Feral Magic by Robin D. Owens Read Free Book Online

ring.
    Thank heavens she didn't have to cope with him on her own!  She picked him up and squeezed him tightly one last time.  So much had happened in a day, and she'd miss the kid-cub.  No way to even check up on him.
    "Let's get this done," Dak said.  From his lowered brows, he wasn't totally convinced of her arguments for the diapers and clothing and car seat.
    He held out his hand for hers and when she set her fingers in his, he kissed the back of her hand.  And licked it, then sniffed.  "I will remember you, your fragrance, your taste."
    She nodded.  "Yes, I'll remember you, too."  Disappointment welled inside her.  She could have had abandoned sex with him, healed her emotional wounds a bit more.  Too bad.
    She went to the front door and locked it, led the way to the back, letting Dak carry the baby and the car seat he still glared at.
    Her two cats sat by the back gate and sneered at Dak and his nephew, then chimed in with comments.  Glad they are going.  Glad they are gone! called Tom-Tom.
    Good bye!  Glad to see you go!  Don't ever come back! Gypsy said.
    Brandy moved the drugstore sack she'd forgotten to take inside to the floor behind her seat and set up the baby seat.  She managed to strap little Favel into it before he realized he was being restrained, then he set up a wail.
    She grabbed a couple of toys – she should definitely gotten cat chew toys instead of stuffed animals for baby.  She handed a toy to Favel who began to rip it with sharp teeth.
    Dak sat with a stoic warrior face and white-knuckled grip on the dashboard and door brace as Favel screamed all the way out of town.  Not even having the window open a little appeased him.
    Then the baby stopped abruptly.  She slid a glance at him in the rearview mirror.  The tot stared wide-eyed out the window.  Dak relaxed, too.
    "What happened?"
    He gave her a warm smile and cheer emanated from him.  "Earth's moon rose."
    "Oh."  She couldn't see any moon, hardly paid attention to it unless it was beautiful in the night sky.  Didn't even know what phase it was in – waxing or waning?
    Once she saw the first house-and-barn landmark, she slowed.  Dak grumbled and insisted she speed up since they were still miles away from the place where Brandy had found the cub.  She hadn't been sure, but Dak informed her when they'd reached the spot.  Once they were out of the car, he pointed out her previous tire tracks in the gravel on the shoulder.
    He'd left his door open since Favel was behind him, and Brandy circled the car to push the front passenger seat forward and get the baby.  She stopped when she glanced at the area and saw squashed stalks of tall weeds, dirt swirls showing someone had thrashed around and blood.  She caught her breath.  "You said someone was after you – did she come?"
    Dak took the decline to the field in one jump, stood and sniffed.  "That is where I fell after being hit by a monster vehicle, hours ago.”
    Though the sun was warm, she rubbed her arms.  "A truck hit you!"
    One passed with a blare, the shoulder wasn't very wide.
    He jerked, scowled.  "A wheeled box like that.  I do not like these vehicles.  They go too fast and they smell very bad and they taint the air with terrible fumes that hurt my nose.  We would not allow them on Ferix."
    Before she could reply, his gaze fixed on a shimmer in the air.  "There, the dimensional portal!"
    She wasn't sure what she expected – a black hole full of stars, or a window on another world or what – not that she could see much of the portal because it appeared to be sideways towards her.  Sure didn't look like much, a patch of grayness floating about six feet in the air and the size of a person.  Not at all impressive.
    Favel shrieked in his car seat, struggling against straining straps.
    He was glowing.
    "Hang on a minute," Brandy snapped.
    Apparently he didn't know those words.  "Quiet!" she ordered.
    He stilled, face scrunching into anger.  She thought she