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- Pen -
I wake up to a fluffy tail draped over my face, which means a fluffy ass isn’t far behind.
“Anny!” I shove the fox off and a grunt of surprise fills the room.
The scent of scorched fur follows, and Anny lets out a high-pitched yelp as she bolts for the other room.
On my other side, Flint flings a pillow across my body at Darius. “Hey, no setting my familiar on fire!”
“Then train her to stay off the bed!” The pillow flies back across, smoldering with Darius’s irritation at such a rude awakening.
The sound of the shower running drifts from the bathroom, which must mean it’s time to get up, but my foggy brain disagrees. Darius and Flint’s argument scrapes against my nerves, adding fuel to the anger rising inside me at being woken up like this.
“Both of you, shut up!” I struggle to escape the comforter. “I’m getting a separate room!”
Flint’s head whips toward Darius. “See what you did?”
Ire flares in the ignis demon’s eyes. “It was not my familiar roosting on her face.”
I fight myself free and crawl to the end of the bed. “You’re all assholes, and I’m done with this shared room bullshit. I want our cabin repairs finished so I can get some distance from you guys.”
A hand touches my flank. “Gods, that’s a sweet ass, even when she’s angry.”
I kick backward, nailing Flint in the soft middle. Whipping around, I glare through the screen of my hair. “Touch me again, and I’ll break your fingers.”
He wheezes and clutches his stomach. “Yes, my love.”
Darius smirks at his pain. “You should know better than that before she’s drank her coffee.”
“Did someone say coffee?” Marc appears in the doorway, holding a flaming capunis. “And why is Orianna on fire?”
Gaze locked on the flickering flames, I stride forward, reaching for the mug.
Marc dances backward. “Hey, this is mine.”
Flint stares at him in horror. “Oh, no, he did not.”
“Indeed, he did.” Darius sighs and gives Marc a forlorn look. “I shall regret your passing, dear friend.”
Chuckling, Marc offers me the flaming mug. “Just teasing. Even with the amulet’s help, I can’t handle this stuff.”
Focum’s Heart glows from beneath his shirt, the ancient amulet protecting him from his elemental power. Against non-magical fire, though? It’s useless.
With a primal grunt, I snatch the mug and suck down the fire as I stride past him on my way to the settee. It sits next to the windows, where the first blush of dawn brightens the sky.
It’s way too early for this shit.
Anny’s singed tail sticks out from beneath the small couch, and I step over it before curling up in the corner, hunching over the smoldering coffee.
Marc returns to the dining table to pour himself a regular coffee. Wisely, he keeps his distance while waiting for me to wake up from my grouch.
A few scalding sips later, the fog in my brain dissipates enough for me to regret my actions. “You okay, girl?”
Claws scramble on the hardwood, and Anny’s head pops into view, the torn remains of her toy rat clamped in her teeth. She spits it onto the cushion next to me before clambering up to pant happily in my face.
I lean away from her doggy breath. “I still don’t like you.”
She pants harder, moist air blasting me in the face as her burnt tail baps against the side of the settee.
