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“May I ask what you’re doing in my room?” I glanced back at the door I swore I’d locked earlier. “And … how did you get in here?”
A brightness shined in her eyes as she smiled. “I’ve been here a few days. Haven’t you noticed?”
I studied her expression, trying to gauge whether, or not, she was of sound mind. “Who are you?”
“Come now, Farryn. You know who I am.” She spoke in a beautifully articulate accent, a sound so melodic and crisp, it struck a chord of satisfaction.
“I’ve met you before?” In spite of the overwhelming familiarity, I couldn’t recall where, or when.
“I may not always take the same form, but yes. In another life.”
The moment she spoke the words, a vision of a cabin slipped through my mind. One set in the woods, with the delicious scent of broth and meat on the air. A cozy warmth burrowed in my bones at the memory. “Lustina met you. The cabin in the woods. Camael?”
“Excellent guess!”
“Camael. You … share the same name as my cat.”
“Of course I do. Your Aunt Nelle was a good friend of mine.”
“She named the cat after you?”
“No.” A devilish humor flickered in her eyes. “I take many forms. Temporarily, of course. Sometimes, it’s a cat. Other times a bird.” With a graceful wave of her hand, she gestured to herself. “Or a human.”
I schooled my face to keep from revealing my disbelief. “So, you’re one of those shifters, like in a romance novel?”
A trill of laughter filled the room, every sound from her mouth like a song. “No, no. I am something of a free soul. I move from one form to the next. And when I leave that vessel, it returns to whatever it was before.”
“Uh-huh.” A quick glance toward the clock on my nightstand showed one thirty-seven. Of course it did. Which meant this probably wasn’t real. “How did you get here? Like, from the neighbor lady’s to Purgatory.”
“I come and go here.” She adjusted her skirt, an elaborately printed fabric that somehow seemed fitting for Camael. “Have done so for quite some time.”
“Am I … am I hallucinating you right now?”
The flicker of her brow sent a tickle of distress through my bones. “Perhaps.”
“That sucks.” A downward glance, and I cleared my throat. “Can you excuse me for one moment. I’d just really like to put on some underwear.”
“Of course.”
I darted back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me, and tossed off the towel. Tumbling into the countertop, I hopped on one foot, hustling to slip on panties and the nightgown I’d set out. Even though it was still fairly early in the afternoon, I saw no point in throwing on a dress.
A sense of urgency goaded me as I wrestled my still-damp skin into the tight sleeves of the gown, which sought to trap my arm halfway. “Damn it!” I pushed through on a hard thrust, cringing at the screech of torn fabric. Lifting my arm showed a slight tear in the armpit.“Oops.”
I dashed back into the room, where Camael still sat in the chair, prim and proper and reminding me of a queen, the way her presence filled the room.
Which made sense, considering she’d always behaved that way in her cat form, like she didn’t have to answer to anyone.
“Can I get you some water, or tea? Do you drink anything in this form?”
She tilted her head forward and smiled. “I’m fine, thank you.”
“So, what brings you to Nightshade? The neighbor lady didn’t kick you out, did she?”
A hearty laugh jostled her body, clattering the many bangles and necklaces she wore. “No, no. She is always very accommodating. I came here to check on you. And to pass on a warning to you.”
“Uh-oh. Warnings are never good.”
The humor from before withered into an earnest expression that had my pulse rate climbing. “I have seen a dark aura in your future. Although it is not entirely clear, I sense you are alone, but divided.”
