“Jake! Leave Willow alone.” My foster sister, Gena, marched past him as she shoved the muscled jock out of her way.
“Come on, Willow.” Gena’s disgust was evident in her tone. “Don’t just stand there and let him talk to you that way. You gotta learn to stand up for yourself.” She wrapped her arm around mine, dragging me down one long hallway after another. I never would understand how my foster sister could be so sweet yet have friends like Jake and Amanda.
Gena pushed open a heavy oak door and pulled me into a dressing room. Dropping my arm, she crossed the room and picked out a couple of bathing suits hanging from hooks above a long bench. I trudged across the room after her, and she handed me a black one-piece suit.
“This should fit you.”
I watched her pick a bright fuchsia bikini for herself, and a knot formed in my gut. When Gena got an idea in her head, nothing short of a miracle could change it. I knew I was doomed. Swallowing my sigh, I quickly changed and followed her through the frosted door. In three running strides, she jumped into the heated pool.
“Willow, stop being a ninny and jump in. The water is heavenly.”
I moved to the edge of the pool and sat, dangling my feet into the deep end. The underwater light turned the dark blue water into a light green, but after only a few feet, the murky depths intruded. My heart lay like a heavy stone in my chest. I didn’t want to do this again.
Repeatedly reliving the worst events of my life was beginning to mess with my mind.
A sharp downward tug on my foot jerked me out of my self-induced stupor as I fell into the pool. I opened my mouth to scream, but instead of air, all I got was a mouthful of warm, chlorinated water. I arched my back. Too late, I realized how close I was to the side of the pool and my head hit the cement wall with a solid whack. A tidal wave of pain spiked through my skull as the tug on my foot increased, pulling me to the bottom of the pool.
I reached down, frantically grasping for the hand holding my ankle. Wrapping my fingers around the thick, male wrist, I squeezed and pulled the person closer. I recognized Jake’s face as it closed in on mine, his eyes wide. His mouth opened in a silent scream as my fury fueled my strength. I was sick to death of being bullied. I shoved Jake’s much larger body upward and he sailed toward the surface, his body disappearing into the shadowy shapes of my classmates watching from the pool’s edge.
I kicked off from the rough bottom. Reaching the surface, I broke through with a gasp. Coughing and choking, I sucked in much-needed air as I awkwardly swam toward the shallow end. Finding my footing, I pulled myself upright on shaky legs in the waist-deep water. Fear emanating from my classmates doused my chilled body, but I was past caring. Tired of being made fun of and humiliated, I stood my ground and glowered at every face staring back at me.
My skin itched from the chlorine, and the room’s humid heat stuck to me as I took a step toward the entire football team. Amanda stood in front of them, Gena by her side with a sickly grin frozen on her face.
Amanda laughed. To my ears, she reminded me of a pig rooting through rotten food, lapping at the thick, chunky liquid as if it were a fine wine. She thought I was disgusting? Puh-lease. I totally ignored the fact I probably resembled a drowned rat with my short spikey hair plastered to my head.
I should have taken the high road, but the constant looks of disgust on the boys’ faces, their mocking laughter behind my back, and knowing there were others besides me who were suffering because of them, was my undoing. I didn’t have the body of a supermodel. I wasn’t beautiful or rich. I knew none of that should matter, but for some stupid reason it did to the kids in front of me. And the only reason I’d been thrust into these horrible situations was because I’d lost my family. Life was so unfair.
I reveled in the familiar burning deep inside me as my anger bubbled to the surface, writhing and coiling, growing stronger. I’d learned, at a very young age in the foster system, how words sting. They may fade over time, but feelings of worthlessness only intensified. I detested being laughed at and still heard one foster mother’s shrill giggles bouncing around in my mind from when I was a toddler. I never did anything the right way. Her way. I’d quickly figured out her laughter meant a beating.
My seething simmer burst into a full-blown boil as hatred spewed from me. Like a shot of white-hot lightning, it hit Amanda in the chest, picking her up and throwing her against the line of football players who fell like bowling pins. Her high-pitched scream abruptly stopped, and a stunned silence filled the room.
I stood in the waist-deep water and watched their reactions. Those closest to her knelt on the concrete floor beside her and a few more leaned in, asking if she was okay. Two or three in the back of the group scurried into the house, either running away or going for help. Whichever, I didn’t care.
A funny tickle ran up the back of my scalp. My part in the nightmare had ended, yet I still stood in the pool. For the first time since arriving in the lonely gray land, something about my nightmares had changed. I watched as my former classmates took turns giving Amanda CPR. My gaze wandered around the room until finally coming to rest again on Amanda’s prone body.
Sitting next to her head was the fluffiest red cat I’d ever seen. The dim overhead fluorescent lighting shimmered across the fur, dancing in perfect unison with the darker shades of burgundy underneath. The animal’s bright red coat seemed to be in constant motion, each strand waving like wheat in a field on a windy day. I pulled my gaze up along the body and gasped. The cat’s large orange eyes glowed. I blinked and found myself staring at the pockmarked rocks surrounding me. At least I wasn’t in the nightmare anymore.
“What kind of cat was that?” I whispered, resting my chin on one hard knee.
“Why, a demon cat of course,” a soft, feminine voice purred above me.
I scrambled to my feet, resembling an octopus on land as my arms and legs went in every direction except where they were supposed to go, but I somehow managed to jump backward. On the rocky overhang above me sat the same red cat-like thing.
“Excuse me, but I am not a thing. I am beautiful for my kind.” The cat lifted her paw to her mouth, her black tongue daintily licking the thick fur. I narrowed my eyes and stared harder, swallowing a painful gulp of air. Not only did this cat have a black tongue, but her claws were enormously long and pointy. They were also painted a brilliant pistachio green. She resembled a plump poinsettia. I stifled a nervous snicker.
“And what kind are you again?” I pressed my lips together to hold back another giggle when her eyes turned to slits, the hairs between sticking straight out. I had no idea cats could frown. Her expression was probably supposed to tell me to stop messing with her. What a cutie.
The cat huffed out a cough and jumped off the small ledge to land gracefully at the tips of my boots. “What do you think I am?” she hissed, placing her paws on my boots.
“I’m sorry, but you don’t look like any cat I’ve ever seen.”
She took a few more steps, balancing on the top of my feet. I automatically held out my hand as a paw reached for me. One glance at her wicked-looking green claws, and I jerked my hand back, pressing my fist against my stomach.
“Wait a minute. Before you go slicing and dicing my leg, which by the way has done nothing to you, can I have a hint?”
“You aren’t from here, are you?”
I snorted. “What gave me away?” I instantly regretted the snarky comment and held my breath as I waited for a stabbing pain in my shin.
“Willow, look at me.”
I dropped my gaze. Teeny crimson flames flickered in the center of her orange eyes. My heart stuttered as an icy sensation raced through me. I pinched my arm, hoping I was dreaming. I wasn’t. “How do you know my name?”
The cat only stared at me with her strange eyes. I swallowed. “You really are a demon cat, aren’t you?”
“You’re smart, just like Momma said.”
“Momma?” I whispered, unconsciously twisting a gold ring I’d gotten years ago around my finger.
The cat’s lips curled up. “You met her in your world—the demoness, Ahma.”
A headache straight from Hell blazed through my brain, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of the nightmare or the cat. I glared down at her as she sat pristinely on my boots. “She’s the reason I’m in this horrible place!” I threw up my hands in exasperation. “Your mother? Why did she send me here?”
The cat’s eerie orange gaze didn’t waver. “You will have to ask her.”
I groaned. “Not helpful.”
“One thing I know—Momma figured you’d be a good substitute until she returned.”
Her words definitely caught my attention and sent another massive twinge of pain through my head. Substitute momma, my ass. I had no clue how to take care of anything. I couldn’t even take care of myself most of the time. My current situation was evidence enough of that.
A frisson of dread centered around my heart as my attention refocused on the last part of what the cat had said—until she returned. Ahma would be coming back here? That didn’t bode well for me.
I tried escaping the cat by walking away, but the stabbing pain in my head worsened. Sheer stubbornness kept me plodding across the barren plain. If I got away from the cat, maybe I wouldn’t see the demoness again. Unfortunately, I stopped paying attention to where I stepped and never noticed the downward slope. I planted my foot on what I thought was solid ground, and the next thing I knew, I was rolling down a rocky hill.
With each thud, every bone in my body rattled. I finally reached the bottom and landed on my back, my face greeting the dismal gray sky. Groaning, I sat up, pulled a couple of tiny rocks from my hair, and winced, picking out several larger fragments from sliding on my elbows. The shredded skin resembled ground beef.
“There are easier ways down into the valley, you know.”
I looked up and watched the demon cat float to the ground. Her tail whipped from side to side, swatting imaginary flies, and her tiny ears pointed forward.
“I didn’t fall on purpose, and I can’t fly like you can.”
“I can’t fly either. I float.”
“Whatever. I can’t do either one,” I snapped and dug another tiny pebble from the torn skin on my right elbow. “Owwww.” I gave up trying to get all the little fragments. It only made the hurt worse.
“You haven’t told me your name,” I bit out through clenched teeth, trying to focus on anything else.
“I never heard Ahma use my name. She only called me ‘kitten.’”
I sighed. “I’m sorry I freaked when I realized what you are. It’s just that your mother really scared me and when I heard ‘demon,’ well, I just reacted.”
“That’s nice to say. That would make Momma happy.”
I stared at her a moment longer and decided to give her a chance. She wasn’t trying to hurt me . . . yet. “Can we talk, maybe get to know each other better?”
She lay down, twisting onto her back as she rubbed against the prickly rock floor. I sucked my lips between my teeth to keep from laughing. Her already fluffy red fur now looked like it had been shot with a charge of static electricity. Satisfied, she rolled onto her side, her tail darting back and forth on the ground, teasing an invisible prey.
For whatever reason, I was beginning to like this cat. Maybe it was delusion or maybe it was because I’d never been so lonely in my entire life, but I didn’t want her to disappear, even if she was a demon cat. I needed to talk to someone, or I was going to go crazy.
“I’m going to call you DC. Short for demon cat.”
I couldn’t help but notice how her mouth seemed full of miniature teeth that looked as lethal as her claws. I hoped her ear-to-ear grin meant she liked her new name.
“I do.”
Her answer caught my attention. I don’t remember saying anything out loud.
“You didn’t, silly girl. I heard your thoughts. It’s a demon-thing.”
Not to mention a bit unnerving, but I leaned forward as a tiny kernel of excitement bloomed. “Yeah, but it’s a really cool demon thing. I wish I could do it.”
The cat stopped licking her paw and focused her gaze on me. “I can teach you how.”
“Sure—”
“But,” DC interrupted. “You have to accept me.”
“Do you have to be so cryptic sounding? What do you mean by accepting you? Like a teacher . . . a friend? What?”
The cat’s head tilted but continued to hold my gaze. “More as a guardian.”
I exhaled through my nose. “Still cryptic. I need more details. And how do you know about all of this? Aren’t you really young? You look like a large kitten to me.”
The cat rose to all fours, her tail curled around her paws. “I am young for a demon—only two hundred years old. Accepting me would also be your best option, especially here. It’s not safe. As your guardian, I can protect you, as long as we merge.”
“Nothing other than a few recurring nightmares have bothered me so far. Why isn’t this place safe?”
“Merge with me, and I’ll explain.”
I studied her a few seconds more then shrugged. “Merging doesn’t sound too bad. What do I do?”
Her tail flicked back and forth behind her, slowing to a lazy flop. “You don’t do anything. I will merge with you. All you will notice is my mark.”
A vision of horrible lacerations covering my body from her teeth and claws filled my mind, quickly replaced by the delicate drawing of a cat’s face. “Mark . . . Oh, like a tattoo?”
DC nodded. “You haven’t learned to control your powers yet, but I can help you. Over time, our mind link will get stronger. With practice, you’ll be able to read my thoughts as I do yours.” Her gaze held mine as she waited for my response.
I hesitated again. “How else will my life be affected? Is this merging permanent? Do I have to stay in this awful place, or can you leave and take me with you?” I scooted closer to her, my gut churning worse than a tilt-a-whirl ride at the fair. My throat tightened as I waited for the cat’s answers.
“In this realm I can protect you better if we’re merged, but if we ever leave, you can return the favor. We will know each other’s thoughts, and our merged powers will be stronger. As far as permanent . . . that, I cannot answer.” She stretched, claws splayed, and placed her front paws on my folded legs. The cat and I were practically nose-to-nose, so I leaned back. She moved forward.
“If you get any closer, we’ll be kissing,” I mumbled through my closed lips. “You’re invading my personal space.” I hadn’t brushed my teeth in gods knew how long. What if I had horrible butt breath?
“Cats have fourteen times the sense of smell that humans have. It doesn’t matter how close I am. I can still smell your breath.”
“Great. Just what I needed to hear.” I dropped my head into my palms. “Go ahead, let me have it. Tell me how bad I stink.”
“You are a silly girl. You don’t stink. While you are in this realm, your body is in stasis.”
“Meaning?”
“Everything stops. No growth, no change. Have you not wondered why you don’t get hungry or thirsty? Why you don’t have other human needs?”
“I have wondered, and in my book this is a big plus. I’m glad I don’t stink. Another plus is having someone to talk to.” Deciding to grab the bull by the horns—so to speak—I nodded. “Okay, DC, I’ve made my decision. I may regret this later, but I’ll merge with you. As long as there isn’t a lot of pain.”
“Good. You should only feel heat. Maybe some prickling too.”
I shook out my arms and legs, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. “I’m read
y.” Before being sent here, I would never have done anything so daring. I never strayed from my comfort zone.
“Twist your left arm until the back of your wrist is resting against your knee.”
I did what she told me and watched her press her paw against the tender skin of my inner wrist. Slowly, a dull warmth gathered where her paw rested. The heat level rose until it was uncomfortable but not unbearable. “Well, that’s not too bad.”
I should’ve kept my mouth shut. No sooner were the words out than five incredibly sharp claws punched through the fragile skin. The burning increased until I just knew my wrist was going to either burst into flame or combust into a pile of ash. I scrunched my eyelids closed as a scream squeezed through my constricted throat. As it hit the back of my tongue, both the pain and the scream suddenly stopped. I let out a long, drawn out sigh of relief instead.
I forced my eyes back open and looked at my wrist, expecting to see blackened, oozing skin. Instead, an exact replica of DC’s furry face stared back at me.
“Oh, how cute. I’ve always wanted a tattoo, but I’ve never been able to get past the needles.” I raised my head and glanced around, but the cat was gone. I swallowed my sigh of disappointment, hoping she’d return soon. I traced the lifelike fur on the top of my tattooed cat’s head and felt the brush of her tail under my arm. I jerked my elbow off my leg and noticed the healed skin. I glanced at my other elbow. The only remaining trace of my previous scrapes were pink patches of skin. As I stared, the pink faded back to normal.
Remembering the feeling of the cat’s tail, I peered underneath my arm, but nothing was there. I lowered my arm in confusion, with the unsettled feeling I was missing something. When I returned my gaze to the tattoo. Her cute face morphed into a wide smile, and she winked.
Saved by the Spell (Of Mystics and Mayhem Book 2) Page 3