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Augusts cupped his hands and looked through the window. There was no sign of Mara, and the sign in the window said CLOSED. He banged on the door, panic lacing his veins. What if she was hurt?
At the bottom of the red door, the cat flap opened, and Athanasius stuck his head out.
"Go away, sorcerer, you're not welcome here," the cat spat at him.
"Wait! Did the miracle come out? Is she okay?" Augustus demanded, falling to his knees.
"The miracle is fine, and Mara will be too after she gets over you," Athanasius growled. "I tried to warn you about playing with her heart, and you completely ignored me. Damn you to hell—put me down!"
Augustus grabbed the cat by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up to eye level.
"What did you just say? I haven't played with her heart. Iwanther heart."
Athanasius swiped at him. "If that was the case, you wouldn't have kissed her and gone home with another woman! She went to your house, so don't try and lie to me about it."
Augustus frowned, and then he realized what had happened. "There has been a terrible misunderstanding."
"I'll say. She should never have lowered herself to kiss you."
"Not that. I was helping a woman that night, and I let her in the house to use the phone and get some clean clothes. I never slept with her and had no intentions of doing so."
Athanasius stopped struggling. "Can you prove it?"
"Yes. I know where the woman can be found, and she can tell you herself if you don't believe me."
"It's not me you will need to convince."
Inside the teashop, a door slammed. Athanasius gave him a smug cat smile before yowling at the top of his lungs.
"Maaaarrraaa! The sorcerer has me and is going to hurt me if you don't open up and talk to him!"
"What are you doing?" Augustus whispered harshly.
"Saving your ass," Athanasius hissed. "Mara! Help!"
The red door swung open, and a very pissed-off saint glared up at him. Her black eyes crackled with fury, and Augustus's insides shriveled up.
"Put my grandfather down this instant," she snarled.
Augustus held onto the cat. "Not until you talk to me."
"I have nothing to say to you."
"Then it looks like you're coming home with me, puss," Augustus told the cat.
"Just talk to him, Mara, for saint's sake!" Athanasius begged.
Mara crossed her arms. She looked tired, her braid disheveled, and sadness radiated off her. Had he caused this?
"The woman at my house on the night of the blood moon wasn't someone I brought home to sleep with. She was in trouble, and I helped her."
"Helped her right out of her clothes from what I saw," Mara huffed.
"She was attacked by fairies in Fitzroy Gardens, and I helped save her," Augustus insisted.
"Fairies! Sure, Augustus. Don't bother, really. You probably saved us both from making a terrible mistake."
"Don't say that." Anger clouded Augustus's vision, and he took a step towards her. "Kissing you wasn't a mistake. Letting you leave without me was."
