by Sue Bentley
Mary Dawson nodded. ‘All right. We’ll take Flame to the vet first thing tomorrow. But that doesn’t mean you can keep him. We’ll have another think about that later on.’
‘OΚ, Mum,’ Eve said meekly, picking Flame up again. She bent her head and whispered in his ear. ‘Don’t worry, she’ll let you stay. I just know it.’ Turning back to her parents, she said in a louder voice, ‘I’m going to get some food for Flame and make him a bed in my room.’
Eve woke the following morning to the sound of loud purring in her ear.
She turned over and gave Flame a cuddle. His beautiful long sandy fur was the softest thing she had ever touched. ‘Did you sleep well?’ she asked him.
Flame’s emerald eyes glowed with contentment. ‘Very well, thank you. I feel safe here with you,’ he mewed.
Eve tried not to think about the vet. What if he found that Flame had something wrong with him? Or even realized that Flame wasn’t from this world? She felt her heart turn over at the thought of not being allowed to look after the gorgeous kitten.
Eve got up to feed Flame. She felt too anxious to eat much breakfast herself, but managed half a slice of toast.
‘Shut Flame in your bedroom for now,’ her mum said afterwards. ‘I don’t want him near any of the cats until he’s been to the vet.’
Eve didn’t argue. She didn’t want to do anything to make her mum change her mind. ‘Sorry, Flame. It’s only for a little while,’ she said, stroking his little soft ears as she put him on the duvet.
Flame nodded. ‘Very well. I will stay here.’ He twitched his silky tail and settled down for a nap.
Eve helped her dad with the morning chores, while her mum dealt with a couple of new bookings. Jo, Alison and Darren arrived just as Eve was washing her hands at the sink in the storeroom. Alison came up to her.
‘Hi, Eve,’ Alison said brightly, coming straight over. ‘Sorry I was in a bad mood yesterday I…’ she broke off as Eve looked past her.
Eve had spotted her dad coming towards her with a pet carrier in one hand and his car keys in the other. ‘All set, then? Go and fetch Flame, love.’
Alison frowned. ‘Who’s Flame?’
‘My kitten!’ Eve called as she dashed up to her bedroom.
Alison stood looking after Eve with a scowl on her face. ‘You just can’t apologize to some people,’ she grumbled.
When Eve came back down with Flame to put him inside the carrier, Alison was nowhere in sight. ‘Sorry, but you have to travel inside this,’ she whispered to the tiny kitten as she made him comfortable.
It was only a short journey to the surgery, but Eve’s stomach clenched with nerves. When her name was called, she took Flame into the treatment room and carefully lifted him on to the table.
‘Hello there, little fellow,’ the vet said in a friendly voice. ‘What seems to be the trouble?’ he asked Eve.
‘I think he’s fine. But Mum says Flame has to have a full health check,’ Eve explained.
The vet smiled. ‘Flame does look like a perfectly healthy kitten, but it’s always best to make sure.’ He checked Flame’s fur for flea dirt, and then looked at his teeth, nose, eyes and under his tail. ‘He’s got a nice fat tummy, just like a kitten should have.’
Flame squirmed and miaowed indignantly at the vet’s words.
Eve bit back a grin. She was sure that Flame was dying to protest at being told he had a fat tummy and she wondered what the vet would say if he knew he was examining a royal magic kitten!
‘Well, Flame’s a picture of health,’ the vet said finally.
On the way out, Flame licked his paw and washed his face. ‘I could have told him that!’ he purred to Eve, still looking quite put out.
Eve gave him a big cuddle.
Flame purred contentedly in the car on the way back as Eve stroked him through the mesh of the pet carrier.
‘You’re really taken with that kitten, aren’t you?’ her dad said.
‘Yes, I am. I love him to bits, Dad,’ Eve said. ‘It already feels like Flame’s lived with me for ever.’
‘Oh, well. Now he’s got a clean bill of health I think we might let him stay.’
Convincing her dad to let her keep Flame was only half the battle. Eve bit her lip. ‘But… what about Mum?’
‘You leave her to me,’ her dad said with a wink.
Chapter
* THREE *
The following afternoon, Eve was curled up with Flame on the sofa. A big log fire burned in the grate. Leaves, whipped up by the breeze, were blowing past outside the window.
‘I suppose I’d better go and give Mum and Dad a hand,’ she said, reluctantly pushing herself to her feet. ‘I’d much rather stay here with you, Flame. But I’m on my best behaviour for the next couple of days. Just to be on the safe side with Mum.’
Flame stretched then yawned, showing his sharp little teeth. ‘I will come with you.’
Eve heard Jo’s angry voice floating out of the kitchen. She looked inside to see if her mum or dad were in there.
‘What have I told you about keeping an eye on Darren, Alison? It’s a good thing he only ate a few cat treats. Just imagine if he’d opened a tin of cat food!’ Jo fumed.
Eve saw Alison leaning against the sink with folded arms, a sulky look on her face. ‘That’s it, blame me! Everything that goes wrong round here’s always my fault!’ she grumbled.
Darren sat at the kitchen table drinking a glass of orange juice. He shot Eve a cheeky grin, looking none the worse for apparently having eaten food meant for the cats.
Eve gave Alison a sympathetic smile, before going off to find her parents.
Mr Dawson was in the storeroom. He smiled when he saw Flame trotting along behind Eve. ‘I have to admit, Flame will be an unusually cute addition to the family. Just don’t let him get under anyone’s feet when we’re busy, young lady.’
‘I won’t,’ Eve promised, still feeling grateful to her dad. Whatever he had said to change her mum’s mind about keeping Flame, it had worked like a dream. Flame was now an official member of the family!
Mr Dawson was loading a wheelbarrow with litter trays and clean cat litter. He wore a bright-red plastic apron, pink rubber gloves and blue wellies.
‘What do you look like?’ Eve said, holding both hands over her mouth to stop laughing.
‘What?’ Her dad looked down at himself. ‘It’s all the fashion on the Paris catwalks this year. Get it – catwalks?’ he said, trying to keep a straight face.
Eve shook her head slowly as she got herself an apron and gloves. ‘That’s a terrible joke!’
She and Flame headed outside to the pens, while her dad trundled along behind them with the wheelbarrow. Even the boring task of changing litter trays was bearable with Flame for company.
Eve made friends with all kinds of cats. There were Siamese with slanting blue eyes, Persians with fluffy coats and flat faces, and all sizes and colours of ordinary household pets.
Flame nudged Eve’s leg and looked up at her with troubled eyes. ‘What have these cats done wrong, to be punished by being kept in these cages?’ he mewed sadly.
Eve smiled gently as she bent down to stroke him. ‘They aren’t being punished. We’re looking after them for their owners while they’re away. The cats only stay here for a couple of weeks and then they go back home.’
Flame looked very relieved. His tiny face brightened when Eve stopped by a pen with a big ginger and white cat inside. The cat’s name, Oscar, was on a card attached to the mesh.
Eve bent down and pushed a finger through the mesh. ‘Hello, Oscar. You’re handsome, aren’t you?’ she said in a gentle friendly voice.
Oscar laid back his ears, bared his teeth and hissed loudly. He swung his thick tail back and forth.
‘OΚ! I get the message!’ Eve backed off with a smile. ‘We’ll come back and see him when he’s in a better mood,’ she said to Flame.
Flame gave a friendly little miaow and poked his nose through Oscar’s mesh. ‘Is someth
ing wrong? May I help you?’ he purred.
Eve waited expectantly, to see if Oscar would respond. It would be so brilliant if Flame’s magic would make him able to speak too. But the big ginger cat just glared and then turned away.
Flame sighed with disappointment. ‘It seems my kind do not have the power to speak to cats in this world.’ He glanced once more at Oscar, before following Eve to the next pen.
Eve had finished helping her dad and was washing her hands in the storeroom when her mum popped her head round the door. ‘Eve!’ she called. ‘Would you mind nipping out for a jar of coffee? We’ve just run out.’
‘No problem!’ Eve jumped at the chance of exploring the village and shops. She grabbed her coat and bag and was ready in two minutes flat.
‘Come on, Flame. Let’s go,’ she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder and holding the side gate open for him.
Flame scampered ahead of Eve. His sandy fur blew about in the wind as he chased the leaves tumbling along the path.
As they reached the supermarket, Eve had a sudden thought. ‘They don’t allow animals inside. You’d better get in my bag.’ She bent down so Flame could jump in.
Once inside, she picked up a basket and started looking for the coffee. She wandered up and down, checking the shelves and enjoying showing Flame new things. As she drew near the toy section, she heard a child shouting.
‘No! I want one now!’
The voice sounded familiar. Eve peeked round a corner and saw Darren and Alison near a tall display of boxed toy cars. Darren was stamping his feet and yelling.
Alison had a shopping trolley loaded with groceries. Her back was turned to Eve. ‘Stop acting like a two-year-old, Darren! You know you can’t have one,’ she said, wheeling her trolley around the end of the shelf. ‘Come on. I’m going to pay for this lot now.’
‘Don’t care!’ Darren yelled, staying behind in the empty aisle. He stretched forward and grabbed a box from near the bottom of the display.
Eve gasped as the huge pile of boxes shifted and the entire display slowly leaned towards Darren.
Time seemed to stand still. Eve felt a strange warm tingling up her spine. She looked down at her bag. Flame’s head was sticking out. His silky fur was fizzing with a shower of silver sparkles and his whiskers crackled with electricity.
Eve tensed. It felt like something very strange was about to happen.
Chapter
* FOUR *
Lifting a tiny paw out of Eve’s bag, Flame sent a fountain of sparks towards the collapsing display.
Suddenly there was a faint pop! and Eve saw the heavy toy boxes magically transform into a shower of colourful glittering feathers, which drifted down harmlessly around Darren.
‘Cool!’ Darren clapped his hands. He kicked the feathers about and jumped up and down on them, completely forgetting about the toy cars. With sparkling feathers stuck all over him, Darren dashed after Alison, shouting, ‘Come and look at this, Alison. Come and look!’
Eve gasped. What if anyone saw what had just happened? Flame might be found out! She would have to warn him. ‘Flame, you’ve got to…’
But before Eve could finish, Flame waved a sandy paw at the enormous pile of glittering feathers drifting across the shop floor. In another flash of silver sparks every single feather disappeared. The tall display of boxed cars stood neatly in their place.
Eve stared in amazement as the sparkles in Flame’s silky fur gradually faded away. ‘Phew! That was close. You were brilliant, Flame!’
‘I am glad to help you, Eve,’ Flame mewed, looking up at her with his big emerald eyes
Eve found the jar of coffee and went to pay for it. Alison and Darren were still at the checkout. Alison was packing groceries into plastic bags, while Darren looked out of the window.
‘Shall I help you do that?’ Eve said.
Alison glanced up. She looked all hot and fed up. ‘You can if you want.’
Eve packed a bag and then carried it outside with Alison. Neither of them spoke. Darren took a ball out of his pocket and bounced it down the path.
‘I heard Darren having a temper tantrum in the shop,’ Eve said, to break the awkward silence.
Alison pulled a face. ‘That’s nothing new. He always plays up if he can’t have something he wants.’
‘What a pain!’ Eve said sympathetically.
Alison nodded. ‘I suppose he’s no worse than other kids. But he drives me mad!’ Her face suddenly broke into a genuine smile. ‘Thanks for helping me with the shopping.’
‘No problem,’ Eve replied, returning her smile.
Alison looked thoughtful. ‘Mum said I could go to the cinema tomorrow. My friends are busy, so I was going by myself. Do you want to come?’
‘That would be great. I’ll ask Mum and Dad if it’s OK,’ Eve said, really pleased that Alison had invited her. Maybe they could be friends after all, even after getting off to a bad start.
Suddenly Alison stiffened. ‘Your shoulder bag! It just moved!’
Eve chuckled. ‘Flame’s inside. He comes everywhere with me, but I thought they wouldn’t let me in the shop with him.’ She opened her bag and lifted Flame out.
‘Oh, isn’t he swe-eet!’ Alison crooned. She scratched Flame gently under the chin. ‘Look at his gorgeous silky fur and green eyes! That’s nice being able to bring your own cat with you from home.’
Eve was trying to decide how to avoid complicated explanations, when Darren came running up. He had spotted Flame.
‘I want to hold the kitten!’ he demanded.
Alison looked doubtful.
‘It’s OK, he can. Flame won’t mind,’ Eve said, putting him into Darren’s arms.
‘Be very gentle and don’t squeeze him,’ Alison told her brother.
‘Aw, he’s cute! I want a kitten like this.’ The little boy hunched over, cuddling Flame and gently stroking the top of his head. Flame wriggled about and whined softly.
Eve felt uneasy. What was wrong with Flame? He didn’t seem to be feeling comfortable with Darren. As the little boy glanced up at Eve, she saw his blue eyes flash with mischief.
Alarm bells went off in her head. ‘I’ll have Flame back now, Da…’
But it was too late. Clutching Flame tightly to his chest, Darren pelted down the street and ran straight into a children’s playground!
Chapter
* FIVE *
Eve shot after Darren. She ran into the playground, which was crowded with mums and children. She spotted Darren at the back of a queue of little kids all climbing a slide. Darren was two steps from the top, when he slipped and almost toppled backwards.
‘Oο-er!’ he cried, dropping Flame and grabbing at the handrail.
‘Miao-ow-ow!’ Flame gave a howl of fear as he managed to cling on to the edge of the steps with his front paws. His back legs scrabbled for a foothold, but he was gradually slipping.
Eve realized that Flame couldn’t use magic in the crowded playground without giving himself away. He was going to fall at any moment.
She threw herself forward with her arms outstretched, just as Flame fell. She just managed to catch him before he crashed to the ground, but she fell on to one of her knees and winced as it twisted awkwardly.
‘Oh, Flame. I was so scared you’d be killed,’ Eve gulped, sprawled on the ground with the kitten in her arms.
Flame blinked up at her gratefully. ‘Thank you for saving me, Eve,’ he purred softly. ‘But you have hurt yourself. Quickly, put me in your bag, so no one can see.’
Eve moved slightly and almost screamed as a sickening wave of pain shot up her leg. Biting her lip, she lifted Flame back into her bag, just as a burst of silver sparks crackled in his fur. There was a warm, tingling sensation in her knee and she felt the pain draining away, just as if she had poured it down a sink.
Seconds later, Flame emerged from the bag.
‘Thanks, Flame. My knee feels good as new,’ Eve whispered. She got up with Flame still in her arms and looked round f
or Darren.
She saw Alison, who had just run into the playground with all the shopping and had grabbed Darren as he shot off the end of the slide. She was as white as a sheet as she hugged her little brother tightly. ‘Don’t you ever run off like that again! I thought you were going to fall right down those stairs!’ she said shakily.
Eve went over to Alison. ‘Is Darren all right?’
Alison nodded. ‘He’s fine. How’s Flame?’
‘He’s all right now,’ Eve said. She looked at Darren. ‘It was very naughty to run off with Flame like that. You could have hurt him badly.’
Darren sniffled and rubbed his eyes. ‘It wasn’t me!’ he said defiantly.
‘I’m really sorry. You can see what he’s like, can’t you?’ Alison looked hopefully at Eve. ‘You won’t say anything to Mum about him running off, will you?’
Eve considered for a moment. Darren definitely wasn’t the little angel he first seemed! But it wasn’t Alison’s fault he’d run off. ‘No, I won’t say anything,’ she decided. ‘But maybe you should tell your mum how Darren plays you up.’
Alison smiled gratefully. ‘I’ll think about it. Thanks, Eve. You’re OK.’
‘Can I go to the cinema with Alison tomorrow, Dad?’ Eve asked early that evening as she helped make a salad to go with the lasagne her dad was making. Her mum was busy in the office, booking in a new cat, so her dad had offered to cook supper.
‘That sounds like a good idea. You must have been missing going out with your friends back home,’ Mr Dawson said, ruffling her blonde hair.
‘I was a bit at first, when I didn’t really know Alison,’ Eve admitted. ‘But I do have the best friend anyone could wish for – Flame!’
Flame looked up from his dish of tuna flakes and gave an extra-loud purr.