It’s Friday. How did that happen?
We haven’t had a snippet for a bit, so here is Augustine being impersonating an impressive business owner.
Augustine’s office lay on the seventeenth floor. He’d chosen that location precisely because it was just under the top two floors. The eighteenth floor held a private training space. The penthouse business suite above it belonged to his late father. From the moment Augustine officially took the reins of MII, he resolved to never enter it again, and he hadn’t set foot there for years.
The elevator doors whispered open, and he invited Diana forward with a sweep of his hand. They walked across the spotless dark floor through his kingdom of tall white walls and cobalt-tinted light streaming through the sheath of blue windows that wrapped the building.
He watched Diana’s expression covertly. Her face was relaxed and pleasant, her eyes calm. Prime Harrison moved with smooth grace, almost gliding across the floor, and the Doberman at her side matched her stride. The dog’s natural ears were down, her mouth half-open in a canine smile. He had seen enough Dobermans in his line of work. They were cautious dogs, alert and restrained in a new environment. This one was doing a fine impression of a golden retriever. There was an odd synergy between the woman and the dog – both sleek, assured, and pretending to be harmless.
They reached his office, where Lina sat at a pristine desk, presenting the last line of defense to the visitors. The desk was crafted from polished metal with a single white orchid growing from a simple pot. His secretary chose to match the orchid today. A white dress hugged her body, perfectly tailored and form-fitting, yet elegant. Her deep emerald hair, wrapped in a trendy twist, shimmered with peridot highlights. Her eyebrows were black and shaped with laser precision, and she had selected green and black to accent her eyes and mauve to tint her lips. As always, the effect was stunning.
Unfortunately, his newest intern had referred to that precise shade of mauve as “hot dog lips,” and now he could not divorce himself from it. Mentoring the youngest Baylor child came with its own annoyances.
He nodded to Lina and led his visitor to the right, where a translucent wall of white glass hid his office space. A nearly seamless door swung open, and Augustine invited Diana in with a sweep of his hand. She entered and sat in a chair, smoothing the skirt of her elegant grey business suit with a practiced gesture. The Doberman dropped on the floor to her right. Not a concern in the world.
Augustine sat behind his desk. His office was located in the corner where two walls of blue glass met at an angle and from his vantage point, he had a wide view of Downtown Houston. Unlike most people, he loved heights.
Diana glanced at a sign on the right wall, a quote without attribution. Trust Not Too Much in Appearances.
“Virgil,” she said.
It appeared that House Harrison believed in classical education.
“It’s a reminder,” he said.
“To you or to the visitors?”
“To me. We do our best to convince our visitors that we are trustworthy.”
“Is that why you chose a modern aesthetic for the building?”
He nodded. “Most people who want to hire an illusion mage come to us unsure what they might find. Consciously or subconsciously, they expect to be deceived. Our business requires trust, so we keep the interior simple, almost austere. Long unbroken walls, concrete floors, and transparent glass leave little room for illusions. People find it reassuring.”
“I see.”
She wasn’t giving him very much to work with.
“Are you truly trustworthy, Prime Montgomery?”
“That depends on your definition of trust. Will I keep everything you tell me confidential, and will I do everything in my ability to help you if we reach an agreement? Yes.” Augustine leaned back in his chair. “So, how may I help you?”
“Are you familiar with Zeus?”
“The Greek god or your brother’s tiger?”
“The tiger.”
She took a slim tablet from her purse, flicked her fingers across it, and showed it to him. On the screen, a massive animal stretched, vaguely feline, a distant cousin of a tiger if tigers had blue fur splattered with darker and paler rosettes and a fringe of six-inch long tentacles around their necks.
All the magic talents in the world fit into three broad categories: elemental, mental, and arcane. Of the arcane discipline, summoning was one of the least understood. Summoners reached into the arcane realm, a place of magic outside of normal reality, called forth monstrous creatures, and hurled these biological weapons at their opponents. Nobody knew exactly how any of it worked and the summoners were not forthcoming with explanations.
Zeus had been summoned by someone attacking one of the Baylors’ clients, and Cornelius had tamed it against all odds. Augustine had looked into it after the incident. No animal mage on record had even been able to bond with a summoned beast. Cornelius was the only exception.
That bond somehow kept Zeus alive and thriving. Creatures summoned by weaker summoners vanished when they lost focus. The summons of the upper level Significants and Primes stayed in the world permanently, but most summoned creatures had short lifespans, even with the best of care. They withered, like repotted plants that failed to take root. Sometimes it took days, sometimes weeks, but eventually all arcane creatures perished. With the exception of the organisms that were planted into a human host.
“We decided to call the species Tigrionex.”
Tigris, Latin for tiger and nex meaning violent death. “Tiger of slaughter?”
“Yes.” Diana slid her finger across the tablet. Another image appeared, still of Zeus. Wait, no. This blue tiger was slightly different. It looked a little smaller, and its blue fur had a slight purple tint.
Augustine glanced at Diana. “You obtained a second tiger?”
She nodded. “Cornelius and I had her summoned at great expense.”
The cost must’ve been astronomical.
“Her name is Celeste. I was able to form a pact.”
“Not Hera?”
“No. We didn’t want to jinx it.”
House Harrison had access to two summoned beasts and both of them had bonded to their tamers. Clearly, there was something special about that family.
“Zeus and Celeste were allowed to mate. Before you ask, it was voluntary on their part. We would never exercise our influence over our animals to force a breeding. It was a difficult pregnancy.”
“What about cloning or surrogacy?” he asked.
“That would have meant taking the choice away from them.”
So they would risk a massive investment for the sake of maintaining the animals’ autonomy. Interesting.
“We almost lost the mother, but in the end a single cub was born.”
Another swipe of her fingers, and a new image. A shockingly adorable blue cub. He understood the need for secrecy now. If anyone found out about this, the Harrisons would be swarmed with requests.
“What’s the cub’s name?”
“Kitty.”
He blinked.
“It’s a placeholder name. We were hoping that when Kitty grew a little, Matilda would form a pact with her. My niece is very talented, and she sounds mature, but she is still a nine-year-old child. She makes reckless decisions. Cornelius and I will do everything in our power to protect her, but we cannot be everywhere at once.”
And Kitty would grow up to be a formidable protector.
“These animals are different. They are smarter, more aware, and the bond with them is deeper,” Diana said. “Because of the difficult pregnancy, we decided to wait to introduce Matilda and the cub. We want to make sure Kitty survives. If Matilda bonds with her and the cub dies, the trauma to my niece would be catastrophic. That’s why the Baylors can’t be involved in this matter. In the two months since they moved into their new compound, Matilda made friends with every mouse and bird on their property. She spies on them constantly. Nothing happens in that house that my niece doesn’t know about.”
“Can she hear through mouse ears?” he asked.
Diana looked at him for a second. “Vikilinta recording devices are one inch long, have the width of a pencil graphite, and weigh 19 grams. They’re voice-activated and record up to 400 hours of audio. A healthy adult mouse weighs between 40 and 45 grams, can carry twice her body weight, and can be convinced to wear a harness.”
And now he felt like a fool. What in the world was he thinking? The child was a budding Prime, not a mythical Beastmaster. Something about the connection between the tech and animals always short-circuited his brain.
“Of course. However, I can’t imagine the Baylors would look favorably on that kind of security breach.”
“I’ve stressed the need for privacy to her multiple times,” Diana said. “I do not believe her obsessive recording is malicious.”
“Then why?”
Diana sighed. Her face took on a slightly worn expression. “It is my understanding that a child subjected to early trauma, such as losing a parent in a horrific way, often seeks to establish control over her environment.”
“Matilda is afraid that she will miss something vital and the people she cares about will die.”
“Yes. You see now why we hid the cub.”
He understood perfectly.
“Matilda keeps the information she overhears confidential, unless something alarms her. For example, I know that Arabella visits this office twice a week, and she hasn’t told her mother or Catalina about it.”
Diana’s gaze turned direct and unblinking. The Baylors treated Matilda and Cornelius as family. She likely felt protective toward them. He wasn’t obligated to explain, but good business relationships relied on trust.
Augustine reached into his desk, took out a folder, and offered it to her.
Diana glanced at the contents. “Internship agreement signed by Nevada Rogan?”
“My sister attends Donovan High.” Normally he had a knee-jerk reaction to speaking about his family but for some reason it didn’t trigger in her presence.
Diana’s eyebrows rose. “Donovan? Not Heritage?”
Of the two high schools catering to the magically gifted, Heritage was far more prestigious. If you were a scion of a House, you went to Heritage, while Donovan took the rest.
“Yes. She attends under an assumed name.”
And an assumed persona. If Verena’s classmates ever met her off school grounds, they wouldn’t recognize her. Except for Arabella, none of them had any idea what his sister truly looked like.
“The principal and the senior staff are aware of who she is,” he continued. “My sister wanted it this way, and I acquiesced. Let’s just say that I understand what drives Matilda better than most people.”
An understatement of the year.
“Arabella also attends Donovan,” Diana said.
“Yes. They are friends.” The strangest friendship that sprouted from a bizarre crisis. “They’re both taking an AP course in House Business Administration, which requires 160 hours of internship with a business owned by a House other than your family.”
“You swapped,” Diana said. “The Rogans took your sister, and you took Arabella.”
He nodded. “It’s an arrangement that works for both children. I know that Connor and Nevada will not put my sister in harm’s way, and they understand that I will do the same for Arabella. Feel free to reassure Matilda. Shall we return to the matter at hand?”
Diana studied him for another moment and turned the tablet toward him. On it, a fat fluffy tiger cub took shaky steps on stubby legs. She stumbled over to her frightening mother and batted at the otherworldly beast with her small paw. Celeste lowered her head. The cub tried to pounce, fell, and let out a frustrated noise, a tiny baby growl.
“You understand that the recovery may require significant investment even with the discount,” he said. “Do you wish to see an estimate?”
“No. Whatever it takes. We will pay it.”
“Are you sure?” The Harrisons were a House, but their talents didn’t have many lucrative applications.
“Absolutely. This isn’t property, Prime Montgomery. This is a life.” Diana brushed her fingers over the recording. “We welcomed Kitty into this world, we assumed responsibility for her, and now she is scared and alone. Celeste knows that her daughter is gone. She relies on me to bring her home. Whatever it takes.”
A digital timer appeared in the corner of the screen, counting off seconds. Thirty-two hours, seventeen minutes, and twenty-three seconds.
“The time until Kitty needs the next shot of her medicine,” Diana said. “Will you help me?”
He looked into her green and gold eyes, and the words came out before he realized he had spoken. “Of course, I will.”
Woohoo!!
Oh my gosh soooo good. I love this world. I love this pairing. I love this quest. Literal goosebumps. Very exited for this book.
+1000
All of this! I am so excited for this story and setup.
Yes!
+200000
Agreed!
first
Yay 🎉
This is delightful. Gratitude to House Andrews
I’m speechless. Kitty is a total surprise and now she’s missing…Happy Friday!
More, please?
+100
Yes, more please! This is the start of something wonderful!
Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE!!!!!!
Excellent! Thank you! Have a great week end!
certified first 🙂
Oops, this didn’t get hooked to anyone.
(So looking forward to the whole story. Nice explanation why Baylor investigation cannot take the case.)
Aww. Augustine looses his mask. I love it
Just what I needed this week. Thank you!
Oh, Zeus and Celeste have a baby! Adorable! 😍
So…Matilda is a spy watching over House Baylor. Interesting times ahead.
**Announcer voice: “Will Diana and Augustine find the baby Kitty in time? Tune in next time!**
Thank you for the snippet!
I wonder if Matilda and company ever found Jadwiga the spider. 🤔🧐
I want to know too?
I’ve already started planning the Kitty shaped pancakes 😁😁😁
yes! blue kitty pancakes!!
😁🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
😀 Perfect!
This puts the “Here, Kitty, Kitty” to a whole new perspective. 😉😁🤣🤣🤣🤣
🤣🤣
haha, I was just thinking “Here Kitty, Kitty”!
Whoever took Kitty, I hope they feel great regret for a what will likey be a short amount of time before their unfortunate demise. Just sayin’.
+1 Lowest of the low.
+1 Seriously, are they dumb?
I can’t wait for another book from y’all, I’m starving here!!! 😄😋😆
Dead. Just thank you so much. What a treat.
Ooohhhh this is too good!
Yes! A really delicious snippet!
So excited to learn more about Augustine!
Kitty!!! I am ridiculously excited to return to this world! Thanks
Best Friday’s are story Friday’s!
This is wonderful!
I have no words, cute fluffy blue murder tiger cub. Bad ass woman in Diana and the shenanigans of Arabella. Also has the spider been found yet?
The Andrews know how to create bad-ass cats! A cute fluffy blue murder tiger cub, a, tigrionix, the cat from the Inheritance, and the beast Lord. What a line-up!!
FUN! Thanks! I love this world and the characters.
OMG a kitty 🐱. Thank you so much. Zeus is a daddy ! Squeeeee!
I know ir’s bring greedy, but more please.
omg! ty ty ! missing kitty! only noes!
I apologize for putting this so bluntly but I need this book!
Oh dear God!!!
Another adventure awaits!!
Can’t wait!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!
Tiny little mice with recording harnesses attached. We really need a picture.
ohhhh thank you for this! save the Cheerleader, save Kitty!!!!
+1 🤭
Eeeeeeeeeeee! Love! All the love!!
Thank you, Ilona and Gordon!💜🦋💜
Awww, Zeus is a papa. I’m curious if parenting among their kind is different from Earth tigers. Hopefully Zeus spends time with Kitty.
Kitty!
Hmm. Put THAT kitty on a “Hello, Kitty” t-shirt.
Love it! So excited to read this! Thank you!
Awwwww Kitty sound and adorable new pet 😍
So good!! Totally woke me up on this sleepy Friday morning. Thank you, HA!
I’m going to have lots of fun images running around in my head today. Blue kittens, assumed personas, looking harmless. Wheeeee!
Wowza.
Thank you for more glimpses into this world. While the BDH is never satiated, every tidbit and morsel keeps us —- chalant?
I just did a reread so it really hit today.
Happiness is a Friday morning snippet! Thank you so much, Authorlords!!
Thank you for a Friday treat.
Hopefully, this will grow into a larger production…
I needed this today, so Thank you and a big fluffy hug to you! <3
Love me a blue Kitty!
Oh lord, I already love this story so much! Thank you so much for the snippet!!
Dire consequences to the kitten thieves!
Oh crap!! This is gonna be beyond amazing. I mean seriously!! Kitty rescue!! I’m 1000% in.
Oh my gosh this is EXACTLY what we need right now!! Desperately trying to be p*tient and chalant. Taking comfort in the established size trajectory of HA short stories 😆
Ahhh, I’m in love. I have been so tired of 19 year old romances and lives. I want substance! I am salivating over every crumb of this story.
o.m.g. Kitty is missing??? if taken, someone, ones, are incredibly incredibly stupid.
Cornelius is absolutely a Prime (no surprise) , but his attempts at a quiet life…smh.
Why would you put the kitty in danger??? My poor nerves can’t take it!
So we know Kitty will be okay but …I do trust HA, but … and Augustine is badass. I’m sure we haven’t seen the full of what he can do..but count me officially emotionally invested in this story lol.
“Power of the Snippet” 😂
Oh. This snippet is absolutely perfect. I’m in.
I’m absolutely satisfied and want more all at the same time.
So good. SO GOOD!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Oooo….how fun!
Thank you so much! This was awesome! <3
SO good! ♥️ Thank you!!
Wow yes yippee
If Lina is the last line of defense, she must have some serious chops. Will we get some insight into her skills? And I hope we get a little glimpse into the interactions of Arabella driving Augustine crazy – it’s probably super hilarious.
Ah, a Pancakes snippet makes everything better! And squee! Zeus has a baby!❤️
And maybe some insight into why Arabella didn’t tell Catalina or Mom that she’s interning with Augustine?
A possible answer could be because of the way Augustine treated Nevada when she was the head of Baylor Investigations before they became a House. Arabella has a long memory of that time.
I can really understand why Arabella didn’t mention it to her mom. Penelope had her sights, literally and figuratively, on Augustine. Catalina…that could be due to her Warden function (thanks Grandpa Linus).
If I remember rightly, this was explained in a Friday Chat with Dina, (which look like were renamed InnTerviews.) However! So far as I can search at 2 am when I am reading this instead of sleeping, both Arabella’s and Augustine’s chats are missing… Dun dun Duuuuunn!!
I seem to remember that in that chat with Dina, Arabella had graduated and was working on (or had even finished) a double major in college, and had been accepted into a prestigious study at one of the ivy league schools with Augustine’s help and most of the class was online but she had to be at Uni once a month and used the excuse that she was going shopping in NY to fly there to go to class so no one in the family knew… *deep breath* Something like that. But, as her chat is missing, I am not going to divulge any dark secrets that may or may not have been revealed.
>.>
And this story is from while she is still in high school, so the timeline has changed.
But I think the answer to the question may be the most simple. Arabella’s mom still dislikes Augustine for (blackmailing) putting Nevada in danger in Burn for Me, and Arabella does her own thing. Also, I am guessing there are very few people that know Arabella’s secret power, and Augustine or his sister put two and two together? Ugh, now I am thinking too much about this and can’t sleep.
oooooh, so good!!
More danger kitties, commence squeeing!
Yes to all of this! Augustine becomes just a tiny bit less mysterious, Diana seems so interesting, Arabella the intern, and there’s a missing baby kitty!
Operation: Kitty Retrieval!
Yes, yes, yes! *Fist pump*
After a stressful work week, this was exactly what I needed. ❤️❤️❤️
Woo hoo! Friday snippet!
It never ceases to give me the warm fuzzies the way that the Baylors just glommed Cornelius and Matilda into the family.
I agree!! So sad about the loss of wife/mom, but with the Baylor’s they gained a whole village, not a replacement, just a village who understands the loss and is there to support and value them as they are.
Love the return to this wonderful world and more insight into the others outside the Baylor bubble
I know Kitty will survive the “adventure” (thank you HA) but I know I will be checking the blog religiously to get each snippet…
please include Runa, Ragnar and Halle Etterson. Baylors have big hearts.
OMG! There is a lot to absorb in this snippet!
How exciting! Thank you for feeding us, but now I’m gonna need to know the rest, immediately. Kitty cliffhanger?! Unconscionable!
thank you!
Love this!!! Thank you for this spark of joy in my Friday.
now I need the merch featuring Zeus and family 😉 with Matilda’s spy mouse
thanks for the snippet IA
happy Friday
Yes. Love the spy mouse!
Oh Augustine, you’re completely sunk and you don’t know it.
Celeste! Lucky Zeus! Kitty! Oh no not little Kitty!
Thank you so much, I hope you have a lovely relaxing weekend, and the same for Mod R and the whole Horde.
I love how talented Cornelius is and how he’s deliberately suppressed his talents. But Augustine knows. I always appreciate the autonomy you give your characters, even the magical ones! Excited for this novella? Novel? Whatever and whenever it is!
Loved everything about this so much 🙂 Thank you!
Ohhhh. More please!
Love this snippet so much!! Kitty is abducted?! I will fight for Kitty!!!
And now I got the image in my head, a wave of BDH swarming all over the city screaming; “SAVE KITTY!!!”…. hehehe, hmmm, how the hell do I get that image out?
by adding the “next” image of the triumphant horde bearing the recovered kitty on a palanquin dressed in blue stripped curtains, of course!
Yes! This! Then Kitty’s relieved Momma and Daddy greeting her. Much cuteness!!
“Mentoring the youngest Baylor child came with its own annoyances.” No, really? Hehehe….
And, awwwwwwwwwww… “Kitty!”
Also, Augustine gazing into Diana’s eyes and committing himself before he even realizes it? Ship it! Not that I wasn’t doing so already….
I’m certain the BDH joins me in wondering when we will get ALL of this looking to be marvelous tale!
HA works miracles because I thought there was nothing I wanted more than an Arabella book. I’ll be interested to see what they do with a short story (i am totally chalant see) with a POV fully outside of House Baylor and how that might inform and expand future Arabella tales.
So any ideas for ship names for Augustine and Diana?
An irreverent part of my brain wants to call them Paw Patrol because the characters would hate it so much.
I believe the runaway favorite is currently Panthercakes 😁
Ship name is Panthercakes 🙂
Thank you! What a wonderful snippet! I love this series and world.
Yes. YES! So happy😍
amazing snippet. love it. Just wondering how the kitten was taken? Did I miss something?
I had the same!
Oooh, I just want to scoop Kitty up and bring back to mama while Zeus makes mincemeant of some kidnappers.
Also…fascinating insights to rearing a Prime. Enough to turn a parent prematurely gray!!
that was amazing! just amazing!!!
I love everything about this! So good. ❤️
And the BDH started chanting: pan..ther…cakes!🎶 Panthercakes! 🎵Panthercakes! 😆
+1 Panthercakes! 😂
Augustine’s claim that summons always die isn’t correct, because the razorscales are surviving independently at the beginning of Emerald Blaze. But that’s not a continuity error, because the snippet internally dates to between Diamond Fire and Sapphire Flames — Arabella is in high school, Nevada has abdicated [“Catalina doesn’t know” is only relevant if Catalina is head of house]. Augustine simply doesn’t know of counterexamples yet.
I love that Arabella is already concealing her educational activities as recounted for her college experience in her Friday Innterview.
Obviously, I love this and can’t wait for the full story!
“The summons of the upper level Significants and Primes stayed in the world permanently, but most summoned creatures had short lifespans” – emphasis mine 🙂
The snippet does not take place between Diamond Fire and Sapphire Flames 🙂 . The Baylors are in the new compound.
This was absolute perfection! I cannot wa*t to purchase and devour the complete story! Thank you for sharing your talents with us once again. Squeee!
High school? In Ruby Fever Connor gave her a club for her eighteenth birthday and she deals with the budget?
Eighteen and even nineteen year olds can be finishing high school. Nevada was running the whole family business at 17, so Arabella can run the finances at 18 🙂
OH HELL NO YOU DID NOT STEAL THAT TINY BLUE BABY
(Ahem. Sorry. P*atience is a virtue and revenge is a dish best served cold…)
squeeeeeeee!
oh man, I was invested even before the added stakes of Kitty needing medicine. Can we get illustrations, please? I would love to see Kitty!
thank you House Andrews! I love this so much!
So so good!!!! Thank you.
I just finished listening to the audiobook The Inheritance. Loved it! Of course! Audio always adds something great to the experience. Always gives me a different feel/flavor of a book that I’ve read. Or reread several times during the weekly sharing of this one. ☺️
So here I am, waiting patiently for your next release. Seriously, I’m a patient person. Doesn’t stop me from thinking about all the new goodness coming our way. But I’m not going anywhere. You guys take care of yourselves. If y’all aren’t happy (and healthy), we aren’t happy.
Awwwwww!!! Augustine the hard case is saving the Kitty!!!! I’m in love.
Oh my gosh, I really want to read this story. Thanks for the snippet!
Wow! I am alllll in. **happy dance** I am aiming for nonchalant but I am overwhelmed by Chalant-ness. Just picture a baby making the “give me” hand gestures lol
I needed this today, so much. Thank you for being the bright spot every time.
I am so glad you are going back to the world of Hidden Legacy, since Burn for Me was the first book I ever read by House Andrews, it holds a special place in my heart. Getting these occasional snippets makes life so much brighter! Work has been rough lately, and these always add a bit of sunshine into my day! Thank you!
Yay!! And Eeeeeee!! Augustine and Diana!! She’s tamed him and he doesn’t even know it!! Also, Celeste and Zeus and baby Kitty!! Thank you for this wonderful snippet!! 📚
OMG! A baby kitty cliffhanger. House Andrews, I hope you live a *really* long time and make gazillions of dollars. Y’all are fantastic. I want more… is it ready for pre-order yet??
+10000
Wow, this is excellent. thanks for letting us visit this world again.
Awww, my gosh! Zeus has a lady and their love child has been taken? I know Augustine will recover Kitty in time, but I hope he and Diana make the kidnappers pay! (Maybe let Celeste take a nibble??) Love this, thank you so much!
can’t wait for more! souch to like in this story.
omg… KITTY! KittyKittyKittyKitty….
I love the fact that Arabella and Montgomery’s sister are friends and are exchange interns. And the fact that Nevada approved it.
I am NotChalant. Eeeeee and thank you. Have a good weekend HA and Mod R!
Love this, please make it a book ☺️
Oh no! Find the kitty quick. Celeste will not be happy with whoever took her baby.
Can’t wait to read the whole shebang!!
State of the series says it is “finished for now,” so is this just a blog treat? Or will there be a book or novella at some point ? 🤞So much fun, and I’d love more!
I know Zeus looks nothing like it, I really do know, and so Kitty won’t either, but my silly brain has superimposed the blue spirit tiger from KPop Demon Hunters over Kitty’s image and I can’t get my brain to undo that 🙈😂😂 I heard fluffy blue tiger and my brain just went there 🤷
Am I the only one…? 😅
I wasn’t thinking that. But now…
Mod R – FYI, butterfly pea powder should turn the Kitty pancakes blue!
Hmmm, if there’s an acid in the pancake it will be purple, I think…
And you could add blueberries for rosettes
Any idea when the book will come out?
I’m ready to buy it.
The Horde, renowned all over for our chill!
What? There’s chili? Where? Did Steve make blue chili pancakes? (Regards imagined food dubiously.) Oh, ya, no, wasn’t chili. Ok, prob a good thing. Shudder.
Thank you!! Panthercakes, baby Kitty and stealth mice – what a great snippet! So excited to see how the recovery plays out… maybe another ferret heist? 😂
nice! looking forward to the Kitty rescue!
Wonderful, thank you !!!
So so so love this!
Love the snippet!!!!
Being chalant…
Thanks Ilona and Gordon!
Needed this today.
Awesome to get a snippet of the new novella. 😉
Also, Matilda totally can hear through mouse ears. Who agrees?
+1000
I always get to the end and I’ve forgotten it’s just snippet. Damnit. Well done and thank you!
Wow!
Gosh, I am SO invested now.
I always love me some snippets. Can’t wait for the book!
Love Love Love. This has really made a difference in my day. I am positive it has for others as well. Thank you
Oh he smitten! Doesn’t even know it yet! <3
Now if it is with the kitten or Diana… that will be the next parts!
I’m hooked.
Oh how cute Kitty! Diana and Augustine! Shipping Augiana so hard right now. But the best part is “Hot Dog Lips”. Thanks for the giggle
💜💜 Thank you
So this takes place after the prologue of Ruby Fever, but before the bulk of that book (6 months later). The snippet was very explicit: they moved into the compound 2 months before.
I’m was a little confused on Arabella’s age, since she would have been 19 shortly after Catalina turned 21 (roughly) and this is about a year later … so Arabella close to 20? … and still in high school? But maybe she lost a year in getting a handle on controlling her power. Anyway, I have suspended disbelief. 🤣🙃🤣
Loving the snippets.
So possibly one or more Russians as culprits?
Wow!
Wooooooowww!
O.O
So much awesomeness packed in this snippet! Thank you 🐾
love, love, love!!!
hot dog lips!
kitty!!!!!
thank you for this Friday gift!!!
We want it !!!
Oh wow, thank you for the fabulous snippet! What a great start to the weekend.
Inject this snippet straight into my veins!
Happy Friday indeed!
I hope that the commissioned art includes the baby tiger. A fat, blue, fluffy tigers cub would make the year, when if ever released.
love this. Can’t wait for release. And it’s nice that Cornelius at last has a potential LI. 🙂
Thank you! So happy to visit this world again.
Kitty!!! I love kitty!
Yessssssssssss.
Thank you. More please. You are the best!
So if the Panthercakes (Augustine + Diana) have kids, shall we call them Panther Kittycakes, in honor of the case that brought them together? Asking for a friend!
Can’t wait for the short st— novella— new trilogy on the Panthercakes, Leon and…. Hmmm, who else should be included?
+1 Panthercakes!
Oh, WOW, I am already so very invested in this story!
Thank you, House Andrews, for the snippet and for another brilliant tale that I know I will read and reread countless times!
So looking forward to the next snippet, poor Kitty, Thankyou
Thank you so much for the gift! 💙
Well, crap. I am invested. Whenever you’re ready my buy finger is primed. Love this.
How dare someone steal kitty!
Yay for Pancakes Friday! Or is it Friday Pancakes? Anywho, thanks!
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot wait for this story to come out!
woo-hoo, snippet!
I need the rest of this. 😊
thank you made my Friday
Love this story! Can’t wait for more 😊
Thank you!
Hurrah for Augustine and Diana snippet.
Lina, she of polished appearance with ability to make Catalina look professional after the Rosebud mess…wonder what her talent might be, hmm
Oh gosh a cute, but vulnerable, cub, the story will be fabulous.
Thank you
Ooh I love it! So many new threads with a common point.
Well Whoa! This is interesting. I am enthralled.
couple of things
I note Diana didn’t actually say Matilda can’t hear thru mouse ears…
does anyone remember where augustines family’s back story was included? there are hints here and there but I’ve definitely read a couple of paragraphs somewhere about his siblings and him taking over the business. the whole “haven’t been in the penthouse since his father died” had me intrigued. now I have to find and re read that bit!
I’m tapping my nose so hard 🤣
It was the “nah, couldn’t possibly be a legendary Beastmaster” that had me grinning evilly 🤣🤣
Yes!!! She’s totally going to turn out to be a beastmaster 😂
It is in one of the Catalina books, maybe Sapphire? If I remember correctly Catalina promises her evil grandmother not to marry and join another house if she will give her information to trade to Augustine so she can save Alessandro, and the information her grandmother gives her was about Augustine’s father and sister’s killer and his new identity and location, or something along those lines. I think he has a younger brother and sister still alive as that comes up at the start of that book when he asks her to stop Runa’s younger brother from jumping off the building and he talks about having younger siblings. Love this snippet. Love Augustine, there is so much more to him than meets the eye, can’t wait to find out more. 🙂
Sapphire Flames
Alessandro in secret lab
Victoria has info that Catalina can trade to Augustine which he can use to trace his father’s killer.
oh. and thank you! so much! your stories give me such joy and a break from the good and bad of this thing called life.
Someone kidnapped the pretty kitty? A baby pretty kitty?
That person needs to have something horrible happen to them.
Truth!
noooooo! what monster would steal Kitty??!! I hope Cornelius is ready to squash then flatter them dead!
how do you come up with these ideas. I am in awe. A perfect situation for the 2 of them. Zeus has a family – weeeee
Hihi, Prime Montgomery is sunk. I love it.
Love it, love it, love it! Thank you!
I LOVE it!
❤️💕🐯
Yes please!!
Oh no. With the way things are I don’t think i can take more worry.
*hugs*
Have faith & Go back to the movie disclaimer…..’ no animals were harmed during the creation of ….. Of course, the baby Kitty will be fine, the servant’s of Tuna would never hurt a kitty, especially a baby.
You trained with an expert torturer, didn’t you? Otherwise how could you turn the screws so precisely? So…. When can we see the rest of the story (stories) that you’ve been hinting at here?
😍😍😍😍😍speechless
I am in heaven! I can’t wait to buy this book😉
Oooooooohhhhhh! Kitty!!!
omg cute fluffy baby!! yesss!!
These snippets give me life. To House Andrews, we salute you!
Here kitty, kitty, kitty!
sorry, couldn’t help myself.
OMG.
The hooks.
all the hooks.
You guys are….never-ending in your ability to create something I need to finish reading immediately.
A match of heart and head, where Augustine, contrary to his beliefs about himself, is almost entirely heart. I realize this book is not anywhere near the publishing calendar, but consider at least one copy preordered.
near, not bear. PIMF!!!
Fixed 🐻
Oh, this is just too damned good…
Matilda!!!😲
Since when!!!!🤣
Diana, Cornelius and Matilda all seem pretty adept at using their animal friends to access items and information. I wonder if the House is actually wealthier than Augustine suspects? They could be making a killing in corporate espionage or related areas… or just plain old theft, if they wanted.
No lucrative applications, right.
Here, here!
Oooh! So good! Can’t wait for another installment!
Whooaaaa…..
Winter Serial!!!!
Kitty!
Love the (temp) name.
this is fantastic! thank you!
I absolutely cannot wait for this. Take my money, please!
Bouncy bouncy bouncy bouncy YAY! Thank you!
I love hearing more about Houses Harrison and Montgomery! And to hear that there is a new addition in the form of Celeste and ‘Kitty’ is splendid.
Ahhhhhhhhh I already can’t wait to read this.
To quote Matilda when she first met Zeus: A Kitty!
(Me, being a cat owner and totally swept away)
Thank you both very much! I am soooo ecstatic! 🤩 I want and need more, much much more! What a lovely and thoughtful gift you have given us!
Oh no, poor Kitty! Now I am even more invested in this story. I shall be Chalant.
Oh. My. God!
That was wonderful, thank you!
Thank you so much! It was totally unexpected 🙂 Kitty? Wow. And all the tiny details about your characters… I love it absolutely!
Oh my goddess – the treats that you give us!!! Thank you !
I am begging for this book to be soon, I was/am so wrapped up in this series and miss it terribly. I have reread it to the point where I had to purchase a new kindle (again). My top 2 favs are this one and Innkeeper. I love/own all IA books I could find, so a few hundred more will make my book horde nicely balanced (heh, heh, heh).
Oh my goodness – hot dog lips – baby blue tigers – Panthercakes!
PLEASE take my $$
Sorry will try to be p***ent
Sqeeee!
I like the possibilities of this story. This particular pairing is satisfying, if it is as it promises. Augustine deserves a more mature partner than our Arabella who is still making the transition to adulthood.
There was never going to e an Augustine and Arabella pairing, as confirmed on multiple occasions by House Andrews 🙂
That was as great as an entire novel.
Thank you.
I would not be sad at all if there was another Hidden Legacies story to be told,
Oh no!! Now I’m crying.
❤️
Thank you
It’s been a week, and this made it all better!
Wonderful x Do we have another ferret heist on the books 💖
awesome!
Love love love! I can’t wait to learn more about the blue kitty. My daughter is too young for your books but that combines two of her favorite things so I’m sure I’m going to be sharing curated selections with her!
A suggestion for Mod R – maybe we could have a blog post that defines chalant? There tends to be a lot of scratching-my-head Facebook comments when Ilona uses it so it would be nice to have a blog post to point them to. I’ve been seeing it used in comments as both a synonym and an antonym for nonchalant so it would be good to clarify what it means.
When I tell you I am fluffily chalant about these Friday snippets, I am 100% team antonym. 😁
It’s just a joke 🙂 from a BDH post https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/555-rumors/
Maybe we just need a list of Horde-isms and ship names for the new initiates, Mod R. A Horde-ientation post! 🤣
Love it, love it, love it! Can’t wait for it to published but no stress!
This really might be my favorite series of all time. I imagine the feeling I get when I get one of these snippets is like an addict getting a fix. Feels great, but I need the next one!
!!!! so happy! Friday goodness.
WOOT! Time to re-read/listen to the entire series and the related series!
Why, why, why are your stories so incredibly addicting??????
Wow! Love having amazing Ilona Andrews’ stories to look forward to! And LOVED the snippet.
Love, love, love!!!
Thank you!! I am so excited for the book.
Oh …a Kitty !
Sweet 💕
Thank you, Ilona and Gordon, for sharing your creative gift with us! May it have brought you joy to create it as it did to the Horde to consume it! Seeing these two character’s relationship start to bloom brings me happiness – as everyone should have someone they can feel close, open and themselves with. Yes, I realize it is ‘just’ a story but, still…. May your edits, storytelling and healing be moving forward in a positive manner.
Sending peace, health and safety to all!
Who would dare kidnap Kitty?! Okay I’m sooo invested in this and I hope at some point we get more HL.
Love this! The world-building expansions from the main plot here, as well as glimpses of what the Baylors and Matilda are up to, are all fascinating. The careful cultivation of slaughter tigers is cute, too. Who could’ve gotten close enough to kidnap Kitty??
Loved this snippet! What wonderful and complex characters! Thank you!
It sounds like there’s a possible addition (or two)in the Hidden Legacies series? Please???
Fingers tapping until I can buy this….. This was lovely.
Thank you so much!!!
Yes! All the snippets and breadcrumbs coalesce and it all comes together! Thank you that was wonderful.
Zeus has a mate and cub!!!!
YESSSSS!
When I picture Zeus, I always think: Lisa Frank!
Yes, I know that leopard is rainbow, not blue, but I can’t help it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/s/fN6a8GYQ90
Stupid and behind here. Is this a new book to the series?? If so , when please??!!
Just a snippet of a new story I parts from HA for fun.
Please tell me that there is hope for just 1 or 5 more books. It was nice to go back to Houston. Shared this with my niece – we are big fans of House Baylor and others
I love it. Hidden Legacy is really my favorite, despite it being very hard to choose as I love all your books.
Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
So I spent sometime trying to figure out, is kitty the one that’s missing? Diana never said. Did I miss in the previous short?
“We welcomed Kitty into this world, we assumed responsibility for her, and now she is scared and alone. Celeste knows that her daughter is gone. She relies on me to bring her home. Whatever it takes.”
Maybe a reread is in order? 🙂
Right, I saw that, but there was no “someone took Kitty” or “Kitty is missing” or “I need you to find Kitty”. Everything is assumed. or implied. She never actually said what the job was to Augustine. Everything is assumed. Probably the contractor in me. I’ve learned over the years to make the client explicitly say “this is what I want you to do.” (and preferably get that written down.)
I struggled with that too. In the previous snipped (where Augustine catches a ride) she says she needs him to retrieve something. I caught it on a reread of that snippet.
Ok, thanks for this. I was just assuming it would come together in the story, but it was bugging me a little. Clues divided between snippets slipped past me. Not the first time! Probably not the last either.
You are not the only one. 🙂 Enough time had passed between the snippets, and there was no “someone kittynapped her” or “we found the gate open” that I finally assumed we simply were missing that part of the conversation.
EDIT: Oh my goodness! I must have missed the updated snippet! I remember a snippet from ages ago, but there is an updated post! Yes, go back and read the Oct 13th post, it does not stand alone, it is at the end of the blog. Here is the snip from that snippet 😉
“Something has been stolen from us,” she said.
“And you need me to find the culprit and recover it?”
Diana nodded.
😀
I will be patient, I will be patient & wait until it is done & published…ARG!
Love this snippet and this series.
Thank you
Love it. 🥰
Ooh! Shiny! More please?
These snippets of Augustine are a veritable delectation for the mind! Thank you!
Please Please co tinue this story!
I hope this turns into a big fat book❣️Montgomery is a really fascinating character and so is Diana. MontAna?
MONTANA!!!! Yassss
Thanks❣️
I am nearly choking to death on my greed to get my hands on this story. I hate to rush you when I know how much is on your plate, but my god, I am old and sick and my life may depend on this.
Great snippet. I am confused abut the timeline, though, since Arabella was out of high school when the Baylors moved into the compound. At least, I thought she was?
i had the same thought when i read that… im sure that will be fixed in the edits.. but good point!
There is no mention of Arabella graduating highschool in the pre-Ruby Fever books 🙂. The snippet takes place before the main action of the book starts.
Thanks, Mod R ❣️ It seems so long since I read the last one that I couldn’t remember.
I believe this tale could go in so many exciting directions I will just sit back and enjoy the adventure. In one of the crannies in my head, I think Matilda is sitting back and laughing watching the characters and BDH floundering.
now I’m imagining a mouse spying on all the horde😅🤣
.. plus may I please.. pretty please ask for this snippet into a book..s.. pleeeeease.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! This story gives me life. I am incredibly chalant, but I shall attempt to wa*t p*tiently for the full story!!!
speaking of clones! anyone else want to clone G & I so we can got more brain products? lol
seriously I can’t effing wait! thanks for the snippets.
I am so glad that Zeus has a mate. And now, a baby. He is not alone in this world. Thank you AL very much.
And Diana is showing heart and emotions as well, I remember her in some of the initial books having difficulty connecting. And Matilda is already growing with the idea that connections are important not only for business. This makes me glad too.
Well done.
(When is the book ready? I need to throw my $$ at you)
No fair! Overload….terminal cuteness. I want the book. Now.
This is so very exciting!!
Oh, wow. Another countdown to keep up with. Gotta have it.
Wow this is beautiful! I’m so happy they’re going to have a book together!
I’d buy that book.
Tantalizing! Can’t wait for more!
What a lovely way to start the weekend.
The last few weeks have been very crazy for my family and this is a breath of fresh air for both of us.
Looking forward to the entire story.
Thank you very much.
EXCELLENT!!! Cant wait for the book!
I can’t wait ’till Kitty gets enormous so someone can say Here Kitty, Kitty.🐈⬛
Also,” Hot Dog Lips”. That had to be Arabella, even before her name was said. ROFLOL!
Thank you HA!!
Another wild ride beginning, with some maximum tiger cuteness!!
So many dynamics in play. Wonderful to be back in HL world!
Oh my gosh! This snippet pushed all my buttons! House Andrews how can you know me so well??? And I want it now all of it! (sigh) Waiting for this one will be difficult.
I am not good at timelines. Also straight and crooked, although that’s not applicable here.
In Ruby Fever, Matilda is 10 so this is before that?
Also, in the previous snippet, Augustine has killed some people , right? So it’s after this in the timeline?
It’s in the break between the prologue of Ruby Fever and the main action 🙂.
And yes, the previous snippet is after this.
I love this!
I love reading about Augustine!
But can we please talk about the fact that mauve is not a shade of red and I do not understand how the color makes “hot dog lips”?
mauve is a shade of pink, and it comes in many different tones. hotdogs (like oscar mayer for example) are a shade of pink. https://recipes.net/articles/how-to-cut-a-hotdog-for-a-one-year-old/ (ignore the article, just look at the picture of the cut up hotdog color.)
What laura said. Also, if Lina had fillers injected into her lips, they could be larger than her normal size. That with the lipstick color makes “hot dog lips”.
That just makes me snicker. 🤭
Cannot wait!! So excited!!
Aaaaaaah all the grabby hands emojis!!!! Gimme my precious!!
Go get Kitty, Augustine 🎉
I can’t wait to hear about her in future stories!
Ooh! I want to read this book!!
House Andrews does know how to whet our appetite ! Now watch the BDH turn into a slavering horde…
You can put me down for a pre-order for whenever this shortstory/novella/novel/series gets done
awesome snippet!! now i really want to know more about how the two kids meet up. “bizarre crisis” could just be so many things with these guys. 🤣
how the search for kitty goes well and can’t wait! 🐱🐱🐱
Oh oh oh. Can’t wait to read the rest
I need artists rendition of Kitty! Thank you for this!
Augustine, master negotiator ..
‘He looked into her green and gold eyes, and the words came out before he realized he had spoken. “Of course, I will.”’
Hah, this shipped has sailed! Love it so much.
ETA on publishing?
As much as I love Clan Andrews, I love House Andrews more.
It’s nice to be back in this Texas 😊
♥️
Ok, you cannot give us a new ship without promising an ending! Wedding bells for House Harrison and House Montgomery, please!
THIS IS AMAZING! Thank you For sharing this
I’m so thrilled
can’t wait for the.book!
Are next tea and talk with Dina. Should be between Cornelius with Zeus, and Elias with Chaos Cat talking pets and training. With Dina hopefully sharing info about both creatures.
Excellent idea!
+1
This is just going to be awesome you know it! Loving this story so far thank you for sharing with us!!!
You are so generous…. this is absolutely thrilling! So glad to be back in the world of the Primes.
AAAAAaaaaaaaaaAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SAVE KITTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Grind her kidnappers into — no,no ….. AFTER Kitty is rescued and safe, those who actually comitted the kidnapping *AND* THOSE WHO ORDERED IT should be ….. I can’t quite think of anything awful enough …. perhaps their terribly-dead bodies found nailed to a wall, with no discoverable clues about why it was done or who did it ….. though who most need the message will understand it …*glares at kitten-nappers*
This is going to be so fun!
you both are the best matchmakers in the world – and I so so so want to know what happens next
Thank you, thank you! It’s been two days of broken appliances. This is lovely and I am extremely excited to read the cub’s story.
Well, now I’m worried for Kitty. And unsurprised about Matilda.
🤩🐯🎭 what is not to love?
Love this, thank you!
WTH…..if this is a snippet…..are we looking at getting a full on Pancakes book??? 👀👀👀🫣
So invested!!!
Thanks for the snippet^^
And I need help! I can’t find a blog post with beautiful keyboards. Can you help me?
Sure, here it is 🙂 https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/the-coziest-keyboard-ever/
Thanks^^
Omg. Howto draw me in. Your writing is just ace.
Blue murder tiger plushies?
😅
Chilling … I live in Massachusetts so very chill. Chillaxing as we like to say.
Oh, this is good!!! More, please!
This is so awesome! The horde requests a sign of life of Kitty (a snippet) every month until the short story is released. Please please and thank you.
I’m so excited for this, getting an insight into Augustine is so interesting! thank you so much for the snippet.
Speaking of Primes, the Wall Street Journal had an article on the 15th entitled “ the ultrarich are spending a fortune to live an extreme privacy.” Great tidbits!
Love,love, love this story and this new adventure. Eagerly awaiting the next post!
🥹🐅
Fluffy blue cub… Arabella as intern…. Loooove it!
This is excellent. I hope it finds a way into a Hidden Legacy novel. Diana’s caution is totally justified. If Arabella or Matilda ever learned about the cub’s existence or predicament they would both search for “Kitty.” Absolutely no one could stop them. I understand how much fun House Andrews finds the Innkeeper books to create but Hidden Legacy is delicious and my read and reread series.
I was sucked in immediately
How exciting! More from the world of House Baylor! And blue tiggers… <3 <3
I love how a snippet can cause the hunger to devour rise so fast
kitty!!! augustine will saves you
Love it.
As a member of the BDH, I so want this story. I know you know, but you have us all salivating. Also, we have to know Kitty how is rescued! [There is no other acceptable ending, but Kitty being rescued and returned to her mother. 😉 ]
I’m going to stop reading snippets so I can savor the full story whenever it comes out. BRAVO! This is delicious. I appreciate that HA chose to address the Augustine and Arabella issues by having Matilda and Dianna call it out! From the mouth of babes! Naughty Horde members, take that. At the same time, this also reveals how alike Dianna and Augustine are. I will be tickled to read more about each of their enigmatic pasts and this budding relationship.
Wow! Thank you! This is awesome.
I wish I still got email notifications. do y’all not do that anymore and that something else I’ve missed?
Hi Joy, the newsletter is still definitely happening. Sometimes it gets delivered to the spam folder or unsubscribes in error due to server firewalls. Please resubscribe at the link: https://subscribepage.io/MXW8Sl
I will also email this to you, in case you don’t check replies 🙂
Thank you – I didn’t realize how much I missed these characters and your story telling until I read this excerpt. You tell a great story and I love the cadence of your writing, more please – thank you!
KITTY!! This is the best
i love this. i need a kitty.
what color are diana’s eyes? brown and gold? green and gold? is she one of those lucky people whose eyes change color with their outfit?
thank you for the snippets!
oh my goodness!
Fantastic!!! I loved it.
happiness is reading the next snippet
omg love it and wow, the secrets Matilda holds
Zeus is a daddy and there’s a little blue tiger cub. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Heh. Reading about the “spy mice” suddenly brought back childhood memories of “Runaway Ralph” by Beverley Cleary. I can picture those mice riding tiny motorcycles- just like Ralph!
I hope Lina has some hidden illusion or transformation powers. Taking so much time to do her makeup each day while working for an illusion mage who normally adjusts his appearance would be so frustrating. Especially on a bad hair day or when eyeliner just refuses to look the same.
If Mathilda is so invested in the Baylors that she’s deployed spy mice to keep up to date on all that happens in the compound, wouldn’t she have figured out some way to be spying on Diana too? We don’t know how long Celeste was preggers, but with whatever fussing was needed during the difficult pregnancy, how could Diana have kept that quiet enough for Mathilda not to know? Especially as Diana would have had to keep a bonded arcane cat close? With Mathilda as quietly self-possessed as we have known her to be, could she be doing anything but hunting the foolish kittynappers (catnappers?) already? Will she arrange for the snatchers to grab her too in order to dose Kitty with the necessary meds?
Aaak! I’m already fretting…! (Sad face 🙁
I love that a romance is budding for them!
Everything you write is so entertaining, enticing. it always leaves you wanting more.
I’m curious if we’ll ever find out more about summoned creatures in general. And what are the ethics of summoning an animal as was done with Celeste. For example, Cornelius and Diana were not willing to use their influence to force breeding, but were willing to summon Celeste from her native environment. Were they able to give Celeste a choice of whether or not to come as part of the summoning process?