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“But you don’t fear me because of my power,” Noctus repeated. I awkwardly shuffled my feet. “Um, well, I have more memories of being cuddled by you than anything else, and all of this is just ridiculously bad luck on my end. So…no?”
“There is no need to be anxious, Chloe,” Charon said. “We are merely going to the training grounds.” I eyed Charon’s back as he nonchalantly continued down the endless, stone spiral staircase. He didn’t even stop to look back at me. “How do you know I’m anxious?” I asked. “Everything made you anxious as a cat,” Charon said. “It stands to reason that everything would also make you anxious as a human.” “That is…accurate,” I admitted.
“At most, I’ve got French Fry.” “French Fry?” “The trash griffin that flies around with me sometimes.” Charon furrowed his brow so deeply, I wondered if the deep creases in his forehead would stick. “Fascinating,” he said.
“Is there a weapon you’d feel more confident with?” Noctus asked. “Pepper spray,” I said. “Joy—my sister—makes me practice every year, so I’m pretty good with it.” “Pepper spray,” Noctus repeated.
“You think we’re the only ones worrying?” Aristide snorted. “Charon is going to positively fade away fretting for you. Tell him, Charon.” Noctus and I turned to face Charon—who had his perfect posture and blank face on. “I am going to positively fade away fretting for you,” Charon robotically said.
“I can’t decide whether you shame your lineage with your unique usage of your powers, or whether you have exceeded them all.” Thinking of all the times Pat, Joy, and I had submitted posed photos of my cat form to pet photo contests for the sake of winning prizes, I guiltily gulped. Shame. It’s definitely shame.
“Behold!” The Paragon held the egg-like shape over his head for a moment, and a head with two large triangular ears popped out, revealing the object was an overweight, hairless sphinx cat.
This cat has all the patience in the world, I realized as I stared at her. Like…ALL of it.
“Will it actually work on me?” I asked. Noctus snorted. “Due to magic’s rampant favoritism, yes, it will.”
wow, this is better than getting Book Nookery’s accounts to balance. It’s even better than buying a new book!” “Your high praise is noted.”
“I want to know why,” Aristide demanded. “Why would you perform binding magic—which you elves rarely do, because you’re a paranoid bunch for all your arrogance.” “She was my cat,” Noctus said. “Yeah, well she’s definitely not anymore!” Aristide said. “Why does she still have it on?” Noctus studied me, seemingly bemused. “Just because she’s not a cat doesn’t mean she stopped being mine.”
Now I’m holding grudges against furniture. Fantastic. I’ve been alive so long that I’m no longer maturing, I’m regressing into a juvenile state.
“How is it that despite being a lover of self-affirmations and leadership classes, you are utterly uncharismatic?” Aristide asked. Ker positioned herself so she was slightly in front of Aristide. “The self-affirmations are to boost my confidence, not yours.”
“Is it really okay for me to just…walk around like this?” I asked. Noctus scanned the crowd, nodding whenever anyone stopped to bow or curtsey to him. “What are you referring to?” “I’m a shadow,” I said. “Isn’t it bad for me—as your enemy—to see all of this?” Noctus stared at me as if I’d just publicly lowered my IQ.
“Aristide wasn’t thrilled because he has the personality of a moldy blanket that has been left to soak in a swamp for several centuries,” Noctus said. Aristide—with his vampire hearing—stopped long enough to turn around and scowl in our direction. “I heard that,” he snapped. “And I hope that trash griffin of hers poops on you!” Noctus held out his hand toward Aristide. “A very fine example.”
Noctus held his hand out, palm up. I didn’t even think about it, didn’t even pause. After weeks of being drilled as a cat, I automatically reached out and clapped my hand against his in a high five. Wait—but I’m not a cat anymore? Before my brain could self-correct, Noctus used the opportunity to intertwine his fingers with mine, and he held my hand, swinging it slightly.
“Are you two going somewhere?” “Outside.” Aristide used his free hands to adjust his sunglasses. “With you. Because you might do something interesting.” “Oh.”
Three things happened in very short succession. 1) Aristide grabbed the arms of his folding chair and turned to us so fast he almost flipped his chair over. 2) Ker stood up so fast she stepped on her own tail in the process and fell down again. 3) Something loud crashed in the garage—Charon had obviously heard Shiloh’s question as well thanks to his elf hearing.
I lay in Noctus’s arms, deeply traumatized by the conversation.
She thought Noctus was going to become an old cat lady? Noctus. The elf king?!
No, but thank you for asking. That’s very emotionally responsible of you. I purred my approval.
If she were in her cat form, she’d be shedding fur like crazy. I didn’t try to hide my smile as Chloe peered in my direction. “No.” She puffed up, her dark eyes large and moon-like. “No, this is not going to be Ama version 2.0!” “I’m certain I don’t know what you mean,” I said, my voice admirably free of any falsities. “You spoiled Ama to a ridiculous degree,” Chloe said. “You can’t do the same to me!” “Why not?” I asked. “You are Ama, after all.”
her shifting emotions were a reflection of what I’d seen in her as Amalourne, which went a long way in telling me how genuine a person she really was.
“The more you explain weapons, the more weirded out I get.”
Oh my gosh, my siblings are poster children for “How to Win Friends and Influence People” I realized. Ker would die laughing if she knew.
I found my black collar with its three pomegranate red gems.
