Feral Magic Read Online Free PDF Page B

to have slept as much as he needed...was revved and with an abundance of energy that would wear her out in two minutes.  She'd stay in the bedroom for a while, didn't want to contemplate what might happen if Dak woke up and his nephew wasn't near.  More than ruined curtains, she figured.
    Kneading the broad back with his little fingers, probably marking the man with his scent, Favel burbled broken English in Brandy's mind.  Dak, Dak, Dak.  Mine, mine, mine.  My Dak.  Mine, mine, mine.
    Yep, all those "mines" were definitely feline.  And how could the baby speak English?  Some sort of translation switch in those jaguar people heads?
    More likely a spell.  Science wouldn't accommodate people turning into animals.  Magic would.  Brandy hadn't really believed in magic.  Before.
    Favel gave a final jump onto the man, who hadn't even twitched, and crept fast to the edge of the bed.  He slipped down to crawl to Brandy with such grace and speed that she wondered just how badly he would have been hurt if he'd landed on the concrete patio.
    Worse in baby form than cub, she reckoned.  She stopped rocking when he neared and pulled himself on her chair, then climbed up into her lap and thumped back and forth on her with a force that nearly took her breath.  She got the idea.  He wanted to rock.  So she did, and gazed at the man – paused when she noted that the scratches Favel had made on Dak's back with his teensy fingernails had already faded from a slight red to unblemished skin.
    Which meant the wounds she'd seen on the man earlier were very recent.
    What had happened?
    *~*~*
    Several hours later she heard the story as Dak shoveled barely cooked hamburger into his mouth and she stuck with a frozen diet noodle casserole dinner.  At least he wasn't eating with his fingers.  She'd demonstrated utensils and he'd picked those right up, as if he'd used such items – various kinds of items – in a slew of diverse places. 
    Favel was close and Dak took care of feeding the baby, which included raw meat and biting finger games.  Not for her.  The man would have to handle mealtimes with Favel.  Which he seemed happy and capable of doing, although he didn't like diapers.  Apparently Dak’s people kept their infants in pens hooked up to their sewage system.  Brandy didn't really try to visualize that.
    Dak himself wore rich-looking leathers – tight top molded into fancy armor-like protection, narrow legged pants, and sturdy boots, all of black that complemented his skin.  He’d hung something like a black trench on her coat tree.
    They'd just finished eating and Brandy had loaded the dishwasher and set it running when the delivery man arrived with baby stuff.
    Dak stood close as the man unloaded the boxes on the front porch.  When he was gone, Dak lifted the car seat, frowning.  "What is this?"
    "You want to go immediately to where your...uh...dimensional portal is, right?"
    The idea caused a little twinge in her heart.  She really liked the looks of the big guy and she enjoyed the male energy in the house.  Little Favel had wormed his way into her affections already.  Stupid that she'd miss both of them after such a short period of time.
    "Yes, we must find the portal as soon as possible.  Favel being missing is a disaster for my klatch."  The man's eyes went wide and face impassive, but Brandy felt the grief emanating from him.  "Both friends and enemies will believe I killed my beloved Favel, the last flesh and blood of my brother."
    The same baby cradled against Dak's chest and sucking on Dak's fingers.
    Dak's stillness made Brandy speak.  "That's bad."
    He inclined his head.  "I will be considered a murderer and my family tainted for birthing me and allowing me to prosper."
    There were several things wrong with the background of that sentence, but Brandy just said, "Also really bad."  She got the idea.  Culturally strange to her, but awful consequences nonetheless.  "All that?"
    "Yesss." He hissed