Chapter 20: *CHAPTER 20*

"Keep that devil cat away from me," Malcolm hissed, as he maneuvered his truck through evening traffic. The sun had finished setting as we'd driven out of my neighborhood. A few stars peeked through the clouds, which were dusted with the gold of a fading sunset.

I sat squished in the middle seat of the truck's cap, staring out at the dark street. Caleb turned to me and smiled. It had been surprisingly easy to round up Mrs. Nisbitt with Caleb's help. After a furtive glance around to make sure he wasn't being watched, he'd used his Air Magic to sweep up the unsuspecting Mrs. Nisbitt from where she lay on the dirt, then gently plucked her furry body into his arms.

Malcolm hadn't been thrilled to have a cat riding in his truck, and the feeling was mutual for Mrs. Nisbitt. She shrieked and hissed the entire car ride back to Jenna and Richards, clawing up Malcolm's pant leg. Malcolm jerked around in an attempt to get her off of him as she slashed her claws angrily around his ankle.

At Malcolm's stricken expression, Caleb had laughed so hard that it took him more than a few moments to collect himself enough to Magic the panicking animal away from Malcolm and back into his arms. She curled up in Caleb's lap, her tail a nervous puff in the air.

"It's not her fault," I felt the need to defend her, patting her head in what I hoped was a comforting gesture, "She's just nervous. Her owner is gone and now a bunch of strangers just kidnapped her."

Malcolm shot me a disbelieving look, "She's not nervous, she's possessed."

Caleb snickered, "Malcolm has issues with cats."

"It's not me that has the problem," Malcolm retorted, "They're the ones that have issues with me."

Luckily for Malcolm, there was no more clawing the remainder of the drive, though she did hiss a few times, sending puffs of her graying fur around the cab of his truck.

The windows and streetlights were lit up in a soothing yellow glow when Malcolm pulled his truck into the driveway to the Pembroke's house. Malcolm was out of the truck so fast it was laughable—and if his thoughts were any indication he was just relieved at being out of the car and away from Mrs. Nisbitt.

He yanked my duffel from where it was stored in the back of the truck bed with ease, surprisingly not complaining about the weight—I knew what was in there, and it wasn't light by any means. Caleb and I both fighting smiles as we followed him up the concrete paver walkway at a much slower pace. Caleb had tucked Mrs. Nisbitt close to his chest, now cooing at her soothingly, and whatever he was doing had calmed the poor cat enough that she was purring gratefully in his arms.

The television was turned up so loudly that it was the first thing heard when walking through the front door. In the living room that was now familiar to me, after Caleb and I had spent most of the day entertaining ourselves on that very couch. From the entryway, Jenna's deep raven-colored hair was visible and she peeked over the back in our direction as we came through the doorway.

"You're back," she stood from the couch to greet us, a concerned expression twisting her face, "Richard told me what happened." She was out of her scrubs from this morning, now wearing a deep green lounge set. Her brown eyes bounced between each of us as if looking for signs of injuries as she came around the couch to meet us in the entryway. Her face had been washed free of makeup and it made her look younger somehow, "I heard you were bitten, Kassie, are you alright?"

"I'm alright." I rushed to assure her.

"Her shoulder could use some of your salve," Malcolm said distractedly, peering around the room.

"Of course, I have some right here." Jenna took a step in my direction, brandishing a silver tube of cream. After getting the okay from me, she began to gently smear a white cream--a sharp medicinal scent burned my nose mixed with the airy vanilla scent of her perfume.

"Is Richard back yet?"Malcolm asked her as he shucked off his boots, placing them in a neat line by the front door.

"He's in his office with Peter Pruitt," Jenna said, closing the cap on her tube of cream. Finished, she took a measured step back, the bite mark on my arm tingling from the cream, "That should keep it from scarring. I can't believe you had a run-in with a vampire of all things. There hasn't been a vampire sighting this far south in years." She shook her head, disbelief scrunching her face, "They usually stick to the mountains up in Canada if they venture out of Europe at all."

"Someone must have transported it," Malcolm said brushing a fleck of ash off the sleeve of his now smoke-stained white t-shirt.

Mrs. Nisbitt let out another pitiful mewling sound from where she was tucked against Caleb's chest. Jenna blinked surprisingly down at the cat as if just noticing her for the first time.

She gasped, "And who's this little sweetie?"

"It's George Morelli's cat," Caleb said, shifting the hefty cat around in his arms, "She doesn't have anywhere to go since George died, so we need to find a place for her—" A loud awoo broke through the noise of the television and a stumbling skittering hellhound bounded his way around the corner, tripping over his own feet in his excitement.

"Oh, no," Caleb groaned, "Winston, down, boy. Get down." Mrs. Nisbitt let out a huffing hiss, clawing her way up Caleb's chest and onto his shoulders in a desperate attempt to get away from an overexcited massive Winston.

"That's our cue to leave," Malcolm announced, turning his back on the ensuing chaos as he stalked off down a hallway I hadn't been down before.

'This way, Kassie. Hurry up.'

I rolled my eyes at his obvious impatience but didn't argue with him as I followed his retreating back out of the room to where I assumed Richard's office was. I wanted to find out what he'd discovered about whatever this Life-Binding thing was as desperately as Malcolm obviously did. Behind me, I heard Jenna coo to Mrs. Nisbitt, "You poor, poor baby. Why don't we get you something to eat, sweet girl?" And then in a louder voice, "Pizza will be here in about forty minutes, kids."

Malcolm waved a hand without turning around, "Sounds good."

I turned to look at her over my shoulder at Jenna who was snuggling up with Mrs. Nisbitt and making kissy faces at her while Caleb wrestled Winston out of the room, "Thank you, Jenna."

Jenna lifted her head to give me a sunny smile, "You're welcome dear! I'm out here if you need anything. Come watch Project Runway with me when you finish up."

A warm feeling I couldn't quite place took root in the center of my chest at her easy acceptance of me, which I quickly tried to stamp down. In spite of the Pembroke's easy kindness, I shouldn't let myself get too comfortable here. I wouldn't be here for long anyway. And then I'd be back to being on my own until I started school.