Part 5 (2/2)
”Yeah, well when I need something cleaned or cooked I'll let you know. OW!” Sucking on the back of her hand, she glared down at Austin. ”What did you scratch me for?”
He retracted his claws. ”You were being rude.”
”Scratch me again and I'll show you rude,” she muttered.
”You're frightened, that's understandable. Even I was almost frightened. You think you can't handle this, you think it's too big for you...”
”Stop telling me what I think!”
”... but that's no reason to take it out on him.”
”You're frightened?” Dean ducked his head to get a better look at her face. ”You are frightened.”
Obviously, she hadn't been hiding it as well as she'd thought.
”Of what? Oh...” The talking cat had temporarily driven all thoughts of their other discovery out of his head. ”Of her?” Evil, the cat had said. Rubbing the lingering, greasy feel off the arm that had been closest to the bed, Dean found that easy to believe.
”Don't worry.” He straightened where he sat. ”On the last of it, she'll have to go through me to get to you.”
”Foreshadowing,” Austin muttered.
Giving the cat a warning squeeze, Claire realized that Dean's offer was in earnest. He was the sort of person who went out of his way to pick worms off the sidewalk and put them back onto the lawn. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. ”First of all, I can take care of myself. Second, if you ever face that woman awake, you'd better hope she kills you immediately and doesn't play with you for a while. And third, there's nothing you can do.”
”The cat said...”
”He says a lot of things.”
”You said you'd explain.”
”After I'd dealt with her. And I haven't.”
”I could help you with her.”
”You don't know what's going on.”
”I would if you explained.”
”I've had as much as I can take of this,” Austin grumbled. ”I'll explain.” Wriggling out of Claire's arms, he crossed the hall and locked a pale green stare on Dean's face. ”Do you believe in magic?”
”That's an explanation?”
”Just answer the question.”
”Sure.”
”Sure? What kind of an answer is sure? Do you or don't you?”
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