Page 32 of Bad Witch

He dropped his head onto his front paws.

I took my plate and ate in silence. I hadn’t realized how much I’d needed it. The world was noisy. After a lifetime of quiet, leaving my refuge to join the world had been challenging, but I always had my cottage to return to each night, to recharge in the silence.

Glinda and Manny were the perfect companions. They never wanted more from me than affection and food. The rest of the time, they took care of themselves. I missed them now. I never spent more than a night from them, and I hated doing it. I’d left out extra food for Glinda, though, and Manfred had goat or boar every other day, and I’d fed him yesterday morning. He’d be okay until tomorrow.

I finished my breakfast under Fender’s steady gaze, rinsed off our plates, packed everything up, including Fender’s clothes and strapped his prosthesis to my pack, then slipped it on.

Fender moved surprisingly well in this form. He had a little hop to his step, otherwise he moved fairly smoothly. His one back leg was muscled and strong and his front legs, and those huge paws, gave him exceptional balance.

I started walking, but he jogged in front of me and dropped to his belly, blocking my way, and pawed at the ground. I frowned at him, confused, then walked around him. He did it again, trotting a few feet ahead, then dropped, blocking my path. I rounded him again, and again he did it.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

He turned his head, aiming his nose at his wide back.

I blinked down at him. “Are you…do you want me to climb onto your back?”

He chuffed.

“No, I couldn’t. I’m far too heavy.” I walked around him, and he trotted ahead again and dropped. “Fender, I’ll hurt you.” He growled and made a sound like a coughing bark that I was pretty sure was him laughing. After that, he refused to get out of my way. I sighed. “Fine, you asked for it, but don’t come crying to me when you throw your back out.”

I climbed up, and he rose without any trouble. I squealed and thrust my fingers into his fur. It was like sitting atop a huge furry horse. He strode off with ease, occasionally trotting, showing off that he wasn’t in any pain. I dug my fingers into his fur to hang on and told him where to go as we moved at a faster pace through the forest.

Before long, I was smiling.

I’d panicked last night in a way I hadn’t for a very long time, and somehow Fender had known exactly what I needed to ease my fears and given it to me.

We rounded a cluster of pine trees.

“That’s them,” I said in awe. The blue cliffs never ceased to amaze me. I’d explored the surrounding area a little, never getting too close, but I’d felt the power that radiated from them, so kept my distance. Matilda W had never told me to stay away from them, but she always had, and I’d followed suit. Something was here, though, or had been here, and it had immense power.

Brigid had made these cliffs her home, I was sure of it.

Now we just had to find where.

Chapter

Nine

Tempest

* * *

We stood at the base of the cliffs, and I looked up. “They’re so tall it’s dizzying.”

Fender didn’t reply. He couldn’t since he hadn’t shifted back yet. He sat on his butt and looked up as well, then looked to me.

Was this normal? Staying as a hound for this long? I had no idea, but he seemed content. Or was he? I’d freaked out last night, and he’d responded by shifting. I’d run away in fear, and he’d altered himself instantly, so the thing I was afraid of was no longer there.

He wasn’t going to change back, I realized, not until I told him he could. Not until I felt safe enough to be around him again. Did I feel safe? Fender wouldn’t hurt me, but his questions could, especially if I reacted the way I did last night and blurted things I shouldn’t.

“I guess we should look for some kind of opening in the rock face?”

The massive hound loped ahead, taking the lead as he sniffed the ground. The sun was high in the sky now, and his fur shone, the reds and golds showing how textured and thick it was. I wanted to slide my fingers through it again. Despite his terrifying size and massive fangs, he was also gloriously majestic and kind of adorable like this. It wasn’t fair to make him stay this way.

“Fender?”

He stopped and turned back, his deep golden eyes so warm and, gods, soulful rested on mine. He waited patiently. He was always patient with me, wasn’t he? Fender was a good male. Every instinct inside me knew it too. “I kind of freaked out last night, huh?”