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My stomach lurched, and I closed my eyes, trying to block out my vision in the vain hope it would stop my stomach from rolling.
Two sets of footsteps passed my cage. Or one set passed my cage. The other stopped in front of it.
I cracked an eye open to find a little girl crouched in front of me. She was maybe five or six and looked vaguely familiar with her tawny colored hair. Her eyebrows knitted together as she studied me.
“Mom, doesn’t this cat look like Ama?”
“She does.” A woman knelt next to the little girl. She squinted at me, her forehead bunching in what appeared to be confusion.
As I looked at her my magic—still working despite my rattled skull—peeled away at the glamour the mother and daughter were wearing, showing their pointed ears and the black spirals that cut through their eyes.
Oh. They’re elves. How about that? Statistically that’s, wait, she called me Ama.
“Do you think itisAma?” the little girl whispered.
“No, my love,” her mother said, her voice even quieter. “That’s impossible?” She sounded unsure—my magic at work, most likely.
I can’t let an elf adopt me—that would bring me back into Calor Villa. Noctus would be furious. Gotta hide.
I struggled, trying to stand in hopes that I could crawl toward the back of my metal crate, but the pain in my skull made me collapse. I couldn’t give up—I couldn’t fail Noctus like this. So I hissed instead, then growled deep in my throat.
“I’m sorry—I know you mentioned you were particularly interested in a black cat, but that one isn’t available yet.” The woman in the blue fleece joined them outside my cage. “She was brought in this afternoon—injured. We’re waiting for a vet to take a look at her, but she won’t be ready for a new home until we get her healed up.” She worriedly glanced at my puffed-up fur. “Although we’ll also have to see how good she is with people, kids in particular. We do have two well socialized black kittens available, though. They’re waiting for us in the cat room.”
“I hope she gets better fast.” The elf girl blinked at me a few times, then slowly trudged toward the door—though she stopped to look back at me. “…Ithinkshe looks like Ama?”
“Ama?” The woman in the blue fleece smiled kindly as she bustled across the room. “Is that a cat you know?”
“Yes! She’s the best cat ever.” The little girl traipsed after her.
The elf mother, however, stayed in front of my cage. Her expression warred between concern and confusion, especially when the cat in the cage above me stuck its paw out of the grate of its gate and patted my door, meowing.
Of course, my magic is calling to them. Sorry, cats.
My head ached, and I gave a very un-cat-like sigh as I tried to brace myself against the swirling sensation my head was producing.
“You’re not Ama,” the elf mother said, her voice certain. “But…just in case.” She fumbled with her coat pockets and pulled out a cellphone.
My eyes fluttered shut.
A commemorative photo? Great. It’s too bad I can’t ask for help, but you don’t know Pat or Joy, and I’m strictly no-contact with your king…
I heard the click of a camera shutter, and the quiet taps as the elf hurried after her daughter and the woman from the rescue.
I cracked an eye open—this time a cat in the cage next to mine meowed.
I just have to wait it out. Pat and Joy will find me.
My stomach soured, the blackness that had been invading the edges of my vision swallowed everything up, and I drifted off into the comfort of unconsciousness.
Chapter Four
Noctus
Wild magic was wailing again.
This time it had opted for annoyance instead of a theatrical performance, and was vibrating at a high pitched, keening noise.
Ignore it. If I let it know I’m irritated, it will only act out worse.
