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.

“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.

Later on I lay awake hours after I crawled into bed. 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)