Earthbound: An Otherworld Novella Read Online Free PDF

we stood, to the left I could see a kitchen, and to the right looked to be a living room. Iris led us into the kitchen where a tall, thin woman was waiting. She was obviously half-Fae, I could tell just by looking at her, and she held a portfolio in her arms. She was wearing the most beautiful makeup I had ever seen, and I had a sudden desire to beg her to let me try it. But I restrained myself. Accosting a stranger for their cosmetics wasn’t exactly the best icebreaker.
    Iris introduced us, and the realtor—whose name was Novena—led us on a tour, starting with the basement.
    As we examined the tidy little suite of rooms, I thought it might work perfectly for Menolly.
    “This has possibilities,” I said.
    Delilah nodded. “Not much work to be done, really.”
    The main floor contained the kitchen—which was huge, a pantry, the utility room, a cozy bedroom, a bath, a parlor and the living room. Two sets of stairs led up to the second story; one from beside the pantry, the other from the living room.
    As we made our way up the narrow staircase, I ran my hands along the polished mahogany railing, listening to the resonance of the wood. The house was happy, but lonely. It needed a family to love it and take care of it.
    The second story included three bedrooms and a bath. One of the bedrooms had a balcony overlooking the yard and all I could think about was how wonderful it would be to sit out under the stars, watching the moon. I needed to be out under the Moon Mother when she rode full on the night sky.
    “This would be perfect for you,” Delilah said.
    “I was thinking the same thing.”
    We headed up to the third floor. The layout mirrored the second second story, for the most part. Bedrooms and a private bath, along with a narrow attic.
    Delilah clapped her hands. “I could get used to it up here. Look how high it is!”
    She opened one of the windows and leaned out, staring out at the branches of a huge oak tree brushed the eaves of the roof. The next moment, before I could stop her, my sister turned into a tabby cat—a blur of long golden fur and razor blades. Her clothes changed into a little blue collar around her neck.
    “Delilah! Don’t you dare!” I dove for her, knowing what was coming next. But I hit the floor face first as she leapt to the windowsill and out onto the roof, scampering out of reach into the oak’s branches. I groaned as Yugi helped me up.
    “Are you okay? And what the hell just happened?” Yugi stared out the window at Delilah, who is delightedly chasing a butterfly on to another branch.
    “Welcome to my family,” I said, shaking my head. “In case Chase hasn’t told you, Delilah is a werecat. Only she has a problem with self-control. What the hell are we going to do now? I’m terrified of heights and if I tried to climb out there, I’ll fall off the damned roof and break my neck.” It was true. Heights, mountainsides, cliff sides—they did not mix well with my fear.
    Iris snorted. “You’re not getting me out there.”
    Yugi let out a sigh. “What will she do if I go after her?”
    “Probably run. We need something to entice her back inside. The only thing she likes better than chasing bug are shiny things. Either of you got something like that?” I glanced over at the realtor who was stifling a grin. “You wouldn’t by chance have any ideas on what we should do?”
    “Well, I might have something to help. Stand back and I’ll see what I could do. I promise I won’t hurt her.”
    Novena waited until we were out of the way, then leaned out the window. She reached out one hand, and fluttered her fingertips. As we watched, a ribbon of sparkling lights unfurled from the palm of her hand, trailing out the window until it reached Delilah, who was now focused on chewing on a leaf. The dancing lights tapped her on the left haunch. Delilah jumped, her head jerking around. At first she looked startled, but then when she saw the lights her eyes grew wide. I stifled a laugh,