Page 141 of Something Handsome This Way Comes

Milo grabbed Grievance by the arm and dragged him toward the door while Rowen and Sadie dissolved into laughter behind them.

“See you tonight!” Rowen called.

Milo shoved open the door and dragged him through it. But not before Grievance glanced back.

Sadie winked at him.

He pointed two fingers at his eyes and then at hers.

She blew him a kiss.

Yep. She was definitely the mastermind.

Back home, Pip had apparently established a curriculum.

“No. Like this!”

Grievance stopped chopping carrots, and Milo paused stirring the stew so they could both look into the sitting room.

Pip stood in the center of the rug with his front legs raised high. His little blue body puffed as large as it could manage while he exposed his fangs.

“HISSSSS!”

Esmerelda watched intently. Then she crouched. Her front legs bent beneath her, feathered wings flaring outward as her lips peeled back, showing tiny white teeth.

“HISSSSS!”

“Good! Good!” Pip bounced excitedly. “If someone attack Nestmaker, you do that.”

Esmerelda’s tail wagged.

“Then…” Pip lowered himself. “ATTACK!”

Pip launched himself across the rug. Straight onto Milo’s teddy bear. All eight legs wrapped around its head as Pip viciously bit into its face.

“Pip!” Milo said, wiping his hands on his apron. “Lucia gave me that!”

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

“No, wait⁠—”

Pip released the bear. “Now you try,” he said to the excited Glaceryn.

“No, wait!” Milo cried.

Too late. Esmerelda pounced. There was a terrible ripping sound. Then⁠—

POOF.

The sitting room vanished beneath a cloud of white. Grievance coughed as stuffing drifted past his face. A scrap of teddy-bear ear landed in the soup. Esmerelda sat proudly amid the carnage with the bear’s severed arm hanging from her mouth.

Pip bounced. “She is good student.”

Milo stared at what remained of his teddy bear as white stuffing drifted through the room like snow.

Grievance couldn’t help it. A laugh burst out of him.

Milo slowly turned. “Oh, you think this is funny?”