Free A Cat's Chance in Hell by Sharon Hannaford

out and face everybody at some stage.” He hauled himself up off the floor, wincing slightly. “So stop delaying and get dressed. I’m running out of scintillating conversation out there.”
    She pulled a face at him. “I don’t see how that’s my problem.”
    “ I’ll pour you some coffee, get dressed,” he reiterated, walking out and closing the door behind him.
     
    Gabi made herself presentable and reluctantly prepared to face Byron, Rose and Athena. Walking down the corridor to the kitchen, using her fingertips on the wall to guide her, she steeled herself for a conversation with Athena. It was not going to go well. She was tired and grumpy, and she didn’t appreciate Byron bringing the witch into her home. No one came in here without her express invitation, that’s just how it was. Only a select few were welcome in her private little refuge, and the damn witch was definitely not one of them. And on top of that she hadn’t even had her first cup of coffee yet. She was sorely tempted to encourage Razor to take a piece out of the witch, but that would just be plain childish.
    She rounded the corner into the kitchen and was instantly set upon by Rose, fluttering worriedly, patting Gabi’s sore face, smoothing her hair and touching her all over as though to reassure herself that Gabi was indeed in one piece. She prattled away at break-neck speed, admonishing Gabi for frightening the life out of her, and vowing to not let her out hunting again.
    Gabi smiled wryly, accepting all the fuss, and reassuring Rose whenever she could get a word in. Then Razor announced his presence, jumping on the kitchen counter and loudly demanding breakfast, so Rose had a new target for her attentions. She instantly switched to berating him for his appalling behaviour; but at the same time reaching for two tins of food, and emptying them out for him as he favoured her with a huge kitty smooch to the face, almost knocking her over.
    Kyle rolled his eyes. “I say again, that monster gets away with murder,” he declared, holding a steaming cup of coffee out to Gabi. “Byron and Athena are waiting for us in the dining room, I figured you could use a shot of caffeine before seeing them.”
    Kyle knew her too well, she thought, reaching carefully for the coffee mug, which she could smell better than she could see. She took a long sip and then mentally braced herself.
    “ Alright,” she said, feeling like she was being led out to the gallows. “Let’s go.”
    As they entered the dining room Byron immediately stood up and gathered her into a strong fatherly hug. Although Gabi couldn’t see him clearly at that moment, she knew what others would see when they looked at Byron; a distinguished looking man in his mid to late forties, a few inches taller than Gabi, with the lean, toned look that suggested a man who looked after himself. Very few people would have guessed that he was already in his sixties; only the slight greyness visible in amongst the dark brown hair above his ears gave away any sign of his true age. The grace of his aging was due directly to his Magi parentage. Byron had chosen not to take up his Magus heritage, an option for any Magus-born child, and so had no special powers or supernatural talent, but the Magi blood still worked its own brand of magic on him. If full blood humans ever found out about what Magus blood did for the signs of ageing, well, that didn’t really bear thinking about. Byron’s face, now marred by a worried frown, still hinted heavily at the strikingly good-looking man he’d been in his youth.
    Everyone at the SMV knew that he could have his pick of eligible, and some not so eligible, women anytime he chose, but he hadn’t shown any inclination to take another partner after his wife died in a freak car accident some five years ago. If he felt he needed a female partner along with him at a social function he often took his daughter, Lara, or Gabi, but otherwise he attended alone. He was