Jayhaven Chronicles

Despite efforts by the community to protect them, Dusk and Spider eventually heard through the grapevine that Peak was gone. With one son already seriously injured, it was almost more than they could bare. Rapid could hardly watch when they came to “complain” to Panther. Dusk looked completely and utterly broken as the screeched and demanded that Rapid come home. But Panther seemed determined to keep him at the castle.

And, if that wasn’t bad enough, it seemed that Panther and Sunbeam still didn’t trust Rapid. The guards were posted around the castle twenty-four-seven, and though the King said they were lookouts for any more possible attacks, Rapid swore that the burly guards sometimes looked at him funny, like they thought the owl raid had somehow been his fault.

It had only been three days since Peak had been kidnapped, and yet it felt like moon-cycles.

One day, King Panther once again came to see Rapid in his room, but there was no warmth in his eyes this time. “I have to speak with you about something.” He said, looking almost anxious. “And I’m not sure you’ll take it well.”

“Lay it on me.” Rapid grunted, flicking a balled up piece of paper from one paw to the other. “What do I have to lose?”

Panther sat right in front of him, looking him dead in the eyes. Rapid could suddenly see how broad his shoulders were, how strong of a leader Panther looked, and even though Rapid knew he was secretly a goof, he couldn’t help feeling intimidated.

“I have thought long and hard about this.” Panther used one paw to massage the other in what Rapid assumed was a nervous fidget. “But I have come to a sturdy conclusion. The owls have been our enemies, not just rivals, enemies since the beginning of time, since the days of the three original cities I told you about. They are vile, cowardly creatures, every one of them.”

Not Kiirion. Rapid bit his tongue to keep from saying it out loud.

“Jayhaven wants nothing to do with them anymore. I have sent representatives to meet with Empress Wilkka, and we are severing what little relations we had.”

Rapid, who had somewhat been tuning him out, snapped to. “But how are we going to save Peak if we no longer know anything about what they’re doing?”

Panther growled “I’m. Getting. There. Since clearly, the owls broke our captive out of jail,” He fixed Rapid with another slightly suspicious look. “Why should we mimic them? Why sink to the level of those unholy beasts?”

“What?” Rapid was barely taking all this in. “You mean we’re not going to rescue him? What will that gain us?” He unsheathed his claws threateningly, though he knew full well he could never best Panther in a fight. “A big fat nothing, that’s what.”

Panther’s eyes were set ablaze, just like when he found out Kiirion was gone. Peak’s kidnapping has turned him into a completely new cat, a dangerous cat, Rapid thought. “It would do well for you to respect my decisions, little one.” Panther drawled. “The owls can’t think we’re impressionable.”

Rapid knew this condescending tone all too well. “You sound just like your brother! He told me to respect him too, instead of earning it!” He wailed. “You were supposed to be different. If I had known you would sit back and let my best friend on this whole earth, the cat who had always been there for me, who comforted me when my parents died and who I’d always helped in return,” He could feel the hot tears of rage rolling down his cheeks. “If I had known you’d let a bunch of owls torture him or kill him, I would have stayed home this whole time! I don’t care what special privileges you have for me any more! The only thing I’ve learned from you is how to suffer and watch my friends be hurt!”

But Panther clearly wasn’t listening. His yellow-green eyes had long glazed over from boredom. The King stood up and stalked out into Rapid’s doorway. “You are not to leave this castle for any reason until I say otherwise. And you are not to come up with any convoluted plans to rescue your friend.” Panther mewed, his voice as hard and unforgiving as stone. “I am your King, and my word is final.”

Panther slammed the door. Rapid heard the shuffle of his feet out in the hall as he padded away. A few seconds later Sunbeam opened the door again.

“He said you wouldn’t take it well.” Sunbeam said sarcastically.

“You have anything to add to the nonsense your boss just spewed?” Rapid hissed menacingly.

Sunbeam curled one lip into a smirk and what could have been a rude gesture, but it wasn’t. Instead, it was very grim. “You know what my life motto is, kid?” She laughed sadly, and her eyes flashed as if a terrible memory was playing out behind them. “If you get an offer that seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

And as she turned around to leave, Rapid could just barely catch what she whispered under her breath.

“Rapid, you should have never trusted him.”