Chapter 218: Gram's Choices

When I stomped into my room, I realized I wasn't alone. Not an uncommon occurrence, except my two visitors didn't offer their usual greetings. Instead, Sassafras crept to the edge of the bed, his ears flat sideways, pupils swollen, almost blacking out the amber of his eyes. Whiskers drooping and tail dragging behind him, he slowly raised one paw toward me. I lifted him into my arms immediately, hugging him as he burrowed his wet nose into my neck.

"It's going to be okay." I stroked his soft, silver fur, speaking directly to the huge black dog curled up in a miserable ball at the foot of the bed. Galleytrot didn't even lift his head, just swiped one giant paw over his nose. "Honest."

"This is very bad, Syd." Sassy looked up, paws resting on my collarbone so we were eye-to-eye. "She could start something we won't be able to finish."

"Gram's way smarter than that." And despite the day I'd had, even through my own worry and guilt and anger, I was absolutely convinced of it. "She would n