Page 7
“Yeah?” Day encouraged and bit into the pot roast, holding it up in his clawed fingers.
“He saw one of my siblings coming back here…. Well, I don’t know if back is the right word or…”
“Just spit it out, kit,” Night laughed. “We don’t bite. Well, we don’t bite our kits.”
“He saw that one day one of my alpha siblings would move here and start things back up. Like he’d run the village or whatever,” I said, unsure of the best way to put it.
“Oh, yeah,” Night nodded. “That. Yeah, he’ll come around Yule this year. It’ll be great. It’s already set up.”
“Huh?” I blinked. “Does he know?”
“Probably not. We haven’t told him,” Day shook his head. “It’s for the best. Running a village will be a lot of responsibility and he should enjoy this time while he can. Plus, having a mate with wings is gonna be interesting. Kits who can just fly off.”
“Some of my siblings have wings. Our sire is a dragon after all!” I laughed.
A surreal chill shimmied down my spine. I sat in the village of my ancestors talking with who I thought might be our vulpine version of Frost and Juda.
“Are you the founders of our line?” I asked, unable to keep the words on my tongue.
“More or less,” Day nodded. “There were others before us, but we came here to this village and a lot of foxes here descend from us. Our wild kids still live here. You’ve met them, I’m sure. Well, them and their kids and grandkids.”
“Oh,” I blinked.
“Mate,” Night said, wiping his hands. “I don’t think he wants to hear about our whole family tree. “He wants to meet his mate and if that’s going to work, he’ll need to be outside in the next minute or two to open that damn door. I’m not keeping it open forever.”
“What door?” I asked, already pushing myself up onto my feet.
“You can’t tell anyone about this for two moons,” Night said. “That’s the deal. We let you see the door and you keep your trap shut for two moons – two full moons.”
“Counting the one coming up in a week or so?” I asked.
“Yes,” he nodded.
“Uh… Okay. I’ll keep you a secret,” I said.
“And you should grab your pants, probably,” Day said. “I mean, maybe not. He is your true-mate after all. I don’t know. You just have to make up your mind quickly about that one.”
“What door? Where is it?” I asked, looking around.
“It’s outside. Just go on out,” Night chuckled.
I started to leave the room and spun the wrong way. Why did the small altar room suddenly feel so much larger? Where was Pox? I spotted his white tipped tail through the chaos and followed it.
“Pants!” Day shouted after me. “Pants!”
I sprinted into the bedroom and hopped around until I managed to wiggle into a pair of pajama pants. There was no time to waste. My heart pounded against my ribs, and I swallowed hard over and over unable to dislodge the lump of anticipation lodged deep inside my throat.
My shaking hands made it almost impossible to open the front door, but in the end, I managed to get outside. In the center of the village was a new, freestanding door. There was only one tiny difference between it and the doors I’d seen of life and death and those that acted as Other World gateways guarded by pairs of elven guards. Yellow caution tape had been drawn across it in a big X.
“What the?” I asked.
“Hurry!” Pox urged over our witch and familiar link.
“That’s---” I tried but Pox headbutted me in the back of the knee.
“Go! You don’t have long! Night said that you didn’t have long! Open it! Be brave! I’m right here!” Pox said.
I leapt off the porch, skipping the steps and thanking all the ancestors who I inherited grace and good landing skills from. I sprinted across the lawn, bare feet quickly growing damp from the dewy grass. I skidded to a halt in front of the door that looked to be made of solid oak. It was engraved with a willow tree that was only partially visible behind the bright yellow caution tape.
