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“We will do our best. Is there anything you’d like us to bring out of your storage?”
Right. I’d left them with the key to my storage unit before I’d gone wandering, claiming they could count my stuff as part of their hoard. “No, but I do have a challenge you can issue to Erik.”
“Oh, that’s even better. What challenge?”
“If he’s that determined to come waltzing back into my life, he needs to charm himself a young, handsome carbunclo—and his little carbunclo will need to be charming enough to earn Garnet’s approval. She’s my little girl. You got me, Mom?”
“I am so proud of you. That is absolutely the perfect challenge for Erik. If he wants to pull off that sort of caper, he’s going to have to strut his stuff. First, he’ll have to find a young male carbunclo kitten. That’s going to be hard enough. There is only one kitten in the United States right now, and that’s yours. Breeding won’t be a requirement, correct? She just needs to accept him into her space?”
“I will be heartbroken forever if Garnet leaves me to get some nookie, Mom.”
“She’ll only leave you if she thinks you can handle the separation for a while. But I would watch what you say around her. She may take matters into her little paws.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that carbunclo are highly intelligent animals, and once they bond with someone, they will do whatever they can to make their someone happy. If she thinks you’re lonely, and you’ve told her about Erik, she will do just what you demanded: she will find a young male kitten, charm him, and then make sure he bonds with Erik, and then she’ll bring the whole lot of them home to you. Or she’ll set those wheels into motion however she can. So, as you were foolish enough to say such a thing in front of her, you may want to show her Erik’s picture. That way she knows what he looks like. I’ll bring some of his hair.”
For fuck’s sake. “You did not steal some of Erik’s hair.”
“He needed a trim, and he was foolish enough to let me do the work. I gave him a lovely cut, and he did not request I dispose of the hair. He assumed I would. As such, his hair is now my hair to do with as I please. And giving it to your little kitten so she knows who Erik is counts! It’s as I please.”
“If I have to put up with this nonsense, you will take me and Garnet on a field trip to find her some gemstones.”
“You are a naughty little hatchling, but I suppose I must do as you demand.”
My kitten mewed, abandoned her breakfast, and bounded to me, squeaking the whole way. Laughing, I leaned over and scooped her up. “Garnet is excited to get her first gemstones, Mom.”
“Of course she is. Carbunclo are grubby little gemstone hoarders.” She sighed. “I’ll bring a few presents for her, some things of Erik’s, a change of his clothes so you are prepared in case he comes calling, and your wallet.”
“I left my wallet in storage specifically to avoid people being able to identify me, Mom.”
“And how do you handle your taxes, young lady?”
“I do not file my taxes in Dragon Heights, and I use the anonymous system for my local taxes.”
“I don’t know whether to be proud of you or utterly disgusted at how good you are at this.”
“Can’t it be both?” I giggled, scratched under my kitten’s chin, and said, “Tell Dad I love him, Mom. I love you, but I’m going to go be a tourist for the rest of the day. Text me when you expect to get into town, try not to draw attention to yourselves, and come up with some reason why you would want to see someone like me.”
“Clearly, we are nosy dragons, heard about your kitten, and demanded to evaluate if you’re good enough for her. Don’t worry so much, Kinsley. We’re dragons. We can handle anything those silly beings in Dragon Heights can throw at us.”
“Those silly beings are also dragons,” I reminded her.
“Are they, really? Really? I suppose the titaniums are a decent lot. They did give you Garnet. I’ll put some thought into it. Have a good time, be careful, and do look closer at the pilgrims. Perhaps it’s not where they went but where they’ve been that’s the real issue.”
* * *
Thursday, April 23, 2167
Pilgrimage Ward
Dragon Heights, Wyoming
I should have dished out for a cab to take me to the shrines. However, I’d wanted to get photos of those in the Gray Ward, and bus hopping was one of the best ways to get around the city when lacking wings and needing to get a good look at as many people as possible. I didn’t expect the photos would lead to anything, but I took them anyway. On the way, I told Garnet what I knew of our home, and I taught her to make different sounds when she wanted to ask a question. Well, I somewhat taught her.
I asked that she make a sound indicating she was curious about something, and I did my best to memorize which of her mews was inquisitive along with the pitch of her squeaks when her excitement over the new and interesting became too much for her to bear. Everything about the carbunclo sparked joy, and I regretted I hadn’t allowed myself to experience the joy of having such a companion before.
If regular cats came anywhere close to the carbunclo, I foresaw my immediate conversion into a crazy cat lady.