I follow Gryphon, running around the house, evading burning embers. Roof tiles are falling down, crashing into the ground like missiles. One grazes my elbow but I keep running. It's not like I'm not in pain already. Every single muscle is screaming out in agony. All that keeps me upright is the fear for my daughter. It's amazing what love can do.
We climb over the garden wall to get into the backyard. It looks even worse here. The roof seems close to collapsing and every single window is lit by flames. Huddled against the stone fence are the Ryker, Lennox and Benjamin. A few cats are at their feet, but it's not all of the ones living in our house. Ryker is cradling a kitten, half its fur burned off. It's mewing softly, but it looks like it's just superficial burns. Benjamin is covered in soot and ash. Red blisters are all over his arms where he must have got too close to the flames.
"What's the situation?" I ask, trying to be as objective as I can.
Ryker faces me and I realise there are tears in his eyes. Fuck. I've never seen him cry before.
"Pumpkin ran in to save his kittens," he says in a croaky voice. Every single syllable is heavy with fear. "I tried to stop him but he was faster. He's such an idiot, running into a burning building..."
"You tried to run in after him," Lennox points out quietly. "And you would have succeeded if I hadn't tackled you to the ground. You're no good dead to your son or any of us."
I take Ryker into my arms and press him as close as possible without squashing the kitten. He smells of fire, just like all of us by now. I don't know what to say. Is there hope for Pumpkin? He's small, but the entire house is on fire. I can't see how he'd get out alive, let alone save the other kittens. Some of them are injured, which is why they're staying here under his care and leadership. He's become a mini-Ryker, collecting cats and adding them to his own little family.
"He'll be alright," I whisper, hoping I'll sound convincing. "He's strong and clever. He'll find a way out."
Ryker doesn't say anything. He simply presses his face into my shoulder, burying his head in my hair. As if he wants to hide from reality. I get it.
"Benjamin, did you see Shade?" Gryphon asks urgently. "Lily said she was with Bethany."
"I don't know." Benjamin coughs. "I know she was in the kitchen half an hour ago, but she may have been somewhere else when the fire started. Bethany was trying to teach Shade how to make simple poisons."
In another situation, I would have laughed at the idea of Bethany showing a baby how to create poisons, but this isn't the moment. I'll save that for when everything is okay again.
* * *
With Ryker still pressed against me, I hold out my hands. Gryphon and Lennox take them without needing me to say anything. I pull them close until we stand in a huddle, warming each other to dispel the icy cold within us even as the flames crackle with malice all around us. One of my babies is missing. I need to do something, but what? Running into the burning house is something my heart urges me to do, but I know better. The guys would never let me. No, she might still be alright. Bethany may have taken her to safety. If only this smoke was gone so I could sense her.
I never knew fire could be this loud. It's a strange roaring and crunching, like a beast devouring its prey. More roof tiles fall to the ground. Broken shards lie all around us. If I was a poet, I'd compare them to the pieces of my cracking heart. But I'm not. I'm just a mother hoping with every fibre of her being that her child is alive.
"What do we do?" I whisper.
"We ask the humans," Lennox suggests. "They may have seen Bethany and Shade. Right now, who cares that we may draw attention to the way she looks. We've already got the attention of the entire street, no, this part of town.
A siren sounds in the distance. The fire brigade, finally. By the time they'll get here, the house will be nothing but ash and embers.
Another crash inside the house. It's falling apart. Then, a voice, a man. Huh.
"Help!"
I don't recognise the voice, but it doesn't matter. He's close, he must be just beyond the burning back door. I exchange a look with the guys. There's no way we're staying back now.
Gryphon rips off his shirt and wraps it around his hands before running towards the house. Lennox does the same and together, they manage to open the door. it breaks into burning pieces. Now that we can look inside, my heart sinks. It's nothing but flames there.
"Hello?" I shout. "Where are you?"
No reply. But then, a baby cries. I'd recognise that sound anywhere. Shade. Her voice is a little higher than that of her sisters. Gryphon always says that one day, she might be a soprano while they will be altos. Not that I care in this very moment. Shade's alive. And in a burning building, cut off from us by a wall of flames. The world has never looked this bleak.
Another crash. Then, a figure appears beyond the flames. The smoke makes my eyes water and it's hard to see, but it's definitely a man.
We need water to quench the flames, but the sirens are still too far away. Why aren't the humans getting buckets of water from their homes? Why is nobody helping?
"I'm going to try something. I have no idea if it works," Gryphon announces and stretches out his hands as if he's trying to hug the building. He opens his mouth and begins to sing. It's a calm, gentle melody, completely at odds with the inferno in front of us. It washes over me, soothing some of my fears. I don't want it to. I push it away and like always, Gryphon's magic isn't strong enough to fully enchant me. I turn to look at the others. All three men are smiling. Benjamin looks the most dazed. No surprise there, he's only human.
Gryphon's voice turns louder, the song stronger and more forceful. He's tried the gentle approach, now he's going to fight. The flames licking at the doorway quiver. At first, I'm not sure if it's just the wind, but no, they're responding to his music. Wow. I had no idea he could do that. From the surprised look on his face, neither did he.
Encouraged by this first success, he continues singing the flames into submission. They clearly don't like being stifled by the siren's song, but he's stronger. With every passing second, they grow smaller until they're nothing but sparks and smouldering embers. Gryphon steps forward and starts working on the flames between us and the man. Sweat pearls on his forehead, turning the ash on his skin into mud. I wish I could give him some energy - not that I have a lot left.
By the time the flames are finally low enough for us to see the man properly, Gryphon is wavering on his feet. Lennox is by his side, supporting him, while I try to stay standing despite the pain. Ryker hasn't said anything, hasn't moved. He seems frozen in shock and grief. I wish I could help him. I wish we'd heard Pumpkin's meow together with Shade's cry.
Gryphon's voice is getting quieter, but it's still having the desired effect. The flames retreat, giving a clear path between us and the man. He stumbles forward, clutching something to his chest. His face is hidden in shadow now that the fire no longer illuminates the room. He's got a basket in one hand, but he doesn't look like he's going to be able to hold it for much longer. The poor guy must have breathed in a hell of a lot of smoke. It's a miracle he's still standing.
I no longer wait. I run in until I'm face to face with him. Without a word, I hold out my hands and he passes me the bundle in his arms. Shade has been wrapped into a wet towel, although it's almost dry by now. She blinks up at me with wide eyes, then smiles. She's okay. I squeal, yes, I actually squeal. I kiss her, then hug her as close as I can without breaking her. For a moment, the world is fine again. Until the man next to me does a gurgling breath and drops to his knees.
Alright, maybe the world isn't quite alright yet.
I take the basket and am greeted by a meowing complaint from inside. So he's not only saved my daughter, he's also rescued the kittens. Who is this mysterious saviour? I never even looked at him; I was so occupied with making sure Shade was alive and unharmed.
I want to offer him my shoulder to lean on, but now Ryker joins me, staring at the young man. And I join him in staring, because the man - well, he
's more of a boy - looks very familiar. As if he was Ryker's little brother.
"You need to come out, Gryphon can't hold it for much longer!" Lennox shouts from outside. Ryker grabs the boy and helps him walk, while I carry Shade and the kittens to safety. As soon as we're out of the house, Gryphon stops singing. He gasps for air, then sits down on the ground, pale and covered in sweat. He manages to smile at me though, showing me I don't need to worry.
I fuss over Shade, counting her little fingers and toes, making sure none of her black fur has been singed. Except for some soot staining her skin, she seems absolutely fine. It's a miracle. She smiles at me as if nothing has happened before wrapping her fist around my finger. I stroke her head, simply content with holding her in my arms. The kittens meow from the basket by my side, but they don't sound like they're in pain so I ignore them for now. They'll get some catnip later to help deal with the shock. I look at the burning house. Or maybe not. That's our catnip supply gone, along with everything else. Our home has gone up in smoke, literally, and it's still burning even now. On the other side of the house, the sound of water signals that the fire brigade has finally arrived. It's too late though. There's nothing to save. At least all of us are alive. It's just our home that's dead.
"Pumpkin," Ryker says and I realise I completely ignored him and the young man.
It takes a moment for the word to sink in. My mouth falls open as I stare at the boy. Dark grey hair. Skin the colour of my panther fur. Yellow eyes.
Ryker's eyes.
This boy is Pumpkin. The kitten has turned into a man.
Chapter Nineteen
We make a sorry sight as we move through the streets of Attenburgh. We're using the same cart we arrived in a month ago, except that this time, I'm not bleeding with four newborns on my chest. We've put the kittens and the babies in the cart. Since we sold the horses, we have to push it ourselves. None of us has much strength left, but Gryphon is probably the worst for wear. His face has turned ashen and he clings to the cart for support. We offered him to ride on top along with the litter, but he didn't want to hear of it. He's proud, even at the verge of collapse.
Ryker and Pumpkin walk side by side, with Pumpkin coughing every few steps. He's breathed in too much smoke, but there's nothing we can do about it just now. I shoot them a look whenever I don't stare at my babies with gratefulness that they're still alive. Pumpkin is almost as tall as Ryker, but he lacks the bulk of his father. He looks like he's fifteen or sixteen, the kind of age where boys' limbs seem too long for the rest of their bodies. He's gangly, but that doesn't mean he's not pretty. I think most teenage girls wouldn't say no to him if he asked them for a date.
I've not talked to him yet, instead leaving Ryker to spend time with his son. It's hard; I'm brimming with curiosity. The kitten who started it all, without whom I'd never have met Ryker, just turned into a human. All this time we wondered if he'd ever be able to shift, but it took a life-or-death moment for it to happen. Just like with his father. The two of them look so similar that I'm having trouble picturing what his mother may have looked like. Maybe shifter genes are dominant over normal cat genes.
People stare at us, but I ignore them. We don't have a choice but to travel into the centre of town. Our home is gone and we need shelter. The sirens who torched our house - whether they were Fangs or not - may try to kill us again and none of us is in any position to fight. I'm slowly healing and the pain is abating, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to successfully defend my family against multiple foes. We need help, as much as it hurts to admit it. Our only hope just now is Lady Lara. I have no doubt that she'll give us refuge, even though it'll raise some eyebrows at the town hall.
Caitlin tried to call ahead, but she never got through to the mayor herself. When she called the fire brigade, they told her our house was blacklisted, whatever that means. It took her way too long to persuade them to send their people to deal with the fire. I'm going to have a word with whoever was in charge there today. Blacklisted. I do not doubt that Delaney or some other sirens are responsibly for that. They didn't want us to be able to save our home, our family. I don't know if they assumed that we'd all be in there. Either way, they're going to die, painfully.
Sophie joins me at my side and takes my hand. "I'm excited to meet her."
"Who?"
"The mayor. I've never met her but you keep talking about her."
I force myself to smile at her. "You're going to like her. She usually has biscuits in her office. I'm sure she's going to give you some."
"Chocolate biscuits?"
"Lemon, usually. Although I really wish she had catnip biscuits. I could do with some of those now."
Sophie nods enthusiastically. "Me too. Bethany should make them again."
"Did I hear catnip biscuits?" Lily calls from behind us. "That's very unhealthy!"
I look at Sophie and roll my eyes as dramatically as I can. "She has no idea."
"Have you ever told her to try catnip?"
"Yes, and she didn't like it. She said it tasted like parsley."
Sophie shoots Lily a disdainful look. "That's just wrong."
"I couldn't agree more. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. We got out before the fire got bad. Is that man truly Pumpkin?"
I nod. "Yes. If you get closer to him, you'll realise he smells like Pumpkin, even though he no longer looks like him."
My sister purses her lips. "I thought he'd be smaller."
"So did I. For such a small cat he's become a rather tall human."
"Do you know if he can shift back?"
"I hope so. Time will tell. For now, let's give him some time with his father. I'm sure they have a lot to talk about. Do you want to sit on the cart?"
She glares at me. "I'm not a baby. Maybe you should sit there instead."
I sigh. "Maybe I should. Don't tell anyone, but I'm exhausted."
"I won't," she whispers earnestly. "You can trust me."
"I know I can. And I'm glad to have you here with me. The next few weeks will be hard, but we've both been through much worse, so don't worry, we'll get through it."
I say it both for her and for myself. It's good to hear those words, even though it's me saying them. We'll get through this. We have to.
I leave the others outside and enter the town hall alone. I don't want to scare the receptionist too much. But he isn't there. Instead, there is chaos. Police officers fill the lobby, looking grave and concerned. One of them, a young one barely out of puberty, stops me.
"Sorry Miss, you'll have to leave."
"I'm here to see the mayor. I'm her bodyguard."
He looks at me suspiciously. "You don't look like a bodyguard."
Yes, I suppose with all the blood and soot, I make a sorry picture. Not my best appearance, I give him that.
"Where were you two hours ago?" he asks me, his voice suddenly a lot less polite.
"Why?"
He grabs my arm. "Miss, I'm taking you to my commanding officer."
I don't have time for this. I grab his hand, twist and at the same time kick his legs from under him. He goes down with a shout of surprise. Yes, boy, I don't have much respect for your uniform.
I run to the elevator, swerving around police officers trying to grab me. I punch one of them in the face when he tries to get into the elevator just before the doors close. I use my knee to keep the door lock button pressed while holding down the secret key combination to let me take control of the elevator. Luckily, the police don't know about this and they haven't disabled the override. Once the lift starts going up, I lean against the wall, letting exhaustion run over me. Just a moment of not having to put on a mask of strength. If I could, I'd curl up on the floor and sleep for days. But I can't.
As soon as the elevator doors open, I stand up tall, pushing away my tiredness. People are running back and forth along the corridor, both town hall employees and more police officers. I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this.
"Judy!" I call out w
hen a familiar woman hurries past. "What the fuck is going on?"
She's one of Lady Lara's assistants and even though I've only met her once or twice, she recognises me immediately.
"The mayor's gone," she says breathlessly. "She's disappeared."
I stare at her. My mind is taking a while to catch on to what she just said. "Gone? As in taking a surprise holiday? Or as in kidnapped?"
"We don't know but it looks like she didn't go voluntarily. There are signs of a struggle in her office. The police are looking into it now."
She reaches out to me, then thinks better of it and crosses her arms in front of her chest. "Can you look for her? I think you have a better chance of finding her than the police."
Huh. "Why would you think that?"
Judy steps closer and lowers her voice. "Because I think she wasn't taken by people."
Ah. She knows about sirens. Lady Lara must trust her enough to tell her about that.
I sigh and walk to the office, assuming she'll follow me. "Tell me everything you know."
Judy finds an empty room for us on the ground floor and ushers my family in through a back entrance, unseen by the swarming police. They remind me of ants, running around in a strange pattern that may or may not have a purpose. It could well be that they're just trying to look busy while really not having a clue of what they're doing. If Lady Lara was taken by sirens - and it looks like it - then they can't do much anyway.
I sit on the most comfortable chair I could find and nurse Bella who's sucking so greedily that I can't help but wince. The guys hold the other babies, standing in line so they can get their lunch too. Or is it dinner? I've lost all track of time. Lady Lara's disappearance has filled me with enough adrenaline to keep me going, though.
Pumpkin and Sophie are in a corner with the kittens, using some wet towels to clean them. I still haven't had a chance to talk to Pumpkin. It irritates me and I blame the crazy world for it, but right now, I have other priorities.
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