A teacup appeared on a wooden table that rose from the floor. It was filled with warm milk, next to it sat my dark blue mug with the stars. It still was warm. I sent thoughts of thanks toward Betty, even though I didn’t know if the shop could feel them. The Cat stirred in my arms and his head pointed toward the milk.

I carefully set him on the table and grabbed my mug, wrapping both hands around it.

The Cat moved next to the teacup and lapped slowly at the milk, acting more like a Cat than I had ever seen him. He’d protected Indigo and me, and in turn the book had punished him. Somehow. That anger I had felt at the demon twisted and churned inside me, sitting at the back of my mind. I smashed it down. Right now, it wasn’t useful, but I didn’t let it dissipate. Normally, I could let anger go, it wasn’t something I hung onto. This time, though, I kept it there. I’d use it later.

“You protected Indigo and me, which is part of what you do,” I whispered.

The Cat froze, his mouth open, not daring to move. “Hush, Sable… Please…”

It was the please that got me. I nodded slowly. I’d let the conversation drop, but this wasn’t something I could let go completely. He had protected us, and had clearly accepted a lot of pain because of it.

His eyes darted around the space, like he was expecting something else to happen. After a few moments, he went back to lapping his milk.

I took a sip of my drink, not even tasting it. The warm light coming in from the windows increased as I relaxed into the comfortable chair. The Cat hopped over to my lap, almost hitting my mug but somehow missing it. From there he leaped over to his cat tree.

“I’m going to rest,” he said, as he crept into the little box with a hole in it and curled up in a ball.

I kept sipping on my drink, waiting. Eventually his breathing evened out and I slowly climbed to my feet. Silently I crept down the hallway toward the area where the door had been before, that led to that hidden library of the Cat’s. It was there, almost like it was waiting for me. I didn’t stop until I stood inside the cozy library with the giant table. The book glowed brightly in the center, golden light streaming toward the ceiling.

I glared at it.

“How dare you punish him for protecting Indigo and me. Part of what he does is protect me, the Shopkeeper.” My voice was full of rage, and my hands shook, one still clutching my mug. I stood there glaring for another moment before turning away. The light flickered behind me as I fled, my anger draining. I didn’t turn back.

Indigo met me in the hallway, flying in the air. She landed on my shoulder, and this time her chirping was slower and I could partially understand what she was saying. It had something to do with Lady Twilight and how strong her dragon was.

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“She was pretty intense in her dragon form,” I added.

Indigo chirped in reply.

I ignored the fact that Lady Twilight had scared me senseless when she had appeared in her true form. Hopefully, if I ever saw Indigo that big I wouldn’t fear her. Right now, when she could fit on my shoulder and nuzzle me, she was just adorable. It was a good reminder that someday Indigo would be that big, and potentially that scary. At least she had Lady Twilight to teach her how to be scary. I was going to stick to the bedtime stories and how to be a good person.

Those things I could do.

Unlike protecting the Cat, which it seemed I couldn’t do.

That weighed on my mind as I moved down the steps toward the kitchen. I felt like I could eat a horse and I wanted all the calories. That meant take out, maybe something with noodles. Life was always better with noodles.

“How does Chinese food sound?”

Indigo chirped excitedly. She loved the wonton soup, though I couldn’t get her not to swim in it. I’d get some for her, at least she’d have her own container, and I already knew what the Cat liked. I pulled up the menu on the tablet on the register. Our last order popped up, and I added some extra egg rolls and spicy noodles before hitting submit.

It didn’t take long for my phone to buzz that the delivery was nearby. I headed toward the door, forgetting about Indigo on my shoulder. The guy didn’t even blink as he handed over the two large plastic bags.

I froze after the door closed, realizing it had been not even fifteen minutes before the food had shown up. “What the…” I shook my head and kept going toward the kitchen, shaking my head. “Hey, Cat, I got Chinese food if you want some.” The passage of time in the shop was weird, so I ignored it. Food mattered more.

Indigo leaped off my shoulder, beating me to the island and dancing around as I approached. Her favorite bowl for her soup was already in its proper location, along with plates for the Cat and I. I poured the wonton soup into the bowl and she literally climbed into the bowl, careful not to spill anything. She swam around, drinking the broth. I shook my head as I pulled out my container of soup.

Then the Cat jumped up on the counter. “Did you get my chicken?” he asked.

I smiled, relieved. The Cat was okay, at least for the moment. “Of course. You want the spicy stuff?”

He glared at me as if to say there couldn’t possibly be any other type.

I quickly opened his container and poured a good amount of the spicy chicken onto his plate. I added an egg roll before taking one for myself as well. The soup was hot, and I couldn’t help but giggle as Indigo attacked a wonton in her soup, almost like she was dueling it.

The Cat shook his head. “I thought dragons were refined.”

Indigo chirped, but her mouth was full so it came out muffled.

“Maybe when they’re older,” I added. “After someone teaches them how to hunt…” I paused. “Wait, do dragons hunt?”

“Yes, they hunt. It’s a big deal the first time they hunt in their dragon form.”

“Not it,” I whispered. “Maybe you can teach her with, like, a mouse or something.”

The Cat’s head tilted to one side, looking at me like I was crazy.

“It was just a thought,” I said before chomping down on an egg roll. Inside my head I pictured the Cat trying to teach Indigo to stalk a mouse. I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped.

The Cat glared at me, not commenting, like he knew what I was thinking. That was ok, at least he was more himself, and that was good.