Secret Lure of a Cat Demon

I didn’t wake straight away. I wavered in and out of sleep for quite a while. I didn’t know what had been going on and I don’t know how I ended up lead on my bed. To be truthfully honest, I didn’t really care. I wanted to be able to walk out of here and know that everything was in order. I wanted to know if there were riots. I didn’t hear anything but that didn’t matter in a place like this. A pack fight could be taking place on the other side of the fort and no one would really hear it.

I sat up holding my head as it thumped. I felt like I had gone on a binge drinking rampage. I threw the covers off me and I stood up slowly. What had happened? I don’t know but Katsi went through my mind. Her presence as I told her she didn’t belong when she really did and then her running off. I was pretty sure that everyone in the guard hated me but I had to face reality. I walked out of my room and down the hall. Would she be in her room? I didn’t know. Maybe she had taken control of a few issues. I knocked on the door and no one really answered. I heard a grunt of some sort that I guessed to be permission to come in. I opened the door and I saw the figure in Katsi’s clothes, with what looked like Katsi’s hair but the figure of her body was wrong and so was her stance. The girl span to look at me and her face turned from light heartedness to a death glare.

“You!” she seethed. I just gave her a week smile.

“I saved your life don’t kill me!” I whimpered. I laughed at myself in my head. I felt like such a weakling. I was telling a light weight girl to not kill me, how pathetic.

“Why would I do that?” she questioned. “I am only here because a man with white hair brought me here; I didn’t have a choice when he told me it concerned me sister.” I frowned. A man with white hair? The only person I knew with white would by Byrne but he couldn’t be back yet. “He had that bastard who attacked me as well.” Kieran?

“Temperance, what did this man say?” she just shrugged.

“Nothing much, just that I had to come here to testify against someone that is all, tell my side of the story as he put it.” She told me. I nodded.

“Thanks Tempy” I left her there glaring again. I didn’t really care. I needed to find someone who knew what I needed. I bounded down the main stairs and around the corner knocking over someone and falling on top of them. Typical. It wasn’t what I needed right now.

I pushed up off them with my hands on the floor and I looked down to see what I instantly thought to be Tempy. She was wearing exactly the same thing. They were like freaking twins. She groaned and frowned at me but then surprise filled her face. It wasn’t Tempy but Katsi. I controlled the blush that I felt rising and scrambled off her pulling her to her feet. A pink tinge filled Katsi’s cheeks and I smiled.

“Hey” I said stupidly.

“Hi, um…I sorted a few things out. The trial against Danni is tomorrow morning. Um... someone named Byrne brought my sister here and Kieran. I need to explain something to you about him. I would appreciate it if you listened to me before you make decisions. I also have Millie here, she brought the plant, a statement from the dealer who sold Danni the plant and she also found records of my child, Luke.” She explained. I saw her eyes tear up but she was refusing to let herself cry.

“Explain why your sister in your room then.” I said trying to lighten the mood. She let a smile breakout on her lips before letting it fall away again. I pulled her to the steps and sat her down. I sat next to her and I pulled her into my arms. It wasn’t much but I hoped it would help.

“Did you want to discuss Kieran?” I asked her. She nodded and sat up.

“Yeah, um, I made a proposition. In return for his help fighting against Danni, I told him that I was willing to drop any charges I could press against him. He would have no trial when it came to Danni and I would get his banishment lifted. Wait and hear me out before you starting thinking things. Kieran isn’t an evil man, just miss guided. I understand that. Besides Cheetahs are reckless, they rape kill and stuff all the time, it is part of the world and I know you take an oath when you enter the guard but…. He can’t stop who he is.” I nodded. She was right.

“Fine, I will allow that one but the others, come on Katsi, think about it.” I told her. She nodded.

“I did. What if Kieran was drugged? What if he was just like me but instead of using the Forgetless plant Danni used something else to use him. A brain washing potion or something: I know quite a few that are nasty, there is one that if drink just a sip you are under some ones command for at least a year, think what might have happened if he drank a whole drink? He would be under for decades.” I just looked at her unbelieving. She couldn’t be serious, could she?

“And what if he wasn’t. He could have been acting totally by his own means. Danni could have had nothing to do with it. He attacked your sister, which has to count for something” I told her. She nodded again.

“Yeah, I told him that if my sister wanted to press charges, I couldn’t stop her. She probably will, which means, I get what I want and he is still punished. I can’t handle anymore Zev” She told me and I nodded. She had thought it through well.

“Katsi, the banishment has to stay in place. That was decreed in front of my mother. I can’t change it. Nor can you.” I told her but she smiled. Her eyes gleamed and somehow I knew too well that she was too much of a good planner to tell anything slip by her.

“But it is also written in small print that any banished guard demon may recompense his evil doing by fighting for the end of something much more evil. That includes Danni and you know it if he fights, the banishment is lifted. Just like Millie’s. In the morning Danni faces trial with the ending of death.” Katsi got up and started walking up the stairs. I crawled after her. She fell to the stairs and I crawled over her. Katsi turned to look at me and her eyes sparkled. Her whole being sparkled; she looked unreal, unearthly. I wonder what she saw when she looked at me. I didn’t want to know. I wanted it to be our secret. Our eyes stayed locked as I lowered my head. Our lips were so close. Her warm breath tickled my skin.

“Sir, you are requested in the dungeons. Some of the inmates are getting reckless. They aren’t listening to the person in charge down there!” I let my head fall so my forehead fell on top of Katsi’s. Bad timing I guess. I hoisted myself up and I straightened my shirt before I gave Katsi a hand in getting up.