Secret Lure of a Cat Demon

Zev just ran off after our little moment! I mean what a time to get interrupted. I was internally gutted. I ran after Zev of course and I stood at the bottom of the steps what Zev shouting at everyone. It was a voice I had never heard and one I didn’t want to hear again. It was evil and highly upsetting. Wolfs and tigers alike whimpered. They were all laying down on the ground silent. Zev stood there looking exhausted. I was silent myself. What it was in the voice scared everyone to silence. Even Danni wasn’t making a comment. I ignored Zev and walked down the hall to look in on Kieran. He was asleep and apparently unaffected by the scene. I walked back up and looked in at Danni. He sat there looking at me, smirking.

“Evening” He mouthed.

“You’re dead” I mouthed back and I walked up to Zev. I gave him a hard stare. “Get upstairs” I told him. Then I looked at the other two men. “Get this place sorted.” I followed Zev upstairs and when we were there I ran in front of Zev and I slapped him. I was stunned to silence as was he. I knew I wanted to do something but I didn’t think I had it in me to slap him. “Don’t ever use that tone again. It had everything in me to ignore it and to wield to you.” I told him. I stopped myself from saying anything else. I looked at my hand and then I looked at Zev. He was angry.

He reached forward and grabbed my hands. He pulled me up close and then pushed me against the wall.

“Don’t you ever talk to me like that again young lady. Do not order me about and certainly do not tell me how to do my job. I am the boss here” He said. He wasn’t spitting at me but he was angry. I got the impression that he was trying to hold back but I felt useless and weak against him.

“News Flash, I’m the boss now” I told him but something inside me told me I couldn’t do anything. There wasn’t anyone about and I had a small feeling that stopped me from asking him to get off. He soon loosened his grip and I was firmly back on the ground again. Our hands fell to my side. He wouldn’t let go of me. I just stood there with his body against mine. He fell forward, if that was even possible, and his head made a small thump on the stone wall.

“I am sorry.” He whispered. “I am sorry for what I said before I passed out. That was uncalled for because you do belong, and god you are wanted so badly. You are needed, I need you here. I am also sorry for the tone I had to use. I only used it when it’s needed and it is the only thing that can get animals under control when they don’t listen to anything. They wouldn’t listen to me, the prince, the lord, anything. I needed to use drastic measures. Most people do fall under its spell but not many get pulled in by just hearing it. You strange girl” he said without lifting his head. He was saying I was strange.

“I am so stressed Katsi. I can’t do anything right anymore. I can’t even fall in love properly” he said with a light hearted tone. I just stood there in silence though. He was right. We were both stressed and we weren’t taking a smooth ride to falling in love. I took my hands from his and I wrapped them around his shoulders. His sat lightly on my hips and we just stood there. We stood in silence holding each other. Forgetting everything. If this could have last forever I would have been happy but I knew it wouldn’t. Zev stood up properly when footsteps were heard running down the hall. I looked for them and so did Zev. I saw Tempy running to us. She stopped and paused.

“I didn’t interrupt did I?” she questioned. I glanced at Zev and smiled.

“Yeah, we were drowning in happiness. What’s up?” I asked.

“The queen wanted to see you two, me, Byrne, Millie and him I am not naming.” She said. I frowned at her but I guessed it was Kieran. “She wants to discuss the trial.” I nodded at her words.

“Find Byrne and Millie. Millie will lead you to my mother’s room. Katsi and I will get Kieran.” Tempy nodded at Zev’s sudden words and ran off. She was such a good little girl.

Zev took my hand and started pulling me off. I didn’t really say anything. I think we were both relaxed and didn’t want to fire off at anybody but we were both too stern at the moment. Nothing was taken lightly. There were no jokes being played like before. It was all business and no play.

“Hey Zev, I know we are busy and stuff, there is a lot on both our minds but do you remember when you slapped me back in the woods before we got here?” I asked quietly. He looked down at me and nodded.

“Sure, how could I forget?” I smiled a bit at his words. “What about it” he asked.

“Well, do you remember what I asked?” I looked at him as I walked. There was silence for a little while. Then he chuckled. “Oh come on, it still applies.” He didn’t say anything. I frowned and sulked.

We went down stairs and we ended up at Kieran’s cell. He was sat on his bed and he looked like he was in deep thought. He heard us and he looked up. I nodded and he stood. Zev unlocked the door and we walked out of there. Trailing down the corridors in silence. What was Kieran thinking? What was Zev thinking? Was he worried? I knew I was.

When we got to the queens room Millie, Byrne and my sister were stood outside. I guess they were waiting. Zev didn’t really care about waiting and he just walked in. He left the door open and so I popped my head in. The queen was sat at her desk. She looked at me and I smiled but her face was set and there didn’t seem to be much emotion in it. Zev noticed and he pushed me out. He shook his head slightly and shut the door. I crossed my arms in frustration.

“How rude!” I muttered. Millie giggled and I sent her death glares.

“Don’t get so high about it; those two have always had a deeper level of connection. Zev knows what his mother is thinking before even she does. If he is in there now talking to her alone it is because he wants to discuss something that involves us. He will reason with her and come to a better arrangement. If I’m correct, us five will be in the hearing; fighting alongside you. We will all get called to the witness stand but as Zev has a personal connection to it on three different levels; you, closure and the past, then his mother will try and keep him out. He will then try and at least let him see the hearing, just be in the audience.” Millie said. I gazed at her. She knew them so well. I wondered how she was connected to this place.

“There will be an audience?” I questioned without thinking. “But there isn’t any stands” I said. She smiled softly.

“That room is larger than it looks.” She told us. I jumped as I heard crashing from in the room. There was silence for a couple of minutes and voices could just be heard inside. A second later the door flung open and Zev’s face was crinkled with anger. He pushed passed us and stalked down the corridor. I reached out to him and caught his hand but he pulled away and I stood there just watching him. I knew what he was feeling. He needed this. He needed to see the end of Danni. Not just for me but for him as well. It wasn’t fair. I ran into the queen’s room slamming the door and I saw the queen standing there mellow and unaffected by Zev’s outburst.

“You are cruel! Zev has waited so long to see this! What do you think you are doing? I know your plan but Zev needs to see this to the end and letting him wait outside will not let him have the closure he needs. Yes, his views would be bias if he went onto the stand but aren’t you going to need him for what happened during his investigation. At least let him in the audience.” I said. I needed to convince her.

“Child, you do not know the half of why Zev would like to see Danni ripped to shreds. He is in too deep with this case. I will have a personal statement from him and I will take that into account with in the trial. Be grateful, I know of your little plan to get Danni. Yes, I know of what you told Kieran. I also know how much you hate this guy. You need to learn that not everyone can be in a trial.”

“And you need to learn to stop treating your son like an object you can control. In a few years he will be in charge and I can see a lot of changes being made. Let him in. He will watch. Nothing else.” The queen watched me. She knew I was right. She couldn’t deny that.

“If I told you now that I refuse to go along with your stupid ideas what would you do?” she questioned me.

“Go on a rampage, get rid of Danni myself. I don’t know but I certainly wouldn’t sit back and do nothing.”

“And if I said yes?” she questioned me.

“Relax a little bit, be grateful. Pleased. I don’t know” I told her. She contemplated my words for a little bit and then she nodded.

“Fine, Zev can sit in the audience and he can give his account of his investigation. If he mentions anything personal I will automatically kick him out. If he alters his account I will take that into consideration.” She said.

“Thank you so much” I took a bow and I ran out of there. I hugged my sister and I waved running off to find Zev. I wondered where he had gone.