Chapter 5

Niko had been with Travis ever since that day. Of course, he didn’t find out he was anything but an ordinary cat for another three weeks. But that was a different matter entirely.

Now he reminded his familiar, “Hey, I never askedfor your help, y’know.”

Niko only rolled his eyes at this. “Humans. No dignity at all. As if I could be seen with you with your face all black-and-blue. No one would think I was a very good familiar, would they?”

Niko, technically, was notTravis’s familiar. They hadn’t forged a magickal contract between the two of them. No binding spells or obligation charms that made Niko belong to him. Familiars floated somewhere between the corporeal and ethereal and, as such, were known to be fiercely independent when not contracted to someone, but once they were, they would do everything in their power to protect their human. Niko stayed with Travis all these years without a contract. Their relationship might’ve been uniquely unheard of, but it worked for them.