"Can I keep her?"
I sat in front of my parents in the living room with Camellia sitting on the couch beside me. With Allure, I had convinced my parents I'd found a stray, and I wanted to shelter her until we found an owner. I would be responsible for everything, even setting up a vet appointment to check her out.
'You sure you don't want to use Allure on them?' Camellia asked me.
"I read cats are great emotional support animals," I continued. "I've been feeling stressed with everything that's happened, and having Cami here is such a great help."
"Cami?"
'Cami?'
"It's what I decided to call her," I told them. "Just for now. I promised she won't be a menace."
"You don't know that," Mom said. "I have a lot of loose yarn around."
"I'll buy her toys. Look at how well behaved she is."
Dad pinched the bridge of his nose. "Didn't think you'd want a pet."
"So, I can keep her?"
My parents glanced at each other.
"Fine," Mom said. "Only up until you find the owner."
"If I don't?"
"We'll talk about it after," Dad assured me.
I smiled. "Thanks. I'll have Joseph take me to the pet store today. I'll get her everything she needs."
Before they could react, I picked Camellia up and took her upstairs.
'I can't believe that worked,' she said.
"I think they trust me a lot," I told her.
I left Camellia at home when Joseph took me to the store. It was only a few minutes away.
"A pet?" Joseph asked. "Parents took you to the adoption place?"
"I found her," I said. "I'm going to put flyers out. I'll foster her until her owner shows up, and if they don't, I'll keep her."
"Isn't that a bit dangerous?" he asked.
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
"That Camellia person on the news," he said. "They never said she was human or vampire, but vampires turn into animals, right? Can't trust anything these days."
My nails dug into my thighs. Did he know something? "I guess so."
"Too many bad kinds of people out there," he continued. "First the assassination attempt, then the terrorist attack, and now this leak. Someone is out to get the Crown Prince. Can't believe it's from his own people."
"You believe the leak is real?"
He shrugged. "It's convenient since the terrorist released that video, and His Highness's medical records indicate that it was real. This puts vampires in a tough spot. It puts you in a tough spot too."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you have to please everyone? Etiquette lessons three times a week. Your internship at a family business, attending major events."
"I am busy," I admitted. "I can't become His Highness's weakness. It'd be bad if I gave everyone ammunition to use against him."
"Seems like a huge burden."
I looked out the window. "You haven't asked me if it's true or not. What they say about His Highness."
"I'm a simple chauffeur," he said. "I don't need to know to do my job. If anything, I'm fine asking for other things if you want to know more."
I glanced at him. That was a heck of a proposal.
"I don't have anyone I need to know about," I began. "But if you have any advice concerning my mother-in-law, let me know. I wouldn't want to disappoint her."
Our eyes met in the review mirror. "I'll keep that in mind. My mother-in-law is also a woman to look out for. If I think of any advice, I'll pass it on."
"Thanks."
After returning home with the pet supplies, I found Camellia hiding under my bed. I set the litter box up and shoved her bed in the corner of the room.
'Think of it like a sleep-over,' she said. 'Except with a cat.'
"Sonia and I used to have sleepovers," I said. "Alexander sometimes, but not as much."
'I'm sure that's not the only thing you're doing,' Camellia said.
I gave her a look. She had that cat smirk like she knew more than she was saying. I was sure she did. Instead, I shrugged and didn't answer. As I got ready for bed, I sent a message to Alexander. I didn't tell him I was harboring a criminal, but I told him I had started fostering a pet. That ended up with a phone call.
"You're what?" he asked.
"It's a cat," I whispered. I glanced at Camellia. She was asleep on her bed.
"Why are you picking up random animals off the street?" he asked.
"I'm not," I said. "This one was outside on my lawn. I decided to shelter it. It keeps the mice away and maybe brings me gifts."
Alexander paused.
"Gifts are nice," he began. "How long is the cat staying?"
"Why? Are you jealous?"
He made a noise. "No."
"You know you're the only kitten for me," I told him.
Another noise.
This time when I looked, Camellia was smirking again. I turned my back on her.
"I know you can't tell me much, but let me know if I can help with anything. I want to do more."
"The best thing right now is for you to worry about school," he began. "I don't want to throw into this mess. You shouldn't have to deal with it."
"What about school?" I asked. "You're trying to calm everyone down and -"
"I'm done for the semester," he told me.
"So you aren't taking a break."
"I don't need to sleep. Honestly, doing homework is a break for me because, for a few hours, I'm a high school student. It feels amazing to worry about passing a quiz. I don't have thousands of lives riding on if B is the correct answer or not."
I couldn't speak. When he put it that way, it made sense why he wanted me to enjoy school. For him, it was a luxury.
"Okay," I said quietly. "I'll be good. But you still need to let me know if you need help."
"I will. Have a good night; I have to meet with the advisors now."
"Good night. Oh, and good luck."
"Thanks."
'I think I'm going to have a cavity,' Camellia said.
I rolled my eyes. "Well, if you stay here, I can't promise you'll have teeth by the end of it."