On our way home, Griselda buried most of the snake eggs off the trail and some distance yet from the cottage declaring they couldn’t get up to much mischief out there. She kept a few back which we used as the blood of innocents to maintain the warm sphere around the cottage.

The warm sphere had shrunk while we had been away. The next time she cast the warming spell, I noticed she’d cut open her hand and use a stream of her own blood before the innocent blood was added. I remembered Xenir’s words on the subject of her blood.

Now that I had tasted it, I knew her blood had been in that enticing meal the first night. The usurper had known and been concerned for Griselda. And I had scoffed at him. I took a walk down to the stream for a drink of water on my own to think. I had dismissed the man without considering he might have understood something I hadn’t.

When I arrived back at the cottage, I had come to agree with Xenir. Griselda was taking too much upon herself. Zenayda didn’t have to use her blood. I could give the blood needed. Griselda looked at me, cocking her head and I meowed at her.

I understood that the spells needed blood, but I didn’t want Zen cutting herself. Griselda nodded her head slightly at me and I relaxed, sitting on the table to wait for our snake stew to be ready. Griselda smiled warmly at Zenayda who was chattering on about our visit to town and her new friend, Darmen.

“Can we visit him when we go back into town?” she asked.

“Of course. I’m sure his mother won’t mind. Maybe she’ll sell me some eggs,” Griselda declared.

Reggie had been snoozing in the fireplace and had to be moved before we could get dinner started. Griselda showed Zenayda how to handle him and a little spell to keep him friendly. She showed no fear in picking him up and placing him back onto the third shelf, refreshing his water bowl and petting his smooth skin.

He went back calmly and didn’t seem to mind we’d be feasting on his kind that night. The pair of snakes made a delicious stew. Griselda kept their bony rattles in a container on the fourth shelf and she had collected a bit of venom from their bodies as well. Reggie only stared blankly out at the room over his coils as usual, his tongue tasting the air before him.

As it will, winter turned into spring. I watched as the forest was clothed again in fresh green. The first bit of spring bringing some special flowers first, then the flush of new leaves unfurled as the trees woke back up and with them, the busy lives of the creatures they provided for.

Animals came out of their hibernation hungry for the flush of new leaves. Birds that had been with us all winter put on their bright plumage again and others that had left returned. It had been my first full turn of the seasons.

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Zenayda and I learned a great deal that spring. Griselda emphasized the importance of timing and knowing when plants would be flowering or fruiting to be able to gather the correct components either for food or spell components.

We also traveled into town and out into nearby farmer's cottages. We went into town regularly. She made herself known to the Lord Mayor and other important humans of the town. When we were seen, people welcomed us into their homes to help with their coughs and cuts, bruises and burns. Darmen often had a list of people to visit that were ill and he’d accompany us around town.

I could see that Zenayda was always happy to see Darmen. She started to hold his hand as we went around town and as time went on, he would pull her into a dark spot to lick her face once our rounds were done. I didn’t mind as she seemed to enjoy his attentions which were always gentle. Besides, he’d always ask for her permission before he even touched her. I would just stand guard to wait until they were finished with each other. He paid attention to me too, so I was somewhat appeased.

One day, Zenayda had caught a bad cough from someone in town and a healer was summoned for at the cottage. Griselda went on her own, insisting I keep watch over Zen. We were both a bit apprehensive about this, but since she insisted, we backed down. Leonore went with her, so I felt good that she’d have their help at least.

Even Reggie stirred from his box on the shelf and came to rest on a corner of the sleeping shelf with Zenayda and myself. We all felt like something important was going to happen. It was very late when Griselda came in. I felt her flustered and shaking, but she hid this from Zenayda.

“Are you alright? What happened?” Zenayda asked her. There was blood on her face and she was a bit winded.

“Oh, nothing I couldn’t handle,” she said. When she looked in the mirror, she did a quick incantation and her face went unnaturally back to normal. Something about her didn’t smell right to me, but Zen was placated and went back into a restful sleep.

I cocked my head at Griselda worried about what had happened in town. When I meowed quietly at her so as not to disturb Zenayda, she smiled gently at me and picked me up, setting me on her lap as she sat heavily at her place at the table. She had put the stew we had left for her back to warm over the fire. She petted me, rubbing behind my ears the way I liked.

“It's coming soon, now, dear Shadow. You have been the best familiar I could have hoped for. And you’ll be even more to Zenayda just as it should be,” she said. Her voice was resigned and she took some uneven breaths before she was able to return to normal. Her eyes shown with a little extra moisture and I meowed in distress. She only petted me more and sighed.

“It's alright, Shadow. Everything is as it should be. Xenir has his new life. Zenayda has a powerful familiar. Blood willingly given for another is the most powerful. She will work miracles with you. The town will be in awe of her, as they should, instead of fear. I have been reckless and it has cost me. But the work we’ve done together will live on. And for that, I’m grateful.”

She petted me a little longer before getting her stew. Then, she put the candles out and joined Reggie and Zenayda on the sleeping shelf. I hopped up there as well sitting next to Zen and sharing warmth with Reggie. He was unmoving, but smooth to lay up against. Soon we were all asleep.