The cat crawled out of the cabbage patch, but otherwise ignored me, sniffing at the trout. Tentatively, he took a few small bites. Those bites quickly turned into ravenous mouthfuls until he wasn’t eating so much as inhaling the food in front of him.
When he finished eating, he licked his chops thoroughly before finally turning his attention back to me. “I am not what I once was. Even so, I have never been human.”
“But you can talk,” I refuted, making no attempt to disguise the skepticism in my voice.
The cat nonchalantly licked his paw. “Astounding powers of observation.”
I chose to ignore the sarcasm. “You’re absolutely certain you’re not human?”
He twitched his whiskers in annoyance. “Yes. I know what I am. Do you?”
He had me there.Whatever he was, I could tell he was suffering. In addition to his thin frame, there were a couple of prominent raised scabs on his back near his shoulder blades. Was that why he was here? To seek my help? “Have you come to make a bargain?” I questioned kindly, but he just flattened his ears at me. “Don’t tell me you owe a debt to the Midnight Sovereign,” I said next, thinking about Corvin’s justification for showing up on the island.
“The Midnight Sovereign owesme!” The cat swooshed his tail back and forth angrily.
“Oh. I didn’t realize. Is there anything I can do to help you?” I asked earnestly. “What’s your name?”
There was a slight reduction in the speed of his tail. “My name’s Nix. I’m a guardian, but I am no longer wanted within my own home.”
I frowned. “Guardian? What happened to your home?”
Nix’s yellow-gold eyes flashed predatorily. “It’s too late to do anything about it now.”
So, that was why he was here. Because he wanted a new home to guard. I wasn’t sure there was enough weight on his bones for him to hunt for his own survival, let alone protect the island in any meaningful way.He was what…five pounds?Besides, there were enough protective enchantments on the island to stall a small army. At least, so I had been told. Even so, like I just explained to Corvin, I understood what it meant to crave a larger purpose. Understood the burden of feeling invisible, like nobody needed me. “Are you saying you would like to live here with me? And guard the island?”
“You’re not going to banish me from the cottage? Or tell me to get lost?”
I threw my hand over my heart. “No, of course not.”
“Live here?” He moved his tail in a slow, lazy swoosh. “I suppose that could work. You don’t seem to have a lot going on.”
“Gee, thanks,” I replied. Then, feeling inclined to defend myself, “I’ll have you know I’ve been quite busy lately, getting the lampposts working again.”
“I noticed they’re filled with a violet flame. How did you manage that?” He sounded genuinely curious.
“A winning combination of Bunyip oil and phoenix flame.”
“Huh. You must have been bored. They’ve never been that color before—”
Never been?“Hold on a moment. How long have you been living on this island?”
Nix’s voice held a deep weariness. “Does it matter? What do you say, Little Moon? Shall I stay as your guardian or not. The choice is yours.”
“Little Moon? That’s a new one. And I’ve been called quite a few names lately.”
Nix’s tone was solemn. “Names are powerful. It isn’t wise to forget old names, especially those that belong to oneself. You should reclaim yours, while you still can.”How exactly was I supposed to reclaim what I didn’t fully understand?
“Right,” I said politely. “I’ve decided—you can stay if you would like. Please don’t make me regret it.”
Nix slept on the windowsill of my bedroom that night, his small form curled up into a tight black ball.
CHAPTER TEN
Ilaid a purple carnation on Kaylin’s grave, wishing her a happy birthday in my head.
Nix followed me into the cemetery, listening as I quietly informed Kaylin of all the recent changes around the island, the one-sided conversation still bringing me some comfort. I broke off mid-sentence when Nix suddenly crouched low to the ground, his hackles raised. The cat’s gaze swung to the lakeshore. “Are you expecting company from Solaris?”
“No… I don’t think anyone from Dewwick Village would visit me unannounced.”
