said,
Of course. My FamWoman makes all our food and drink.
And a no-time would produce the food and drink at the same temperature it went into storage.
RatKiller licked under Tiana’s chin before he jumped from her arms, leaving the picked-clean bone behind.
I will see you later, FamWoman.
He didn’t walk, he swaggered. Brazos, the black cat, followed, prowling, ready to pounce. Well, better any fighting take place outside the house.
Tiana glanced down at herself and caught both her friends looking at the smeared and dirty robe. At least it didn’t look like it had any cat-claw holes.
Her friends’ lips were twitching when she glanced up again.
“RatKiller!” Camellia gasped.
Glyssa just shook her head. “You have interesting times ahead of you.”
“I guess so. I’m sorry about the robe, Camellia.”
“A cleansing spell will take care of it. Here, let’s examine your gown.”
“I should have known better than to wear white,” Tiana grumbled.
“Why? You thought you’d stay inside the Temple,” Glyssa said absently. She stroked the sleeve of the heavy cloth. “Whoever worked on this did an incredible job. It appears to be
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