Drow Protector by Martha Carr & Michael Anderle

Author:Martha Carr & Michael Anderle [Carr, Martha & Anderle, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: LMBPN Publishing
Published: 2023-11-08T16:00:00+00:00

Percy lived on the side of a hill in an old Hollywood apartment complex that hadn’t seen a renovation since the invention of talkies. She parked her bike in an alcove, ignored Percy’s nattering about not leaving anything valuable on the street, and waved behind her to wrap Granny in thick shadows while she followed Percy up a long flight of stairs that zigzagged between overgrown greenery.

They led to a door that opened onto more stairs. These were narrower and had wrought iron railings. Plaster dust fell on her head as Percy skipped up the steps two at a time, listing the names of famous actresses from the ’30s and ’40s who had lived in the building.

Ellis had seen maybe a dozen movies and didn’t recognize them. She marveled at his stamina, though. Where did he find the energy?

A riot of jungle noise—barking, chirping, meowing, chittering—erupted from the peeling door at the end of the dim hallway when Percy opened it. Percy’s chatter picked up speed to match, and Ellis was overwhelmed by the cacophony.

Sturdy aluminum shelving packed with small wire and glass cages covered one entire wall. Inside were numerous white mice, a few hamsters, and a single orange guinea pig with luxurious fur. A closer inspection revealed that tubes and ramps connected many cages, turning the shelves into a multi-story luxury pet palace.

Two scrappy street cats on a nearby armchair stared piteously at the small rodents, following every furry movement. Percy said something to one cat, inaudible over the din, and it meowed, hopped down, and cast a longing glance over its shoulder.

Something large and solid bumped into Ellis’ thigh. She looked down at a large gray pit bull with a wide smile. It nudged her again, and she scratched it behind the ears. It panted happily, tongue lolling.

An array of small poles stuck out horizontally from the walls like unused plant hangers. These confused Ellis until Percy flung open a window and a trio of birds flew in and landed on the perches, adding their squawks to the racket.

Two birds were bright green parrots with crimson face markings, and one was a pigeon. It wasn’t Wormy since it was black and looked far more intelligent. It had an elegant tuft of feathers on the back of its head, and the feathering on its feet was so thick it looked like it was wearing winter boots. When it saw Ellis looking, it preened ostentatiously.

Percy wagged a finger at the pigeon. “Diva is a bit of a…well, you know.”

Ellis grinned despite herself, then raised an eyebrow when one of the street cats wound around her ankles. “I thought you didn’t like cats.”

Percy was scandalized, like she’d accused him of burning down an orphanage. “I said cats lie. Big difference.” A small gray cat with a scar across its eye yowled, and Percy added, “Deny it all you want, Zorro, but we both know it’s true.”

“You’re an odd duck,” Ellis told him.

Percy took this in stride. “I’m friends with some pretty weird ducks at the Silverlake Reservoir.

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