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He turned to make a sour face at me. “Would you mind not drooling on my shoulder?”
“Sorry, old Chap,” I said, using a recording, and pointed at the bowl of fish heads. “Eat?”
Ziggy picked up the bowl and shoved it at me. “Have at it.”
With a happy chitter, I took the bowl of fish heads and returned to the living room to sit down across from the box again. Chewing on my snack, I considered the box. What could be inside? Axel had gotten all kinds of deliveries over the months that I’d been living nearby. They always came in a big boxy truck, and were always left on the porch. Whatever was inside, maybe it was more of whatever he got delivered all the time.
Or maybe it was something dangerous.
I growled and swallowed the last fish's head before picking up the box to shake it violently. Whatever was inside, it didn’t make much noise.
The t’chl sighed and put down his knife. “How many times do I have to tell you, Ghost? Axel will open it when he gets home.”
“Axel home soon?” I managed, snarling out the words.
“Any time now,” Ziggy gave the clock another glance, his nose twitching.
The glowing symbols he kept looking at held no meaning for me. Papa had never taught me how to read letters, let alone clocks. The symbols kept changing, however, and I knew that meant time was passing. A lot of it. Maybe too much. Was Ziggy starting to worry? What if something had happened?
A sound made me perk my head up. I left the box alone and scampered over to the window, peering through. Anticipation fluttered through me at the sight of Honor’s van coming down the long driveway. I couldn’t stop myself from leaping back and forth excitedly, even when it started to knock some things off the shelves. Waiting was too hard. I made myself invisible and incorporeal to slide onto the front porch.
As soon as Axel stepped out of the van, I pounced on him. He made a surprised sound as I accidentally pinned him against theside of the van. I rubbed the side of my face against his, making happy sounds.
The stiffness in his limbs relaxed and he let out a light chuckle before putting his arms around me. “Hey, Ghost. I missed you too.” He laughed again when I picked him up and tossed him over my shoulder, heading back for the house. “All right, all right. You don’t have to carry me. I’m going.”
Honor suddenly stepped in my way, arms crossed. I snarled at him, but he didn’t move.
He glanced from me to Axel slung over my shoulder. “Don’t forget what Mozley told you, Axel. I mean that. I can’t save you from yourself.”
Axel snorted and held up his middle finger. Honor rolled his eyes and stepped aside.
When I came to the door, I paused, trying to figure out how to get through it. With my claws, I couldn’t get the doorknob to work, and with Axel over my shoulder, I couldn’t just phase through it. I wound up putting Axel down and letting him open the door for me.
Inside, Ziggy was putting sneezy black specks and the juice of a yellow fruit on the fish. I made a displeased sound. I’d eaten one of the strange yellow fruits earlier in the day and found it sour and chewy. T’chl had strange taste in food.
Axel tossed his keys in the little glass dish near the door. “I take it the fishing was a success.”
I nodded and started bouncing around before I realized I was just making a mess in the small space. Human houses weren’t made for irqed dances. Instead, I held my hand out to Axel, who took it. His mind slipped into mine, warm, smooth, and comforting. Every time our minds touched, it was like being wrapped in the perfect darkness of underwater.
I let myself enjoy the feeling of contact for a moment before I pushed my thoughts and his presence toward memories of theday. I showed him the special fishing technique the t’chl had shown me, and how it had failed spectacularly. Ziggy had only caught a single fish by the time the sun was high and my belly had begun to rumble, so I dove into the lake. Sinking into the depths, I found a still, cool place and waited, letting my limbs grow weightless. My lure turned a pale yellow, and I unfurled my tentacles, spreading them out in the water. I waited for the water to still. Then I called into the deep, singing the song of fishes.
They came by the dozens, so many that it was easy to scoop up four or five at a time. I speared them with my claws, squeezed them tightly with my tentacles, and brought them to the surface for Ziggy, who seemed surprised when I flung the fishes to the shore. I showed Axel how I’d laughed when I realized Ziggy was irritated that my technique was better than his, and then I showed him how I’d splashed water onto Ziggy’s fur, irritating him further. Axel’s amusement bled through the connection, and I responded with pride that my story had been so pleasing to my mate.
I tried to encourage him to share a story from his day at work too, but when I did, he abruptly backed out of the connection, releasing my lure.
“Sorry.” Axel shook his head. “I’ve, um, got a headache.”
I hadn’t sensed that he was in pain, but maybe I’d been too excited about the fish. With a huff, I shuffled off to the bathroom where I knew he kept a little bottle full of pills for when he was hurt. Opening the mirror, however, I found there were many bottles. Well, how different could they be? I snatched one and brought it back to him, sitting on my heels.
Axel took the bottle and laughed. “Thanks, Ghost, but I don’t think I need any cold medicine right now.” He put the bottle aside and sank onto the sofa, turning on the television.
Instead of a tape, something else played on the screen, the image of an uncomfortable-looking man in front of a mapthat showed clouds and rain. It looked boring, but Axel didn’t actually seem to be watching it, even though he was staring right at it. Something was troubling my mate.
I climbed over the back of the sofa and sat down next to him. When he didn’t look at me, I leaned over and put my head over his. “Axel?”
He sighed. “Yeah, sorry. I’m just…tired. Long day at work, I guess. But I’ve got some good news. I’m off work tomorrow.”
I perked up excitedly and my chest warmed when I saw him smile.
