Looking at the clock, I saw I’d slept nearly nine hours. The moon would rise soon, so I stepped gingerly to the floor and, for the hundredth time in a day, missed the presence of Gus. He was still at Gran’s after her announcement that no giant, slothful cat would be permitted to interrupt my rest. No matter how useful he might be to me, Gran put Gus second. I detest the feel of an empty house. It leaves me unsettled and open to pangs of loneliness. I stood next to my bed and began taking stock of the general condition my body had to report. So far, so good. I was stiff, but only a little, and my nose still pulsed with each heartbeat, so I knew the bruise would still be there, but I felt rested enough to assist Gran with her casting. Assuming she might need my help was quite a leap of faith, if not outright arrogance on my part. I doubted that my magic could augment her particular skill at this spell, and might actually interfere, given that I was to be the bearer of Gran’s creation.
