AllFreeNovel
Share Us
With a little pop, the tentacles disappear, and a regular orange cat sits in front of me.
“Apologies. That was freshrxanor. I couldn’t help myself.”
Ms. Greenly looks down at the cat. “How do you know what—You know what? I don’t care.”
“So,” Stevie says. “Why are we here? And can we be somewhere else because this room smells like sex?”
“Sorry. It’s not like I can open a window,” I say, gesturing to the walls.
I lead everyone to the solarium, and we settle into the seats that face the window.
“I hardly know where to begin.”
Stevie reaches across the low table and takes my hand. “Wherever’s most comfortable.”
Chonk takes that moment to hop into my lap and start purring. “Right. Well, the heirs say I’m in something calledustrues…”
I don’t need to say another word. Both women start talking over each other.
“Lucifer’s tits, are you on birth control? Do you need some?” Ms. Greenly stands, pacing the length of the room.
“Oh, wow, if it’s anything like an omega heat, you’re in for it. How long has it been going on? My mom’s an omega and, phew,lemme tell you. I can’t be in the house when she gets like that. I usually stay with my aunt.”
“Have you been through it before?” I ask my Practical Magics instructor.
“What? Me? No. I’m not a demon.”
I shrug. “You smell like one.”
“Yeah, that’s just because I have a true form. I’m not really a demon, though.”
Stevie and I stare at each other before staring at her.
“You have a what now?” Stevie asks.
“I—It’s not important.”
“I think it is. More information is always better.”
Ms. Greenly lets out a huff and sits back down. “I’m mated to the Lords of Blackwood. When that happened, I pulled their true forms from them, got one for myself, and somehow also gave Chonk his other form, too.”
I lean forward. “But you’re a witch. The heirs say only a demoness can pull a true form.”
“Up until twenty or so years ago, there weren’t any demonesses. I was magic’s answer to a problem.”
“Problem?”
She shakes her head. “This isn’t about me, Dove.”
“It is more than you know.”
She gives me a disbelieving look. “How is yourustruesabout me?”
It just falls out. “Because I’m not a demoness either.”
Chonk’s purring cranks up to a ridiculous volume.
“Seriously, Dove. You’ve got to stop thinking you’re not a real demon just because you grew up not knowing your culture,” Stevie says, just like she would if she didn’t know my secret.
