Addison looked exhausted, rumpled, and stubbly.

The driver’s hood was pulled up over his head as before. Between helping Addison out of the car and the fact that the driver kept facing away from me, I couldn’t get a good look at who it was.

Addison tried to pay but the driver held up a hand to refuse, then drove away as soon as we were safely at the front door.

I poured him some ice water and we settled on the front room couch. He tossed a bunch of discharge papers including a recommended diet for heart attack patients on the coffee table and then put his feet up.

“The No Fun Diet,” he said to my curious glances. “I was told you sent the cab for me. Mr. Trey Signet. Thank you, my dear.”

Horror pooled in my stomach. I paused before answering with a fake smile. “Yes, you’re welcome. I mean, of course.” Another pause. “How was your ride?”

He shrugged. “Uneventful. He was driving a nice car, though. Very plush. How did you find him?”

“In the phone directory. The ad...it got my attention. So, how was the hospital?” I said, wanting to change the subject.

“Between all the tests, poking and prodding, and fluids checking, being in the hospital is not the restful place you’d think. But they saved my life. And you had a big part in that too.”

I sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to come back to visit.”

“I’d rather you stay home and out of mischief. I assume you took care of the pendant.” He looked spacey but not much got past him. I knew from experience.

“Yes,” I said. It wasn’t completely untrue. It was back with its original owner, in its original form.

“I’m sorry you had to get involved, it was always out of your hands. You don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

“I’m happy it’s over. Was the food at the hospital any good?” I asked, trying to sound innocent.

“I didn’t eat much while I was in there, but I imagine it was probably better than some of the things you’ve tasted in your life,” he said. “By the way, have you forgotten that we get mail delivered? Go grab the pile, please.”

I apologized and went out front to the mailbox as my mind tried to unravel what he’d said about tasting better things.

A wooden crate sat on the porch. I don’t know how I hadn’t noticed it when I walked by the first time. It was a bit heavier than I expected and I had to lug it inside.

“I’m glad I could trust you to hold down the castle while I was away,” he said as I set the crate down on the floor. Clyde was wrapped around his neck.

“Thank you,” I said, my brain failing to shut out the events of the last few days. “I’m glad you’re home. Really glad.”

He kissed my forehead and took the mail from my hands. “Thank you my dear, I’m very glad to be home too. Those must be books I ordered, I’ll get to them later. Look at all I have get caught up on.”

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” I said. “Taking a nap?”

“Sleep later. Work never waits.”

“I still can’t believe they released you after only a few days,” I said.

He shrugged. “They needed the bed. Such is life.” He went in the office and shut the door behind him.

I practically held my breath. A few moments later I heard him swear, the loudest I’ve heard him say yet. It was a word in his home country’s language that means something really profane and insulting. My stomach plunged. Then I heard paper ripping and more curse words from Helantha.

He opened the door. “Coralie, bring that crate in here. You are not in trouble.”

I almost fainted with relief.

Suddenly I remembered the black dish. It had completely blanked from my mind in the aftermath of the evil pudding and I’d never gone back to get rid of it.

Cold prickles of fear ran up and down my spine as I stepped in. There it sat on his desk. I felt its smug arrogance, as if it believed it had every right to be there. Clyde was inspecting the perfectly normal grandfather clock.

Addison instructed me to put the crate on the floor and to have a seat in the chair opposite his desk. He was holding the letter that had been left for him. He held up the dish and winced. “Don’t try to tell me it’s a paperweight. It stinks.”

“It’s not,” I sighed. “I meant to come back in here. I cleaned up the rest of the mess, so I don’t know. Maybe I blocked it out. Wish I could forget the rest of what happened.”

He put down the dish and eased into his armchair. “In my life I’ve seen and heard it all, I’ve already read this letter, and I’m expecting you to tell me everything that went on while I was gone and not leave out a single detail.”

“I don’t want to stress you out.” I tried not to sound argumentative. Wild curiosity nagged me about what the letter said.

“My Chimbrelis is smashed to bits. Help fill me in.”

“The letter didn’t explain that?”

He waved with it for me to continue.

“But, your heart,” I trailed off.

He frowned. “I know something happened here. I knew the second I saw you today there was something different about you. I know Mister Gentry is involved. Now I’m relying on your account of things, so talk.”

I told him everything. It all came pouring out, from Rufus taking the pendant, Roanna and Harte, Yvette, Ruddy, Jamison, Tobin and the undead invertebrates, the fight with Mister Gentry in the laboratory, the League of Demon Lords, falling into the Purrberus nightmare world, the cursed cab ride, becoming a dog, the gloves and the marble, and the evil pudding.

Addison tossed the letter onto the desk and rubbed his temples. “It was definitely not pudding. Mister Gentry was always mad about that scarf. Just be happy you are you again. He could've just let you loose in the city and you’d be spending the rest of your life running from the dog catcher.”

I stared. “You aren’t going to have another heart attack over this?”

“I’m sturdier than you think,” he said without a trace of humor.

I hugged my knees. “I’m so sorry it happened. I will never touch anything magical ever again.”

Addison raised his eyebrows comically high. “While I don’t completely believe you and don’t look at me like that, I look forward to you proving me wrong. You know that’s next to impossible, right?”

My face crumpled. “I know. Can you...fix it?” I already knew the answer.

“Not without it being another traumatic event to you and to me,” he said.

“Is there anybody that can fix it?”

“I know this is hard to digest, pardon the pun. But this could be permanent. Old demon magic. You could be hurt.” His expression matched his tone: grim.

I groaned and buried my face in my hands. Just when I thought I was finally safe. Why was I even the tiniest bit surprised? Mister Gentry was determined to ruin my life forever.

“But he put a Purrberus hair in it, and a bunch of other poisonous looking stuff. What’s going to happen to me?”

“We will both have to wait and see. I think you might be surprised,” he said.

How could he be so calm about this? I pressed my palms into my eye sockets. “It’s already been a terrible surprise. Can’t wait for tomorrow for something worse to happen.”

“Coralie, do you know what it means to look for the silver lining in something?”

“Isn’t it something stupid to do with clouds?” I scowled.

“Yes,” he sighed. “It means finding the good in a bad situation. Like seeing the bright edges of a dark cloud in the moonlight.”

Maybe it was meant to sound poetic but I ate the evil pudding and then did worse. “I’m sorry for giving him the gloves and the marble. I know they were both irreplaceable.”

Addison gave me a half smile. “That marble is not of Ransaran origin and will ultimately leave Mister Gentry and his cat.”

I had more questions than I knew what to do with. “Where is it from?”

“Like many things around here, it is much more than it appears,” he said, “and as such, the marble is from its own place because it’s a world.”

“A world?”

He nodded. “Now do you understand why I said it would eventually leave Mister Gentry?”

“Is it...alive?”

He nodded again. “It’s as alive as a world disguised as a sentient marble can be.”

“What about the ice cube part?” I said.

“It works,” he said. “I’ve tried it myself. I don’t recommend you do though.”

“What about the gloves?”

He waved his hand. “Let him have them. I’m sure Edwina would understand.”

That was a relief. I hoped she didn’t hate me from somewhere in the afterlife.

“All of this explains why I couldn’t get a clear vision of this place,” Addison said. “Any time I tried to focus it would feel scrambled or go fuzzy on me or I’d get whisked away to another test. I assumed it was because of my ticker.”

I nodded and yawned so wide it blocked my hearing for a moment.

“You should be upstairs recuperating from this ordeal,” he said in a tone that was almost scolding.

“You should be recuperating from yours. Can I file a complaint against the lady who yelled at me when I used the Chimbrelises?”

“I will contact someone as soon as possible. We will talk more later. Go take a nap!”

Instead of falling asleep right away, I tossed and turned, obsessing over my new demon-ness. What would happen to me? Would I die? Could I die? Would I go to a hell realm?

Hours later I awoke with a ravenous appetite. I heard a loud PSST as I passed by Gus on my way to the kitchen. Thinking it was his leaves rustling as I went by, I kept going.

PSSST! came the sound again.

I turned and looked up but didn’t see anyone, not that anyone should have been there, so I started walking away again.

“Do you plan on giving me a meal anytime soon?” said a raspy voice. “I’m alive you know, not some inanimate object for you to ignore when you get sick of me.”

I wish I could say I hadn’t jumped out of my skin. Out of all the possible abilities to have manifested, understanding giant carnivorous plant speech was not on my list.

Gus bent way down on his stalk way so we were face to face, except he didn’t have a face, just a ghostly white, lily-like bloom. I got a faint whiff of rotting meat.

Every week, Addison would drop a live, baby mouse down inside Gus’s bloom. The petals would close. If you stuck around to watch, you’d see it still moving. Gus would perk right up after feeding day. His odor became extra pungent. It’s why he lived close to the back door.

“What?” I said, my eyes on his mottled green vines uncoiling to the floor like snakes.

“Don’t just stand there gawking,” Gus said. The vines slithered towards my feet. “I would settle for some some reconstituted blood meal at this rate. Unless you want me to waste away.”

I quickly stepped out of reach. “Okay sorry, no need to grab me. I’ll go get some for you.”

A few minutes later I returned with a cup filled with the requested blood meal beverage, and poured it into his planter. He flicked his leaves in contentment. I promised to come back later with a mouse.

“Thank you for the blood meal. It’s about time you answered me when I speak to you,” he said.

I told him I had no idea he was. “I thought that was your leaves making noise. How can I understand you? You aren't anything demonic.”

“Because you are other than human now. You will see. Please wish Addison well. He takes good care of me. Now you will too, I hope.”

I said I would.

“I’m going to rest now. Good day.” His vines coiled up.

I left him and wandered to the kitchen to feed Addison and myself, and think about what I’d just learned about being something other than human.

I poured myself a bowl of dry cereal since there was little else except canned corn, molasses, a jar of pickled beets, more breadcrumbs, and Addison’s coffee. I would need to go to the market today.

Addison wandered in looking bleary-eyed, having fallen asleep in his chair. I told him about my chat with Gus.

“What did I say about surprising yourself?” he said.

I wouldn’t let him magic up any meals for us and insisted on getting food delivered from the Helanthan restaurant downtown, which I felt obligated to pay for out of my allowance. Their giant portions would feed us for a few days. I made sure he ordered a dish with baked meat and vegetables.

“You aren’t supposed to have too much salt, fat, or sugar,” I said after he made a face. “It’s for your own good. The paperwork from the hospital says so.”

“I never suspected you’d conspire against me with the No Fun Diet,” he said.

While we waited for the food, we went into the office to open the crate that had arrived in the mail. Fingers and toes crossed it wasn’t another creepy pendant. He ordered me to stand back just in case. To my dismay, he magicked off the top of the crate.

“I’m not that much of a weakling,” he protested. “I just don’t want to deal with the mess.”

He lifted whatever-it-was out of the straw-packed box. The object was shrouded in layers of white cloth. Addison unwrapped it to reveal a brand new Chimbrelis. The spreccanite surface gleamed in the late afternoon sunlight streaming in the window behind him.

A black card with silver handwriting fell out.

Sorry about the mess.

~MG

Addison half-smiled and placed the bowl on the pedestal. He unlocked a small drawer in a cabinet next to his desk and took out a tiny, clear glass vial filled with liquid; the essence of the leurisse flowers.

He handed it to me. “I want you to christen our new Chimbrelis.”

“Wow,” I said, taking it from him. “Really? The Calare won’t come swooping in?”

“I think you’ve earned the privilege of using it,” he said.

I uncapped the vial and poured it in. Its delicate, sugary scent evaporated almost as soon it touched the air. The Chimbrelis seemed amplified.

The food arrived before we finished setting it up. We sat at the kitchen table, our plates full. Clyde stole a piece of chicken from one of the boxes and ignored the vegetables.

“What do I do about my new ‘other than human’ status?” I said. “How can I get stronger?”

“Eat right, get enough sleep, and get some exercise,” he said.

“You need to do the same thing,” I told him. Cold dread washed over me. “Wait, the Calare’s not going to drag me to a magic school, will they? Because I won’t go.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Addison said. “They’d consider you a different case.”

I almost fell out of my seat with relief. A few nights later, Addison asked me to take the garbage out front to be collected the next day. We kept it in two metal cans out back. I took the lid off the closest one.

Mister Gentry sprang up out of the garbage can like a demented jack in the box. I was so startled I dropped the lid and couldn’t speak at first.

“The cat’s still got your tongue,” he cackled. “Looks like you’re back to your old, miserable self.”

I looked all around but Purrberus was nowhere in sight. “Where’s your kitten?”

“Don’t worry, she’s not here. She’s too busy playing with the marble,” he said. “It’s probably the best cat toy she’s ever had.”

Not for long, I thought. “What did you do to me? The Purrberus hair, did you poison me?”

“No, you idiot,” said Mister Gentry, rolling his eyes. “Have you considered I gave you armor? You are kindred now. You have always been one of mine, ever since you tried to steal my scarf. Now it is official.”

That wretched scarf. I groaned.

“Armor? Am I impervious? Immortal?” Perhaps I did have the wrong attitude about the whole thing. Addison would be proud to know I was trying to search for a brighter side to all this.

Again he laughed as if were a clueless twerp. “Don’t be so gauche. I know that vermin-eating flower talked to you. You will soon discover more new talents but I don’t know what. Superior senses, most likely. Possibly shapeshifting, inhabiting other people's nightmares. There may be more. Or not. Good night, kindred.”

“How am I supposed to deal with all this?” I said. “Or learn anything?”

Mister Gentry sighed. “I don’t have time to be your demon coach. You live with a magic user who has a library. Read some books and figure it out. Don’t act like I sentenced you to eternity in a hell realm.”

“Well then, thanks for all the support,” I said, but I was talking to the trash can.

Hours later, I lay wide awake. The sound of a heavy stack of books being slammed down on my bedside table startled the blankets off me. My hands shook as I fumbled in the dark for the light switch.

Two things surprised me: that Addison hadn’t come running in, and that my end table was still in one piece. Unsurprisingly, Mister Gentry had turned up again like a bad copre coin.

Traversing the Astral Plane for Absolutely Pathetic Beginners, Practical Grounding Rituals So You Don’t Get Killed Every Time, The Every Day Moron’s Guide to Working With Darker Energies, and Managing Your Manners Now That You Are a Monster.

A folded up note atop the stack said:

To my favorite other-than-human,

To prove to you that I am not a complete jerk, please enjoy this selection of titles. Some of them even have pictures.

Until we meet again,

MG

Dear Rufus,

I hope you are doing well. Please accept the one hundred direts I have enclosed to go towards the teacups and other things that got damaged in your room. I apologize again.

Addison really enjoyed the fruit gift from Thomdel you sent, everything was delicious. (I tried some of it) But I see why they use the purple berries to dye cloth. . Addison is supposed to be resting but he makes himself work too much I think.

Thank you again for calling to check up on us. I know he told you about what happened to the old Chimbrelis. I am feeling better and trying to keep centered as Addison says but it is hard and my brain wont keep still.

P.S. Please tell Yvette and Tobin hi even though I wrote them another letter.

P.P.S. I’m sorry I got sick on you.

Sincerely,

Coralie

Dear Coralie,

I still can’t believe you ate an evil pudding , and lived to tell about it!! Now I get to brag that I have a part-demon friend. Tobin says he wants you to try visiting him in a nightmare but please don,t do that to me because Im scared of bad dreams and also what if you look like a monster??? No offense!!!!

Things have been quiet since you left,Tobin and I are having a good time here if you know what I mean. Not to make you jealous but things are going great for us.

Have fun learning your new powers!

P.S. SOrry the last letter was typed all in caps,, it got stuck on that setting.

Your friend,

Yvette (and Tobin)