CHAPTER 26

"That makes both of us." He looked around at everyone that had gathered. Cecilia waved to him dreamily from the front porch while Tink scowled at him nearby. The little goblin wasn't happy to be left behind, but he felt like he was in good enough hands with Yuki. The snow-covered forests of Oregon would give her a huge advantage.

"Oh, don't worry little goblin." Lily stepped out of the house but had already shape-shifted into Mike. "You can always snuggle with me at night."

"Fucking horny bitch," Tink muttered, then ran up and hugged Mike around the waist. "Husband come home safe or Tink be really mad. Bite husband real good this time."

"Oh, I know you will." During an intimate moment earlier that morning, she had bitten him on the neck hard enough to leave a mark. When he let her go, she moved over to stand with Kisa, who was sitting on the stairs. Next to her was Lily, a mirror image of himself. "As for you, try to behave."

"Of course, I will," Lily told him in his own voice. "'Cause I'm a sexy boy scout. Be prepared, right? Now where are my bitches at? We're gonna be fucking for days!"

"That's not what I sound like," he muttered.

"C'mon, bro, it's all good." Lily threw her arms around Mike and gave him a good squeeze. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm going to knock everybody up while you're gone, just you watch. I've got enough of your baby juice packed away to make mommas out of all of them."

"What?" His mouth was suddenly dryer than it had ever been.

"Gotta go!" Lily stuck out her tongue and walked back up to the front door. "I've got a date with a kitty cat." When she looked down at Kisa, the catgirl nodded and slid the silver bracelet onto her wrist.

Mike groaned as they went inside. He knew he could trust Lily, but she wasn't making it easy for him.

"Mike?" Beth walked up from the garden with Sulyvahn in tow. "Are you leaving now?"

"I am." He gave her an awkward wave. "Hopefully this goes better than last time."

She grimaced.

If the roof was still attached when he came home, he would consider it a win.

"I guess that's that," he said, then opened the door to the shed. A cold blast of air came through it. "So, let's—"

Abella landed with a thud in front of him, causing him to jump.

"I'm going, too," she said, her dark eyes glittering.

Mike blinked in astonishment. "I thought you couldn't leave the house."

"I cannot," she told him. "Unless the Caretaker is in danger. I believe that you are walking into danger right now, therefore I am going with you."

"Abella, I—" He looked over at Beth, hoping she would interject. Without Abella, the home's strongest defenders would be away.

"I know what you're thinking," Abella said. "The home will be fine without me. It can be rebuilt. You cannot."

Famous last words, he thought.

"They have the centaurs and the lizard." She added while gesturing at the Jabberwock. "And Lily is almost as strong as I am. In fact, this place is more well-guarded than when you first moved in. And if someone should actually breach the house, I'm sure Ratu and Asterion would show up to help as well."

He thought about arguing with her, but to what end? She had already made up her mind and he wasn't sure he could convince her otherwise.

"We'll need to be careful," he informed her. "Apparently, the cabin is a bit unstable."

"I'll go last," she said. "You've made a wise decision."

He looked over at Yuki, then back at Abella. The two of them alone had been enough to fight off a possessed Jabberwock, he couldn't imagine an obstacle they couldn't handle.

"I guess it's time then." He looked at the house, then at Beth. "Call me if there's trouble."

She nodded knowingly. "You do the same."

Once he was through the portal, the plan was to have the rats close it. If something drastic occurred, the shed could be destroyed, which would accomplish the same thing.

When he tried to go first, Yuki shoved him out of the way. Her tails swished behind her as she crouched down to go through the hole that had been chewed into the wood of the shed. On her way through, she summoned a ball of light in her hand, then cast it into the dark room ahead. It illuminated a dirt cellar decorated with wooden shelves that were covered in a thick layer of dust.

"Me next." Dana pushed her way past him, followed by Quetzalli. He received a nasty shock from her in passing. Shaking it off, he crouched down to go through the opening and felt the temperature drop.

Now in the cellar, he turned on his phone's light and looked around. Yuki had already found the stairs and had opened the hatch up above them, which let in some light. She and the others were on their way up when Abella squeezed through the portal.

The gargoyle grunted, then popped through. The wall vibrated, and the portal shimmered for a second, but it held. When Abella stood, her wings wrapped around her body like a cloak.

"And?" he asked, expecting her to retreat through the opening. He didn't know if the house would simply call her back, or demand she return.

"And you should go first," she said. "In case the stairs collapse." Her brow was furrowed as if in concentration.

He nodded, then headed up. The cabin was drafty, and he saw that it was also empty. The others had apparently gone outside. The front door was missing, which accounted for the chill. Behind him, the sound of creaking wood filled the air, so he made haste to get outside as well.

The others were waiting, their eyes on the forest. He assumed by their relaxed postures that they were away from prying eyes. Behind him, the cabin groaned in protest as Abella crossed the living room and stood in the frame of the door.