I woke up feeling groggy, nauseous and bit cold too, along with not feeling my arms which was worrying. I was flat on my back on a cold hard surface, with something just a little squishy propping my head up ever so slightly. My vision was blurry but it wasn't being helped by being blinded by some particularly harsh overhead lighting.

'Maddie? Maddie are you with us?'

'Wait... what?'

'You can't be awake for this sweetie, I'm gonna send you to sleep okay.'

The blurry vision of my Aunt hovering over me and talking didn't calm me down in the slightest. She held her left hand over my face which emanated a strange heat. And staring at my Aunts sweaty palm was the last thing I remembered when I woke again.

I came to on a huge comfortable bed in a deliciously extravagant room wearing a nice and soft set of pyjamas. There was no other way to describe it. It smelt of mahogany wood, freshly starched linen and a burning log fire which was throwing out a rather pleasant heat. The bed I was tucked up in was plush and cosy and I just felt, comfortable. I looked at my hands in the dim light coming from the fire and noticed that the colour of them was going back to normal, nor did I have the excruciating pain any more.

'God I wonder what my Aunt did to me?' I whispered to myself.

'Oh something complicated.'

I squealed and pulled the covers up to my chin. I didn't know there was anybody else in the room with me. From the sound of the accent, it was Duncan. He was sat in a chair beside the bed and stretched over to the bedside table and switched on a small lamp.

'Sorry to startle you, but your Aunt asked me to keep an eye on you... and this little guy.'

Duncan reached over the bed and planted the little black and white kitten my Aunt had rescued in my lap. The kitten instantly started purring and snuggling up to me. He looked miles better than the last time I had seen him. The gunk had been cleaned away from his eyes and I think he'd even been given a bath as his fur was a lot cleaner and softer. He eventually settled on my chest and put his head down to sleep.

'He was crying for you all the way through your Aunt treating you. He wouldn't shut up until we let him near you.' Duncan told me as he gazed at the kitten. 'Your Aunt says he's chosen you.'

'Is this how you get a familiar?' I asked, looking down at the small ball of fur that had made itself comfortable on me.

'Your Aunt seems to think he is. He liked her, but he likes you more.'

Wow I spend some time unconscious and end up with a pet cat. In fact...

'Wait, Duncan how long was I out for? And where the hell am I?'

'Most of Monday. It's Tuesday evening now. You're at Arne's mansion, our clan lives here.'

'Oh shit I've missed school! My attendance record is gonna be even worse now!' I shrieked. Sure I'd had the occasional day off here and there due to illness, but I couldn't afford to have any more time off.

'Hey hey! Don't worry about it. Morrigan rang in for you both and said the pair of you were suffering from the flu you had caught at the party you had gone to. She's taken care of it.' Duncan reassured me. 'In fact, she's here now.'

Sure enough there was a light knock on the door and in walked my Auntie M, wearing a black silk nightie that stopped just above her knees and an even longer black silk robe over the top.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

'You had me worried there for a bit Maddie, you really must have needed the rest you were out that long.' She said to me as she sat on the bed beside me. 'How are you feeling now?'

I sighed deeply and rubbed my eyes.

'To be honest, a bit confused. What the hell happened?'

Auntie M sighed too before she spoke and gave me a kind smile.

'Lots happened. We found out what demon it was the guy was attempting to appease with a sacrifice of this little chap here.' Auntie M stroked her finger along the kitten head as she spoke. 'Turns out there was another two murders on Samhain night, the bodies had been drained of blood plus a bunch of cats and dogs had gone missing in town too.'

'Oh my God not again.' I gasped. I wanted to cry to tell the truth, this was not a nice thing to know about or be involved in. 'What else happened?'

'Well, this guy has minimal power of is own. Like, he's literally been lucky to even cast basic spells he's not magically inclined. But to me it seems like he's able to channel power from his chosen demon when he's giving sacrifice.'

'And that demon is?' I asked, not really wanting to know.

'Beelzebub. Also known as Baal in various religions. He's chosen a bad one, made that blight happen on your arms.'

I looked at my arms which were looking a lot better than when I last saw them, then looked at the kitten who was staring up at me with slow blinking eyes.

'So that crazy serial killer was using this little dude as a sacrifice?' I asked my Aunt.

'Yep. Witches familiars are premium sacrificing material next to, well witches.'

'Aw you poor thing.' I said to the kitten who had fallen back to sleep.

'You thought of a name for him yet?' Duncan asked me.

'Name? Um, no. I didn't know I was ending up with a kitten.'

'Well he is yours, he has chosen you so you need to give him a name.' Auntie M told me.

I looked at the kitten again trying to come up with a name for him. He was mainly white with big black splotches all over him.

'How about Felix, or Oreo?' I asked the kitten as I stroked his head gently. I swear the kitten just looked up at me and rolled his eyes almost.

'No? How about...' I stalled for a moment trying to think of something else. 'Domino? You kinda look like a Domino with your spots.'

The kitten started purring again, I took that as a yes.

'Domino it is then. Oh do we have any food and stuff for him?' I asked both Duncan and my Aunt.

'Don't worry about that we've got him sorted. Speaking of food, are you hungry at all?' Auntie M asked.

'I could eat, I'm more thirsty than anything I'd kill for a cup of tea right now.'

'Come on then let's get you something.' Duncan said to me. He retrieved a fluffy bathrobe hung on the back of the door and pointed to the floor beside the bed where a pair of comfy looking slippers were. I carefully laid Domino down on the bed as I scooted out, putting on the slippers and letting Duncan help me on with the bathrobe. I picked Domino back up and within moments he was scuttling in to the hood of the robe and I felt his little paws resting on my left shoulder near my neck. It was pretty cute.

Duncan and Auntie M led me out of the bedroom I was in and down a long carpeted hallway, then down a huge flight of stairs. Now normally I would've assumed that huge ass mansions like this would be really draughty and cold, but I was pleasantly surprised. There was a nice ambient warmth to the mansion and a particularly comforting smell too. The place was filled with lovely antique furniture and the walls were adorned with absolutely enormous oil paintings of various vistas and intricate portraits. It felt really oldy worldy, almost like being in a museum but that soon changed when we got in to the kitchen which was a wholly modern affair. I found it slightly amusing that this kitchen was stupidly well equipped with loads of expensive kitchen appliances, especially considering the mansions primary inhabitants were vampires and didn't eat food or drink coffee or anything.

Auntie M set about the massive stainless steel fridge, rooting for some food while Duncan flipped on the kettle and retrieved a few mugs from a nearby cupboard along with a large teapot, milk just and sugar bowl. I was told to take a seat on one of the bar stools at one corner of the large wooden island counter that dominated the middle of the kitchen. I saw what Auntie M had pulled out of the fridge then instantly knew what she was going to make for me when she pulled a really posh looking sandwich toaster out of a cupboard. She was making my all time favourite comfort food that I had whenever I was feeling a bit depressed or if I was poorly; cheese and Marmite toasties. And knowing my Aunt like she knew me, she would be making a cheese toastie for herself but instead of having Marmite, she would slosh a bunch of Frank's hot sauce in hers. Cheese and crackers were good when you weren't feeling that great, but a cheese and Marmite toastie with a nice big mug of milky, sugary tea really hit the spot. I had to think I should get sick or injured more often if I was getting brews and cheese toasties made for me like this.