Dragoncrest Cliffs edge of tonight

Golden brown eyes blinked several times when Lorelai mentioned her pack’s puppies. Quite a bit of tension leaked out of Meerkat at these words. She felt a little sheepish as the woman explained she wasn’t here on any sort of permanent basis. She just needed Erzulie’s guidance ahead of delivering her litter.

Well, you’re in the best possible hands, Meerkat said right away, face suddenly softening as she attempted to compensate for her knee-jerk reaction. Erzulie’s had more than a dozen kids of her own, plus probably helped many more into the world. Perhaps Lorelai already knew this, hence why she’d asked for the woman’s aid.

So, tell me about your pack, she requested in the next breath. What’s it called? Where’s it located? Meerkat was genuinely curious, wondering if perhaps Lorelai belonged with the wolves from the island—unlikely—or perhaps she ran with Avicus et al?

Before Lorelai could reply, the small stack of stones abruptly tumbled from its perch on the driftwood. They dropped into the sand and skidded in myriad directions. Magically, none of them broke or even cracked. The corner of Meerkat’s mouth twitched when the topmost stone, a pebble the color of sea foam, came to rest beside Sapphique’s guest.

And the flattest stone, the color of sunset itself, slowed to a stop just a few feet away from Meerkat. She stepped toward it, touching it gently with her toe. It was slightly warm to the touch. She could feel the imperfections in its otherwise burnished surface. It was perfect in its imperfection.