Page 135 of Something Handsome This Way Comes

“Uuugh,” he groaned, running his hands through his hair. “And I just got her down for a nap.”

“Open door. Pip will discipline,” the spider said.

Milo wasn’t exactly sure he wanted to know what that meant, but cautiously, he cracked open the door.

The Glaceryn burst through the opening, squeaking and crashing into Milo’s furniture, sending frames toppling and Grievance’s jewelry collection scattering across the floor.

“Oh hells,” Milo said, scrambling after the living hurricane they’d invited into their home. “Come here!”

She chirped, dodging him easily, leaping onto the dresser, where she proceeded to knock down all of Milo’s freshly folded laundry.

“Bad Glaceryn!” Milo called, but she only seemed to laugh at him as she dodged his grip again, chirping all the while.

After only three days of treatment, she was obviously feeling much better. Milo treated her for the flu much like he treated Regina’s cat for a URI.

The Glaceryn had responded well, her patchy fur already growing back and her ribs much less visible.

And boy, did she have energy to spare. Milo and Grievance had hardly slept for three days.

“Down! I said down!” Milo commanded, pointing a finger uselessly to the floor. The little monster sat perched on a ceiling beam, waving her tail back and forth as though to say,

“You can’t catch me!”

But before he could climb after the little devil, something blue flashed across his vision. The next second, Pip was on the dragon’s head and gave her nose a hard BAP!

She flinched, blinking and nearly losing her balance. Again, a flash of blue, and she was once again bapped on the nose.

“Your witch gave you order!” Pip’s voice hissed. “Down!”

The Glaceryn looked at Pip, blinking in surprise, as though unsure how to respond to a talking spider.

Milo couldn’t blame her. Especially not when Pip was being so authoritative. He was taking this apprenticeship seriously.

The Glaceryn eyed Pip a moment longer before dutifully climbing down from the rafters, slinking over to Milo, and sitting on her haunches, looking thoroughly told off.

Pip jumped down right at her feet, waving his two front legs at her.

“This is your witch. Your master. You listen, or Pip will attack again.”

Crystal-blue eyes blinked; Andl…was there a hint of comprehension?

“Your naptime is not over. Go back to bed, as Nestmaker said, and wait for dinner. Go.” Pip waved his legs in the direction of the door.

And to Milo’s shock, she obeyed, her tail drooping sadly toward the floor as she made her way back to the makeshift bed they set up for her in the study.

Milo whistled. “Wow. I’m impressed. But don’t you think that was a little harsh?”

“I said I would take apprentice. Did not say I would coddle.”

A deep laugh sounded from the corner of the room.

“Oh, thanks for your help, by the way!” Milo said, rounding on his mate.

“You looked like you had it handled.”

“By handled, do you mean running around like a chicken with its head cut off?”

“Yeah. That.”