Chapter 12: A Friend With One Tail

"No," Caspian said.

"I haven't said anything yet."

"You were about to say you will go to the shrine."

"I was about to say I'll go to the shrine," I admitted.

We were standing in the estate's front hall with the note on the table between us.

Leo's snake mobile still chimed faintly in the gift bag.

Caspian had not sat down since the arcade.

He was pacing the marble with a dark coat over his shoulders and a hard bright light in his eyes.

"Garrick wants a mate to hurt," he said. "He wants you in a cage where I will see it. I will not hand you over for any brother."

"He's your brother."

"He is also a man who built three cribs for a child that does not exist."

"I want him back," I said. "He kept me company when you didn't remember me. He sat with me in a hallway. I owe him."

"You owe no one."

"I owe him a lot," I said. "I have it in writing."

I took out the ledger and flipped to the page marked Leo, and Caspian looked at it.

There were four lines.

Bought me tea. Held an umbrella. Built a second crib, apology offered. Begged two weeks, granted.

"You have kept an account of my brother's kindnesses," Caspian said, strangely.

"I keep an account of everyone's."

He stopped pacing.

"And mine?"

"Closed out. I told you."

"I would like to reopen it."

"That's up to you," I said.

His tail came across the floor, slowly, and laid itself across my shoes.

I looked down at it.

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