CHAPTER 153

It had taken the better part of the afternoon to get home, but Mike didn't mind. Abella was content to walk in silence while clinging to his arm. It threw off his gait a bit, but he had more important things to think about.

Ever since the incident in the clearing, the sounds and feelings he experienced had gotten more intense. It was as though he had opened the window into a different world and then forgotten to close it all the way. Each tree they walked past whispered to him in greeting, and on more than one occasion, a tree branch would pat his shoulder as if they were old friends.

Though the paths were buried in snow, he could sense them. The thin trails were lacking in foliage, so they were the quiet parts of the forest. It was almost like having a song stuck in his head, except now it was several radio stations running at the same time.

He thought of Bigfoot's offer to help him speak with the forest. It was something he would need to look into right away.

It also felt like he was being watched. It wasn't a malicious gaze, by any means. In fact, it felt almost playful, and he had a suspicion that it was the cabin herself, keeping an eye on him.

No, not quite the cabin. She was also the land, she had told him as much. He thought back to the times he had conversed with the house. This was far different, with the cabin less secretive and much chattier than her sister.

And were they actual siblings? Or was it more of an honorific? Had some guy gone around knocking women up with baby buildings? Was that where the term laying wood came from?

"Oh!" Abella squeezed his arm, causing him to stop. A large white rabbit stood in front of them, its nose twitching as it sniffed the air. "It's not scared of us!"

"You know, I've always been told that wild animals who let you come near are dange—okay, yeah, go ahead." He watched as Abella scooped the rabbit in her arms. It looked like a snowshoe hare with its massive back legs, but he wasn't an expert by any means.

"It's so fluffy!" Abella rubbed her cheek against it, and he half expected it to go full Monty Python and take off her head. The creature was content to accept Abella's love for a few more moments, and then kicked its feet to let them know it was done. Abella set it on the ground and it hopped off into the woods.

"So like I was saying, you shouldn't handle wild animals," he told her. "It can mean they're sick, injured, or any number of bad things."

"You shoot lightning out of your dick and I breathe fire." She cocked her head at him and arched an eyebrow. "I think I can handle petting wild bunnies."

He rolled his eyes but didn't argue, though he did want to clarify the dick comment. His magic had been related to sexual intimacy, but clearly, it was attempting to do something new.

Did magic evolve over time? Or was it a result of the abilities he had gained from the others creating something new? Thinking on this idea, the weird stuff had started happening after sex with Quetzalli. Was it because her affinity was storms, or was it related to her draconic nature?

He was probably the only man alive to stick his dick in a dragon. Not exactly something you could find a support group for.

When the cabin came into view, Abella unfolded her wings.

"I need to go back to my duties," she told him. "But count me down for a walk anytime."

With a wink, she took to the sky and started her ascent. He watched her climb until she looked like a distant bird. Now flight would have been a fun ability to gain, but if Abella had stone wings, would his just be skin? On top of having to alter all his shirts, he didn't want wings that looked like a stretched scrotum.

"You have returned." The owl stepped out of her hiding place beneath a large pine tree. "I wondered if you would return."

"This is the safest place to be," he replied.

"Humans aren't necessarily known for being trustworthy," she countered. "I suspected you to hide somewhere else and leave the work to the others. You cannot fault me for having doubts."

"When you ate humans, did you barf up their remains in large pellets?" He held out an imaginary football. "Like, if I dissected it, would I find finger bones and shit?"

Her brow furrowed, giving her a frightening countenance. "Are you trying to insult me?"

He took a step toward her, never breaking her gaze. "No. Just reminding you that respect runs both ways. You came to me, remember?"

The owl clacked her beak, then slumped her shoulders. "My apologies. I am nervous about our encounter with Leeds and may not have chosen my words wisely. My path with humans has been difficult, and I lean on old habits when stressed."

He nodded. "I'm nervous, too, but this isn't my first near-death situation. Your plan sounds like it will work."

"And it should. However..." she held up a clawed hand. Crimson light danced along her talons. "I feel as if I have overlooked something."

"Well, I hope you remember it." He backed away to give her some space. "When I went camping as a kid, I always felt like I was forgetting something. It seemed like the more convinced I was that I'd left it behind, the less likely I had actually screwed up."

"So if you weren't worried, it was because you forgot it entirely?"

He nodded. "You got it. Right now, I spend almost every day waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe I forgot whatever or didn't think everything through, and it will come back to bite me in a bad way. I'm the kind of person who is quick to adapt, cause I'm used to my plans going wrong."