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A sleek black cat with a cute white patch on his chest stared down at me with glowing golden eyes. Huh, that was weird. When had I adopted a cat? I’d only lived in this town for a couple weeks, tops. I hadn’t even unpacked all my boxes yet, but I’d gone out and adopted a pet?
Someone placed a warm hand on my forehead. Who was here with me? I was in my own room, not a hospital. Yet these people seemed to know me.
Fear sent my heart galloping full speed ahead as I turned and found a pale-haired woman wearing a simple pantsuit and a giant smile. “Oh, Tawny. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them again. This time I spotted an incredibly handsome man with a salt-and-pepper beard and nicely toned arms standing behind the lady. His light gray eyes appeared curious—and also familiar somehow.
“May I have a moment with her?” he asked the others, who agreed and swiftly departed. Even the cat left. Wow, they really had him trained!
The handsome stranger sank down onto his knees and gripped my hand between his. “How do you feel?” he asked, concern reflecting in his pale eyes.
“Okay,” I answered cautiously. It didn’t seem like he wanted to hurt me, but what was he doing in my house while I slept? That was definitely kind of creepy. “Confused.”
He glanced back toward the door. It was still shut.
“What do you remember?” he pressed, turning my hand over in his as if he couldn’t quite believe it was real.
I tried so hard, but nothing came to mind. Just the weird dream and long, pleasant sleep. I knew my answer would disappoint him, but I also had no idea what to say in order to make him happy. Instead, I simply asked, “About what?”
He licked his lips and tried again. “What’s my name?”
“I don’t know. Is it Steve? You look like a Steve.” I smiled to soften the blow in case I got it wrong. Even though this man was a stranger to me, he clearly knew me.
The man hung his head and chuckled. When he looked back at me, I thought I caught the glimmer of a tear that refused to fall.
“Forgetting is the protocol,” he said, making me even more confused than before. “I mean, it’s the usual procedure.” He shrugged.
I furrowed my brow but said nothing. What could I say? Hey, crazy guy. I have no idea what you’re taking about. Get out of my bedroom!
He continued on, undeterred. “But, Tawny, there is nothing usual about you.”
“Who are you?” I asked. My throat felt dry. My head foggy. None of this was making any sense.
He waved his hand in a semi-circle, then flicked his index finger straight up, watching me the whole time.
“Who am I?” he prompted again. “Think, Tawny. You know this.”
And suddenly the fog lifted, revealing images from the past day and a half. Fluffikins sharing his memories with me as he purred on my lap, Greta propelling me through the air with strong and steady wings, that old guy in the suit whose beard reached down to his belt buckle, but more than anything… the man standing right before me.
I couldn’t stop the enormous smile that blossomed on my face. “You’re Parker.”
“And what do you last remember happening?”
A frightening vision filled my mind. We’d almost been defeated. A horrible pain. I passed out.
“Melony and her grandfather,” I said, trying to slow the swirl of images as I spoke. “They were in Mrs. Haberdash’s house. Said they had bigger fish to fry. That you were dead. Greta gave me her armor of light, but then I gave it back. Did she get Melony out of the house?” That had been the last thing I’d said before losing consciousness—to get Melony out of there—based on a sneaking suspicion I had that somehow the house amplified their family bond that much further. But had I been correct?
Parker raised my hand to his lips and gave it a lingering kiss. “Yes, you were right about everything. The moment Greta vaulted through the window with Melony in her grasp, the connection broke and the others were able to overpower her grandfather.”
“But why?” I knew Melony’s grandfather had urged her not to leave the house, but I still didn’t understand the full extent of it.
“Simple,” Parker said with a crooked grin. “Lila Haberdash lived her entire life in that house. Her parents lived there before her, and their parents before them. Over time, the house has absorbed generations of family magic—so much so that it became a part of them.”
“And it amplified their bond,” I said, finally understanding.
He nodded and looked as if he wanted to say something else, but I still had more questions that needed to get out of me.
“What were they after? Why did they need that extra power if Mrs. Haberdash was already dead?”
