Page 64 of Wedding the Werepanther

Finn, Babybelle, and Princess Buttercup all start to make noise, until the bookshop echoes with yips, bleats, and plaintive meows.

“Yes, I understand you!” Dewdrop yells with glee. “And you, too! No, Princess Buttercup, I can’t give you my necklace.Shadow gave it to me, and it would hurt his feelings if I didn’t keep it.”

The familiars dance across the floor, trying to get Dewdrop’s attention. Finn makes spinning circles, Babybelle does little side hops, and Princess Buttercup leaps onto one of the display tables and sits on top of a stack of books to get closer. They all keep talking.

Hannah sidles up to me. “Oh, boy, you’ve done it now.”

“You can understand all of them, right?”

“I can understand any animal, even the ones who aren’t magical like our familiars.”

“Is it a lot?” I love designing games with talking animals, but games have well-defined parameters. What’s happening right now is flipping chaos.

“It can be. You should hear it when a whole flock of birds gets going.” She smiles. “But I wouldn’t trade my power for the world. Did you know a family of porcupines visits me regularly? The babies are the cutest things ever. They’re called porcupettes.”

“Luke made a crystal that lets him and Princess Buttercup understand each other.” Skye walks up and hands me a cupcake topped with cocoa puffs. “He says Jace expanded upon his spell, and now Princess Buttercup’s demanding she get a ‘better’ crystal.”

“Does that mean Jace can make more?” Autumn comes over and hands me a drink. “Because Babybelle wants one, too.”

“God, I hope so, or we’re going to have a riot on our hands,” Hannah says right as Finn knocks into the table Princess Buttercup sits on, and she leaps away with a yowl. Books fall, and Hannah claps her hands and yells, “Okay, you know the rules! No damaging the books. All familiars outside to the town green.”

Violeta opens the door, and the animals race outside.

I set down my cupcake and cocktail and start to follow, then pull up short when no one else does. “Uh, I haven’t really let Dewdrop fly around downtown without me. What if someone non-magical sees him?”

“The protection spell will make them think he’s a bird or something.”

“But a bird that can talk?” I ask.

“Doesn’t Dewdrop’s translation crystal only work on magical people?” Skye asks.

“Not sure.” I shrug. “Shadow said the spell’s supposed to let Dewdrop talk to ‘everyone.’”

We all share a look, then bolt for the door.

On the green, the worst-case scenario is already in progress, because of course it is. Mrs. Greely and her dog Max stand surrounded by our familiars, and she’s shaking her cane.

I slide to a halt a couple of feet away, and Dewdrop comes in for a landing on my shoulder. “I don’t think she likes me. I tried to tell her I’m nice.”

“Young lady.” Mrs. Greely’s cane shaking zeroes in on me. “Why in the world are you letting your parrot fly free? It’s not safe.”

I glance at Hannah and mouth “parrot” with a little nod to admit she was right: the protection spell makes non-magical people see the dragonet as a bird.

“It’s okay, Mrs. Greely.” I rest a hand against Dewdrop’s side. “As you can see, my… parrot is very well trained. He comes whenever I call.”

“Humph.” She thumps her cane against the ground.

“Did she understand you?” I whisper out the side of my mouth to Dewdrop.

“I don’t know.” He lifts his wings.

“Say something shocking. See if it gets a reaction.”

“Bananas are better than apricots!” he chirps.

A tiny snort of laughter escapes me. “That’swhat you consider shocking?”

“Of course.” He bumps his head against my cheek. “If I said that to other dragonets, it would be ascandal.”