by Erin Johnson
As Kenta opened his mouth to reply, a gust of air tickled the back of my neck and a sharp sting burned on my forehead. I frowned and turned to look at Sam. A feathered dart stuck out from the side of his neck. I grimaced. “Sam, you’ve been hit.”
He looked up and his pale eyes widened behind his thick glasses.
I frowned. “What?”
“Imogen, you’ve got sssomething on your—” Sam pointed to his own forehead.
My shoulders slumped. “I have a dart sticking out of my head, don’t I?”
He nodded.
Great.
Suddenly, the last of the magic I’d pulled from the monsters stopped ricocheting around my body, and a warm sense of calm flushed through me. Briefly.
“Oh no.” I grabbed the feathered dart, yanked it from my head, and tossed it to the stone ground. Kenta and Sam removed theirs from their necks and dropped them. “We don’t have magic anymore.” I looked up to Ryuu Tanaka where he sat on his throne at the top of the wall, the beautiful women fawning all over him. His lips curled into a cruel smile and he flashed his eyes at me. At the sound of a shout nearby, Ryuu frowned and turned from me to look down the aisle of seats.
Kai pushed his way through, his face red and the veins of his thick neck popping. He stepped on feet and shoved past angry spectators until he stood beside Ryuu Tanaka. I strained to make out Kai’s words.
“I know, but I told the guard I had to hear the order from your lips. I haven’t trained it.” Kai’s eyes blazed.
Ryuu Tanaka lifted a brow. “I don’t care. Put it in the ring.”
“It could be dangerous.”
Ryuu’s face reddened and he gripped the arms of his throne. “Good. This crowd needs a show. I won’t allow those idiots to ruin my big event.” His eyes flashed to me, Sam, and Kenta.
I stood up straighter and lifted my chin. Ha! I felt proud to be one of those idiots.
Kai’s eyes shifted to me, then back to his boss. “But—it’s like their pet or something. What if it won’t attack them?”
Ryuu Tanaka’s face darkened. “Make sure it does.”
“But—”
The older man cut him off. “Use the potion.”
Kai whitened. “It’s banned.”
Ryuu bared his teeth. “He’s not going up against anyone’s monster, just these losers. No one will care.”
A cruel grin spread over Kai’s face, then he bowed. “Yes, sir.” He straightened and shoved his way down the aisle as spectators cried out and hissed at him.
Kenta shook his head and grinned as he watched Kai trip over a woman’s long dress. “Oh Kai, always popular.”
Sam giggled.
I looked between them. Since when did Sam giggle?
I cleared my throat when they continued to grin at each other. “So. We have no magic, and it sounds like they’re throwing Cat in here after doping him with ‘the potion,’ whatever that is.” I nodded as my stomach twisted tight with icy fear. “Not looking good, guys.”
Kenta’s smile dropped from his face. He shot me a side-eyed glance. “Do you have any ideas?”
I swallowed, my throat tight, and looked at Kenta. “Not a single one.” I shrugged. “But Cat knows me and Sam—maybe he won’t attack.”
The space between Kenta’s brows creased. “Why are you smiling?”
“Oh.” I let out a high-pitched giggle. “It’s just a fear smile.” I waved a hand. “It’s this thing I do when I’m afraid I’m going to be murdered.”
Kenta’s frown deepened as he looked from me to Sam and back to me. “Does that—happen often?”
Sam’s eyes widened and I shrugged at him, then turned back to Kenta. “Uh, you know, a few times, yeah.”
The announcer’s voice cut through the din of the crowd. “And now, a special surprise from your illustrious host, Ryuu Tanaka. A mystical creature you’ve only dreamed of seeing in the ring—”
The crowd “oohed” and quieted down. Men and women leaned over the half wall to get a better view of the arena.
“A beast so rare and so fearsome, many said it could never be captured.”
I could practically feel hundreds of breaths being held. The air buzzed with tension as the crowd hung on every word. I frowned. All this for Cat? Our Cat? I still figured the council had made a mistake when identifying Cat as this terrifying monster. I mean, creepy and unsettling, yes, but worse than a dragon or that giant spider? There was no way.
“I present to you…” The announcer drew out the dramatic pause. The audience leaned forward in their seats. “A neko!”
The crowd erupted into screams and whistles and applause. Men leapt to their feet and gathered in frantic circles, passing coins and I assumed taking bets. I leaned over to Kenta. “What does ‘neko’ mean?”
Kenta leaned in, his eyes glued to the gate ahead of us. “It means cat.”
My jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
He glanced at me. “No. Why?”
I scoffed. “Bec— Why would— He looks nothing like a cat!”
The portcullis lifted over one of the tunnels and Kai marched in. He walked, chest puffed out and chin high, to the center of the arena.
He dragged Cat behind him by a heavy chain. The little guy staggered right and left, and his globular pug eyes rolled back in his head. Kai glanced our way, but ignored Sam and me. He only had eyes for Kenta. Kai sneered and pulled out Kenta’s necklace from under his shirt, then swung it back and forth, taunting the captain.
I glanced over. Kenta had turned even paler, the shadows under his eyes growing more prominent.
I glared at the burly idiot in the middle of the arena. I wanted to punch him in the face, and it wasn’t even my necklace.
“Cat doesssn’t look ssso good.” Sam wrung his thin hands together at his chest.
“Must be from the potion Ryuu ordered Kai to give him.” I frowned as Kai dropped the chain, then jogged backwards. He kept his wand aimed at Cat, who staggered in circles, shaking his head.
Captain Kenta set his sharp jaw. “Ryuu Tanaka said the potion would ensure your Cat would attack us.”
I lifted a finger. “Well, he’s not my Cat, first of all. Let’s make it clear that I would never keep that as a pet.” I lifted my palms. “Not that I have anything against Cat. He’s, you know, great in his own way.”
The gate slammed into place behind Kai. From behind the safety of the undoubtedly enchanted iron, Kai’s wand flashed and the chain dropped from Cat’s neck. The little guy stood still, his back to us. Sam and I exchanged puzzled looks.
“Cat?”
Still, he didn’t move. The crowd quieted. All right. This was eerie, but eerie was sort of the norm for Cat. I gulped, then eased forward, Sam and Kenta following a few steps behind. Cat’s black wings trembled at his sides and his tail and head hung limp. I shot Sam a worried look, then eased forward another step. “H-hey there, buddy.”
Cat didn’t answer. I shook myself. Of course he didn’t answer, he doesn’t speak!
I eased a little closer and stretched a hand out. I tried for my babiest of baby talk voices. “Hey der, wittle guy, it’s me, Auntie Imogen, and we’re going to make sure nobody hurts you or—”
Cat whirled to face me and I lurched back. “Ah!”
He hissed, specks of saliva flying from his sharp-toothed Cheshire grin, and he spread his wings wide, shaking them at me. I stumbled backwards into Sam and Kenta.
“This is my worst nightmare!” I shook my head. “Oh, Iggy, we always knew he was terrifying.”
Sam turned to me and squeezed my shoulder. “Imogen. Iggy isssn’t here.”
He and Kenta exchanged pitying looks. Really?
“It was rhetorical, like I was—” I shook my head. “No, never mind. We need to focus.”
The crowd’s jeers and taunts grew louder.
Cat crouched, his bulging eyes staring hard, then bounded straight at me, his claws digging ruts in the hard stone ground. I gasped and we scattered. The
crowd went wild. I looked back—the little guy was gaining on me. Maybe it was worse to run? I spun around to face him. “Hey wittle—”
Cat slammed into my chest.
“Oof!”
He was heavier than he looked. I toppled back and the side of my head slammed into the stone again, with Cat snarling on top of me. I shoved my arms up against his warm, furry body and struggled, muscles burning, to keep his gnashing mouth from my face. His back legs kicked mine as I fought to get my legs up and under him.
“Errr.” I gritted my teeth and willed my arms to stop shaking as I pushed into him. Sam appeared above me. He gripped Cat’s tail in his hands, and pulled, his face red with the effort.
Kenta sprinted over and yanked on Cat’s legs. But Cat sank his claws into the stone above my shoulders and pulled his body closer to mine.
“Hey. Buddy.” I grunted. I turned my head away from his rotten fish breath and tried, hard, not to vomit. “It’s.” I groaned. “Me.” My arms couldn’t hold him off much longer and then those razor-sharp shark teeth would close around my face.
His shiny pug eyes loomed closer and I pressed my cheek harder into the wet stone below me. I strained with everything I had to push him away but he was stronger. His hot, panting breath blew my bangs across my forehead with every gust.
A stillness came over me. This was it. I was going to die, my face eaten off by my best friend’s dangerous pet. This was exactly like that Oprah episode I’d seen where the pet chimp ripped that woman’s face off. I gulped. This literally was my worst nightmare.
29
Final Round
My chest heaved and I waited for the death blow—or bite. It didn’t come, and Cat seemed to relax a little. I no longer had to try so hard to push him away, and my arms stopped trembling. I peeled an eye open. Cat still reached for me, but his claws had retracted, and he made grabby hands.
I frowned and looked past him toward Sam and Kenta. Sam’s jaw dropped in bewilderment and Cat’s tail slipped from his hands, wagging from side to side. My last bit of strength drained away and Cat fell heavy on my chest. He wrapped his monkey hands up in my hair and nuzzled against my chest. He made a steady chatter of odd grunts, squeals, and dolphin clicks.
“How?” Kenta stood over me, blinking down.
I frowned. Yeah, how did this happen? Cat’s bat nostrils flared and then he buried his face against my shoulder. “Oh.” The realization hit me and I grinned at Sam. “Maple’s scarf!” I turned to Kenta. “I smell like his mom.”
Kenta froze and his eyes darted from me to Sam. “You know his mom?”
I grinned as Cat nuzzled into my shoulder. I hated to admit it, but it felt kind of cute. “Not his actual monster mom, but my friends Maple and Wiley adopted him and—” I froze and held my breath as I suddenly noticed the deep silence in the arena.
I looked up. The crowd looked down on us from the other side of the shimmering barrier, faces purple and contorted with anger. Ryuu Tanaka rose slowly from his seat, his nostrils flaring with each quick breath.
My grin widened. “I think they’re upset they’re not getting a show.”
Sam gasped. “They’re bringing in more monssstersss.”
He pointed with a trembling hand and I followed his gaze to the gated tunnels on the other side of the arena. Cat lifted his head and sniffed the air. His bat ears swiveled from side to side as four trainers marched up to the gate with monsters in tow, lurking in the shadows of the tunnels.
“So many twists and turns tonight!” The announcer’s voice boomed through the cave, and the crowd answered with boos.
Warm pride flooded my chest at having denied these cruel dummies their spectacle of innocent people and beasts murdering each other. Sam shrank closer to my side as the gates rose.
Deep weariness swamped me. How long could we hold out? I’d seen how many monsters they had in the “stables.” They’d keep coming till we were dead.
I looked down at Cat in my arms. He snuffled against the scarf wrapped around my neck, where Maple’s scent must have been strongest. The vague outlines of an idea began to form in my head. I looked to Kenta. “Is it true that Cat has the power of mind control?”
Kenta looked down at me and nodded. His pale skin hung from his sharp cheekbones and dark bags shadowed his eyes. I doubted he could hold out much longer.
I let out a shaky breath as the gates clanked into place and the trainers stepped forward into the torchlight with their creatures in tow. After the first four left the tunnel, four more followed.
Great. I shook my head as I stared down the semicircle of thrashing, shrieking, drooling creatures before us. “Eight versus three—sounds fair.”
I shook my head as I watched a sweaty trainer guide in a white horse with a black mane and the head of a duck. It trotted around tossing its weirdly luxurious mane and quacking happily as a crab the size of a car strained against its chain toward it, snapping its claws. Another bait animal, I guessed. The trainers left their monsters and scrambled back to the tunnels. A pale blob that seemed to be made of magical, teeming maggots writhed as the gates slammed shut, closing off the tunnels. The trainers cast spells at the announcer’s cue, and the chains dropped from the monsters’ necks. Chaos broke out.
My voice came out pinched. “What are we going to do?”
The giant crab scuttled sideways toward us while all around the arena, the monsters spread out, moving closer and closer to us. The crowd shouted and chanted and egged the monsters on. The white horse with the ridiculous duck head frolicked around the arena, bucking its hind legs and tossing its beak into the air. Poor oblivious, stupid creature.
As the crab and its snapping claws scuttled nearer, I grabbed Sam’s and Kenta’s arms and dragged them to the right. “Run!”
CLACK! The crab’s red claw clamped down on the air where my head had been just a moment ago.
Cat clung to my neck as I ran with Sam on my left and Kenta on my right. We skirted the round wall with the giant crab on our heels and a frog either on fire or made of fire looming ahead. I skidded into a sharp left turn, jostling shoulders with Sam and Kenta as they did the same. I sprinted toward the center of the arena, my heart pounding in my chest. The maggoty blob flashed past, chasing the duck-headed horse. I risked a glance back. A monkey with spiders for hands leapt onto the back of the giant crab. Spiders flowed up its arms and onto the crab.
My stomach turned. “Ew, they’re on the crab’s eye stems and—oh no, they’re on its eyes.” My stomach cramped and I pressed my hands to it. I doubled over—I was going to be sick.
Sam frantically tapped my shoulder and I looked up. The fire frog leapt closer and we sprinted on again, skirting the wall toward the gates. Another inkling of an idea popped into my head.
“Cat.” The little guy looked up and blinked his black, bulging eyes at me. I stuffed down the thoughts of how stupid an idea this was, that of course he couldn’t understand me, and tried anyway—it was our only hope. “Cat—can you understand me?”
Cat blinked.
That might have been a yes. I dove right and slammed my back against the wall, letting the blob of maggots streak by, chittering as it scrambled after the duck-headed horse. I pumped my arms harder and sprinted along the wall, leading Kenta and Sam toward the gated tunnels. “Buddy—if you can understand me, I need you to use your mind control powers and make the people lift the gates.”
My eyes darted up. I doubted Cat’s powers would work through the antimagic forcefield above, but the gates didn’t seem enchanted in the same way. I skidded to a stop in front of the first gate. A tall guy with stringy hair and a face tattoo lurked in the shadows. He had his hands cupped to his mouth and was shouting at his monster. He froze when I slid into view followed by Kenta and Sam.
I held Cat toward him, my arms shaking with the little guy’s surprising heft. “Okay, Cat. Do your thing.” I dearly hoped I wasn’t just being a crazy person talking to an animal and expecting it to understand.
The
guy hissed something in a language I didn’t understand and scrambled back a couple steps. I glanced back as the fire frog hopped toward us. “Anytime, Cat.” I bit my lip and shifted to lift Cat higher. Yeah, this had definitely been a mistake—and probably my last.
Cat threw his head back so he looked at me upside down and his mouth split into a wide Cheshire grin of sharp, pointy teeth.
Disturbing.
He closed one globular eye, then dropped his face back toward the trainer on the other side of the gate. I frowned. Had he just winked at me? My back heated up and I glanced back as the fire frog leapt closer, just ten feet away.
“Now would be good, Cat!”
The little creature’s furry body vibrated in my hands and I suddenly became aware of a low humming noise. I pulled Cat closer and peered around the side of his face. His mouth stretched wide—he was making the noise! And his eyes—lights and flashes floated across the normally vacant black orbs. I leaned closer—and closer, trying to make out what was in them. A hand on my shoulder made me jump, and I whirled on Kenta.
He jumped back. “I didn’t mean to startle you, but I think you were being drawn into his trance.”
I frowned at Cat, then at the man behind the gate. He lifted his wand, his face vacant and mouth slack. A flash of light blared at the end of his wand and the gate rose in front of us. Some cries went up from the crowd.
I gasped. “You did it, Cat!”
The little guy tipped his head back to look at me again. And he winked! Come to think of it, how had I never realized how beautiful and sweet and angelic this magnificent creature was with all his—
“Ow!” I turned to Sam. He still held his hand up. “You slapped me!”
“Sssorry.” Tears welled in his eyes. “It’sss jussst he wasss hypnotizing you, and—” He spun and whimpered.
I followed his gaze to a sizzling puddle. It was all that remained of the fire frog. The teeming gray blob of maggots loomed over the remains, a frog leg hanging from its mouth. Was it even really a mouth if it was just a shape the bunch of magical maggots formed?