The light from the Rune was a dull, dusty red, like old blood or a heady, spiced vintage redolent of corruption. It was the light of Sorcery, of the magic which concerned itself with the summoning and binding of devils, creatures of evil and chaos, the rebels against God. It was a fearful hue, of things that were ill-omened, and which reminded even responsible magicians of why their art was still tainted by accusations of "witchcraft" and "sacrilege." It prompted respect, caution, even a little fear.
"Mama, can we keep one of the puppies?"
Except, apparently, in seven-year-old girls who'd grown up in the house of the kingdom's most powerful magician.
"Cressidor," Lillet Blan told her daughter, "those aren't puppies. They're barghests."
This was not entirely true. The last barghest she'd summoned had proven to be heavily gravid, so she'd allowed the creature of Chaos to remain in the world until the young were birthed. Now, Lillet was sending the six creatures back to the fringes of Hell, which was their natural habitat.
They did, mind you, look something akin to wolflike dogs with jet-black fur, if one ignored the burning red eyes, the flickers of flame along the lolling tongues, and the fact that the mother barghest was as tall at the shoulder as Lillet.
Cress did not seem to consider these very important differences.
"I'll take very good care of it, Mama," she offered. "I'll feed it every night, and I'll take it for walks, and I'll play with it so it doesn't get lonely!" Her mothers, she'd learned, were very big on "responsibility" as a theme.
Not this time, though.
Lillet sighed.
"Cress, honey, that isn't the point. Barghests aren't dogs, even though they look that way. They are magical creatures of darkness, and part of their basic nature is violent and destructive. They're not at all like a domestic animal which can be raised with love."
Cress's face fell.
Just then, there was a soft knock at the door, which was then pushed open so a beautiful ash-blonde could step into the room.
"Amoretta," Lillet greeted her with a smile.
"Hi, Mother!" Cress chimed in.
"Cressidor, I told you that Lillet was working magic and that you shouldn't disturb her."
"I'm not disturbing her," Cress protested.
"Well, not the magic part," Lillet allowed. "I've had the binding up on these since the beginning, so she can't cause any kind of unfortunate accident by interrupting me."
"Ahh," said the black cat cradled in Amoretta's arms. "'Tis very wise, that. 'Tisn't so hard for a summoner to banish one's own devils, rather than exorcise one against its will."
Amoretta, more concerned with parenting than magical technicalities, caught on quickly to what Lillet had said, and what she had not said.
"If not the magic, then how is she disturbing you?" she said, with a warning glance at Cress.
"She wants to keep one of the barghests for a pet, and I was just explaining how they aren't really animals but minor devils who don't react the same way to being raised with love and−" She broke off, looking at the grimalkin cradled in her lover's arms.
Grimalkin's pink tongue extended and began to wash one of his paws.
"Oh, all right, Cress, you can have a puppy."