I stared incredulously at the creature that had just passed through the mirror. Were my eyes deceiving me, or was this really, truly a talking armadillo? Angela and Meredith immediately rose from the couch, though I sat there, mouth agape until Angela nudged my shoulder. I climbed to my feet and leaned into her, wrapping my arms around her waist. She laid an arm around me and gave me a partial hug.

“And what is it ye’ve got ‘ere?” The armadillo asked, his thick Scottish accent hanging on every word. I trembled as he stepped closer; I don’t know why, but he was intimidating. I felt Angela hug me a little tighter.

“Eustace,” She said, addressing the creature. “This is Jasmine, my daughter. We would seek to enter into the contract of Eaves.

“In a thousand years you ain’t claimed a daughter,” Eustace regarded us suspiciously, or at least I think he did, I couldn’t really read an armadillo’s facial expressions. He shuffled across the living room and stared upward, inspecting me. “This soul, can’t be much more than thirty human years, and seems stunted at that. What’ve ye done, Angeline? What is it ye be protectin’ it from?”

“Some things,” Meredith said confidently. “Are better left unsaid.”

“Do ye have the implements to perform the ceremony?” Eustace cocked his head. “Do ye have the goblet? The blade?”

“I…have a coffee mug?” Angela said kind of doubtfully. “And yes, I keep an athame with me at all times.”

“And has it drawn blood in anger? I know how ye two are,” Eustace’s tone raised a bit. I didn’t blame him, I knew how they were too.

“It’s purity is not in question,” Angela said simply. “I implore you, please do this thing for us.”

“It will be done,” Eustace nodded. “I owe ye a favor after all. I warn ye though, whatever it is you’re a doin’ here, it’ll come back on you later. It may come back on me I’m afraid. But I’ll do it. Consider us even after this.”

“You have my word,” Angela nodded. She tried to pull away from me, but I wrapped my arms tight around her waist. “Meredith, go to the closet and get the chest.”

I squeezed my eyes shut as Meredith disappeared from the room.

“Lassie!” Eustace said, tapping my bare leg with his cane. I jerked at the impact even thought he hadn’t hit me hard at all. “What’re ye’ afraid of? There’s monster a’ plenty out there, ye’ needn’t be fearful of me!”

“She’s very new to all of this,” Angela explained. “A new soul, as you see for yourself.”

“Aye, I do indeed see that,” Eustace nodded. “You givin’ the blessing of immortality to a soul that hasn’t ascended, that ain’t to be looked on kindly by the council – seelie or unseelie.”

“She is my daughter,” Angela replied firmly.

“Aye, then let it be,” Eustace relented as Meredith returned with a small black chest. “Let’s get on wit’ it.”

Angela slowly and gently pulled my arms apart, detaching me from her waist and guided me to the center of the living room where Meredith was spreading a sheet. We took turns kneeling around it, Angela to the left, Meredith to the right, and me in the middle. Eustace stood before us, he and I now at equal height.

“Then let us begin,” Eustace said, looking at all of us, moving his head from left to right. “Now you know lassie, the Contract o’ Eaves, it ‘taint nothin’ to snicker at or take lightly, you be enterin’ into a lifetime o’ servitude.”

“She knows,” Meredith confirmed.

“I should like to ‘ear it from the lass herself, if you don’t mind,” Eustace turned back toward me, his small beady eyes boring into my soul. I simply nodded. He nodded in return and reached into his briefcase, producing a sheet of brown paper, perhaps larger than should have fit inside. “The Contract of Eaves is to be signed in blood, but first, ye must be bound in blood.”

Angela reached into the chest and presented a coffee mug, black with white letters spelling out: ‘New York Fucking City’.

“Give me your wrist,” Angela said, reaching out and taking it as I offered it. She positioned my arm over the mug, and then, suddenly I noticed that in her right hand she was holding a dagger. I instinctively pulled away, but her eyes immediately met mine, a silent order. My body fell still and I allowed her to press the cold steel against my forearm. I winced as she pressed downward and sliced into my flesh, red liquid fleeing gleefully to the surface of the skin, free of a lifetime of imprisonment in my vessels. The red blood turned to black as it trickled slowly down my arm and into the coffee mug at the center of the blanket, and as she withdrew the dagger, the gash on my forearm closed as if it had never been cut. I then watched her and Meredith do the same, When they were finished, Angela passed me the cup. I was hesitant at first, but I took it, staring in to her eyes. “There are no words to say, just drink, a little. Leave some for us.”

I looked at her, still hesitating, still unsure. I didn’t want to drink it, but if that was the worst part of this then…

“Drink,” She commanded softly. I wondered if Eustace noticed. I paid that thought no more mind as I lifted the cup to my mouth and allowed the warm liquid to gather on my tongue and drip into my throat. I’d expected to choke, or at least recoil at the taste, but it was sweet. I liked it, kind of. As soon as I felt it enter my throat I lowered the cup and looked at Angela expectantly. She took the cup from me and drank, Meredith did the same.

“Once more,” Angela said to me, indicating that she wanted my arm again. I held it out timidly and allowed her to cut once again. This time, she reached forward with a feather quill and dipped it into my running blood, handing it to me when she was done.

“The contract,” Eustace informed us, laying the page out in front of us. “Must be signed by all three. Once it is done, tis’ done. You’re sure it be what you want?”

I still wasn’t used to a giant armadillo speaking to me. I don’t think I was used to any of this, but I nodded.

“Your words lass!” Eustace insisted. “Tell it with your words!”

“Yes,” I said, nodding again. A lump was forming in my throat, I’m not sure I could have said anymore. I leaned forward with the quill and scratched my name into the document, in my own blood. Angela did the same, cutting her arm and priming the quill. She then passed it to Meredith who did the same. I watched all three names on the contract momentarily glow, and then fade to black.

“So may it be,” Eustace nodded and took the contract in his paw, placing it back into the tiny briefcase where it disappeared. “I will be on my way to file this, you three, you stay out o’ harm’s way, ye hear?”

“We have every intention to,” Angela assured him as he walked quickly toward the mirror.

“See that you do,” He said, shaking his head. “I don’t want to ‘ear about you bein’ pulled out o’ a gutter tomorrow, or the next week.”

With that, he placed his paw on the mirror and vanished before our eyes. What the hell had just happened? I remained kneeling in complete silence, unsure of what to do or what to say. I didn’t have to say anything, it turns out. Angela pulled me toward her and embraced me, I melted into her arms as her warmth enveloped my body.

“It’s time for you to get dressed,” She told me. “There’s a fair in town, and I think it’s time for you to really get out of the house, and not just for shopping, or for Meredith to beat you within an inch of your life.”

“A fair?” I perked up a little bit. “Can I get cotton candy?”

“Yes honey,” She snickered a bit. “You can get cotton candy.”