Excerpt from the book!
“Marco,” I called into the empty air.
“Calico,” came the whispered response in my ear. I felt the familiar weight as he materialized on my left shoulder. I shivered as his sleek tail wrapped around my neck.
“You know I hate it when you do that.”
“Yes,” the cat demurred, jumping to the floor. “But someone has to keep you on your toes.” The barest hint of a lisp played at the edges of each syllable. It was annoying, especially coming from something that shouldn’t talk. But Marco Calico was no feline; he just liked the look. And since his natural form tended to cause blindness after much exposure, the tame Siamese was preferable, regardless of the speech impediment. “Besides, you need the stimulation,” Calico finished.
“I need a new employer,” I corrected, “and a sedative.”
I fell into my thinking chair as Marco inspected the mirror. No reflection for him either. For a mirror to accurately reflect an inter-dimensional shape-shifter, let alone make the image appealing, would have resulted in an impressive explosion. I tucked the notion away for a night when the baron was out and obscenely loud noises wouldn’t earn me a dressing down.
Marco Calico placed one soft paw on the mirror’s sleek surface. It rippled ever so slightly, before a thread of electricity jumped out of the silvered glass, singeing his fur.
“Barking hedgehogs! What on earth did you trap it for?”
“No fiddling,” I chuckled. “Besides, what makes you think you can improve it?”
He sniffed. “I know what you need better than you do.”
“Most people don’t tolerate that kind of cheek from their pets.”
“Most people’s pets aren’t psychic and capable of moving through time and space at will,” he reminded me. “Besides, you like the company. Who else could you possibly talk to?”
“I could turn you into a human,” I threatened.
“You wouldn’t dare!” Calico’s back arched and his eyes blazed white. The tips of his ears caught fire.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t,” I conceded. “You’d be far too handsome. We’d never keep the serving girls off you. I can hardly persuade them to stop touching you as it is.”
Calico snuffed out his ears. “It’s not my fault you aren’t a cuddler.” He winked. “So, what are you going to do about the mirror? You are on a deadline.”
“Bigger!” I hollered, projecting an exact replica of the baron’s mustache onto my face. Calico’s tail twitched.
I shrugged and let the illusion fall away. “I’ll reinforce the glass and the frame and put a temporary expansion charm on it for tonight. When it shrinks back down, the baron can tuck it away somewhere. The image will wobble some, but nothing anyone will notice.” I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. “No one ever notices.”
I was a bit unsure about this book at first and a little confused because there were several points of view. But they took life so quickly that it was surprisingly easy to follow along and really get into the story. I loved the world that Author Anika Arrington is intriguing and left me wanting more. The magic was unique and original. I especially loved the idea of markings! (You'll know what I mean when you read it.) Each character had a very distinct personality and came to life in a very real way. I enjoyed the story and it went by so quickly I was surprised when it was over! I can't wait to read more.
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