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Panic flooded my system. My heartbeat must have tripled, because the vampire driver turned to look back at me. “Are you alright, miss?” he asked.
I’m not going to be able to hide my reactions, I must do something!
So I did what I always do whenever I was terrified, I turned into a cat.
“Chloe?” The Paragon turned around in his chair. “Look, you don’t have to be scared. Yes, we’re going to meet…” he paused as he glanced at the vampire driver. “Er, my contact that I mentioned to you in the meeting with Leila that you indicated you did not was to meet, but he’s not going to hurt you. His powers are contained—he even agreed to speak directly with you!”
No, no, no, no!
As a cat I struggled out of my seatbelt and jumped to the floor of the car as it rolled to a stop.
“Chloe—you’ll be fine. I vow it!” the Paragon said.
I ignored him as I tried to crawl under his seat.
“Chloe!” The Paragon unclipped his seatbelt and got out of the car. He opened my door and stood in front of it. “I know you’re afraid, but it’s going to be fine.”
The car was too well made, so I could only wedge half of my body under the seat. When the Paragon reached for me I hissed and batted at him with a paw—though I made sure I didn’t use my claws.
“Are you making a human do something they don’t wish to do?” The vampire driver’s voice was smooth and terrifying.
The Paragon groaned. “She doesn’t wish to, but sheneedsto. Chloe—woah!”
I slipped past the Paragon, springing out of the car. Every hair on my body was puffed up, and I skittered around the Paragon, dodging his arms.
“Chloe, wait a moment!” the Paragon called after me.
I was disoriented as I sprinted down the sidewalk, but my cat agility kept me balanced as I glanced back, making sure I was far ahead of the sneaky fae.
The Paragon’s expression shifted from concern to surprise.
Uh-oh, that can’t be good.
As soon as the thought illuminated my brain, I felt hands around my shoulders, and I was lifted off my paws.
No, please, no. If there is any justice in this world…no!
Slowly, with dread weighing down every ounce of my small body, I looked up at who’d caught me.
Staring down at me, with his dark, golden hair fanning across his forehead, his perfect, sculpted features, and his hazel eyes that were shot through with the familiar elven spiral…was Noctus.
He was wearing a suit—black with a black undershirt and the top two buttons undone—and there was almost a cruel edge to his smile. “Greetings,shadow,” he said.
Oh, he’s not happy I’m here.
I was so defeated and so upset; all I could do was limply hang from his grasp.
“Noctus!” the Paragon shouted as he hustled up to us, hitching his robes high to reveal his skinny legs and knobby knees. “Good show—and excellent catch! Though I must warn you, the cat you are holding is, in fact, the shadow I called you about. Here.”
The Paragon slipped his hands under my arm pits.
He tried to tug me from Noctus’s grasp. Noctus continued to hold me snug against him, his expression flat.
“Hm?” The Paragon peered up at him.
Something flickered across Noctus’s face and he slowly released me, letting the Paragon hold me up by my armpits.
The Paragon gave him a curious glance, then turned his focus onto me, rotating me so I faced him. “You see, Chloe, you have nothing to fear. Noctus is very cat hearted, I assure you. He has a cat of his own, a black one, just like you.” He tilted his head and peered at me over his glasses. “In fact, now that I’m seeing you like this…you do look similar to Noctus’s Ama.”
