Page 107 of Down from the Tower

And it isn’t.

Blinking, I stare down at my cat Cheshie as he darts past us, pausing to stare at the shadowed spot where we hide. As a cat, I’m almost positive he can sense us.

A moment later, my father’s favorite guard Theo follows behind, huffing and puffing as he tries to keep up with the fat feline. “Damn it, Cyrus.”

I blink, looking around, and my cat meows from the ground. Theo throws out his hands, looking down at Cheshie like he has answers. “Enough games. The Queen is coming and Tressa is falling. We need to get out of the castle.”

This doesn’t make any sense. Theo is a guard, and a longtime loyal one at that. He’s never taken an interest in my cat before, and he certainly never mistook his name for Cyrus.

From the floor Cheshie meows again, stretching lazily before cocking his head. I tense beside Zarev, ready to use the burning power in my hands if Theo tries to harm my cat.

There’s no need though. As Cheshie stretches, his body twists. He jumps forward, and in an instant my fat, lazily feline is no more.

In his place stands a man, tall and muscular and completely nude. Pink and purple ears jut from the top of his head and a mop of dark black hair, twitching ever so slightly like my cat’s ears always do. The little fluffy ears match the nails on the ends of his hands, sharp like claws. A sleek tail sways behind him, striped the same way his fur usually is.

My jaw falls open, and I can’t tear my eyes off him. That’s who I would cuddle with in bed for comfort? What happened to my cat?

Theo throws up his hands, turning away. “Cyrus - gods, stop doing that! Put on some damn clothes!”

“I would, but that’s really against my feline sensibilities,” he purrs, crossing his arms. I try not to look between his thighs, but my curiosity is too great. Dragging my eyes downward, I’m unsurprised to find that of course, this shifting man is hung and, not only is his cock magnificently large, but it seems to be waking at the attention on him.

I’m not sure why I expect my so-called cat to feel shame, but I certainly do, unable to stop staring at him. This is a twist I never saw coming.

Cheshie - Cyrus - slants his eyes towards us, yellow with strange green pupils, and winks towards our hidden space.

“Turn back, now,” Theo goes on. “The King is ready to kill anything he sees. I have to go to the fountain. It’s the only way to ensure Midas’ death.”

Cyrus huffs, shaking his head. “You could just let her kill the King. Arthur’s troops will be here soon as is to clear the land after her fucking majesty cuts off Midas’ head.”

My mind spins. The Queen… it must be the Mad Queen. And she’s coming here? I can’t even imagine what fountain they are discussing since I can’t remember ever seeing one on the castle grounds, but I suppose I never really saw much of anything while I lived here.

“It’s not that simple,” Theo growls, scratching at his cheeks. “Go back to your feline form. Only one of us can appear as a man.”

He gestures to himself. “Are you sure it shouldn’t be me? I did trick the royal family for all these long years.”

“Cyrus!”

He sighs, shaking his head as he pivots on his heels. He takes his time, prancing down the hall like he has all the time in the world. Zarev makes no move to follow, and I’ll bet he’s just as aware as I am that the shifting cat might sense us.

Halfway down the hall, Cyrus looks over his shoulder and winks again. He rushes forward, jumping in midair, and as his feet leave the ground he shifts back into my cat, the transformation almost too fast to see, plopping down on all floors when the transition is complete. I can’t believe this strange creature is the cat I’ve loved for so many years. He looks back towards our hiding spot again, giving a lazy yawn, and Theo jogs to catch up with him.

“Come on now, kitty cat. We’re late, we’re late. If we miss this the Queen really will take our heads.”

They dart down the hall, disappearing in the direction of the throne room just like I plan to. Neither of them looks back, and after several beats Zarev drops the shadows so we can have a moment to think.

“My cat… My cat is a man.”

He only gives me a curt nod. “I’ve seen some shifters come down from Cheshire Village, but he’s definitely unique.” He looks towards me. “You said the Queen left him behind the one time she visited? That was no mistake.”

I swallow. No, I don’t think any of this is. My cat and a guard are working together, and from the sounds of it they belong to Wonderland.

Was anything real, or is my life built on conspiracies and a web of lies?

“Rapunzel,” Zarev says, his grounding voice dragging me back to the moment. “We still have to find Midas.”

“Didn’t you hear them,” I whisper, looking down at my hands. My mother’s blood stares back at me. “There’s a plan to unseat the King. Others want Midas dead too. He drew all of these spirits here, didn’t he? He’s done something to the water and corroded the land. I… we… may not have to kill my father. Someone else might do the job for us.”

He raises a brow, turning to grasp my chin. “Maybe. Or maybe the strange cat and undercover guard are speaking utter nonsense. I saw your cat that first day and had my suspicions…” His voice trails off and I can’t help wondering where his mind went. “But I don’t know this cat specifically. Cyrus is just another shifter, like I once was. They could be turncoats to the Queen, to Midas, or to each other.”

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