The Second Summoning

“Come on, we’re going to go ruin Byleth’s life. What are you chewing?” she asked as they started down the basement stairs.

“Someone left a piece of calamari in that little room.”

“Eww. Don’t eat stuff you find on the floor.”

“I’m eight inches tall. My options are kind of limited.” As their voices faded, Claire moved back into Dean’s arms, slipping her hands under his coat and grinning at his reaction to the temperature of her fingers. “Now that Hell’s back out of the picture, you really have to put a furnace in this place.”

“I know. Claire, I was wondering . . .”

“Natural gas is probably cheaper.”

“Not that . . .”

Her hands dropped lower. “Just as soon as we get rid of everyone.”

“No. Well, yes. Wait a minute.” He caught hold of her wrists while he was still capable of stopping her. “The angel, is it gone, then?” She nuzzled his neck. “Not exactly. Diana turned him into a cat.”

“Samuel?” Shoulder blades pressed into the wall, he detached enough to look down at Austin.

“Samuel,” Austin told him. “But Diana thinks Claire doesn’t know, so keep it to yourself.”

“Why?”

He shrugged and wrapped his tail around his front paws, managing to somehow look like a small, furry, one-eyed Buddha. “It’s an older sister thing. In an effort to keep a small piece of the high ground, Claire needs to know things that Diana doesn’t know she knows because Diana is so much more powerful.

Keeperwise.”

“Okay. But couldn’t this whole thing . . .”

“No, he’s no more an angel now than that girl’s a demon. They canceled each other but when he knocked her away from the hole.”

“Did he know that would happen, then?”

“Does it matter?” Claire asked.

“I guess not.”

“I wouldn’t worry about him,” Austin said soothingly. “He’s a cat.”

“Which means?” Claire demanded from inside the circle of Dean’s arms.

“Which means, and do you have to do that in front of me? that he’s still a superior being.”