Page 21 of Catastrophe

Erik looked across the water, his eyes squinting against the rain. “If sirens drown us, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

We weren’t drowned by sirens, since the storm and the island appearing were our doing, and we made it back to the mainland safely. The gentlemen let us go without any more interrogating, and although the day felt never-ending, Elizabeth collected a rental car, and we headed toward the last known address of her evil family.

CHAPTER 6

CLAWDIA

“How are we getting in there?” I whispered.

We stared at the warehouse conversion from an alleyway on the opposite side of the road. I shivered, desperate to get this over and done with, yet the entire journey here, Elizabeth hadn’t said a word. Nothing about a plan or what we might do, so I assumed she wanted to look at the place before deciding how we’d break and enter.

But she still said nothing, despite us standing in the cold like a pair of lemons for five minutes, just gawking.

With us both acting so suspiciously, we were definitely going to get caught, but thankfully, the warehouse home was seemingly empty. And with the sunset blinding the occasional drivers passing on the road, it was unlikely anyone saw us.

Elizabeth turned to me, an incredulous look on her face, as though she thought I’d already read her mind and knew the plan.

I must be standing here for the view. I snickered at the thought. I sound like Charlie.

“Clawdia, you are a cat,” she responded.

I frowned and glanced back at the building. Yes, cats are fantastic jumpers and skilled acrobats, but I didn’t know I would be cat burgling and wasn’t ready for something so strenuous. I’m already so tired.

An excuse came to me quickly. “Yes, but I’ll be a naked human when I turn back. That’s going to stand out.”

“Give me your clothes. I’ll hold on to them until you can get me in there too. Then you’ll be able to wear them again.”

I sighed as I pulled the damp material from my skin, already hating the thought of putting them on again while they were still wet. I stopped as I realized something. “You want me to get naked? Here? Now? In the cold? In front of you?”

She gave me a look that suggested I stop being dramatic and started undressing. And while I hated the indignity of it all, the faster I did this, the faster we found information, the faster we could leave, get warm, and focus on my men again.

I huffed and muttered, “I’m so tired of being naked in front of strangers,” as I began peeling the fabric from my body.

“You are being dramatic. This is more important than your dignity.” She took the top I handed her and continued as I unbuttoned my trousers. “And I’m not a stranger. You are practically my daughter-in-law.”

“Which makes this stranger, does it not?” I remarked and handed her the last of my garments before I swiftly turned into my feline form, shrinking until I was close enough to Elizabeth’s damp trainers. The smell coming from them overwhelmed my nose. I gagged and jumped away from her before she could say anything.

Darting through the bushes and across the road, I hummed the Mission: Impossible theme in my head as I scaled the bins to reach an open window. Peering inside, my eyes widened at the beautiful open-plan space. Furnished with stunning canvas artwork, decorative statues (that didn’t look like genitalia), as well as comfortable and stylish furniture, it suggested the owner was very well off.

There were a few items that suggested someone, hopefully Elizabeth’s family, was using the space—a handbag on the table and a coat thrown over the sofa—and if I listened carefully, I could make out the sound of a dishwasher.

I couldn’t see anything that indicated Elizabeth’s family occupied the space, so for a moment, I worried they weren’t even there. Then worried they were.

Please, Lord, I pray they’ve been staying here but aren’t inside at the moment. We could really use a win right now.

Using my paws, I nudged at the gap between the window and the sill, hoping to make the opening bigger, but it didn’t move. Blast. It’s on a latch.

I meowed pitifully in the hope someone inside would find me and pull me inside. No one turns down the call of the cat distribution system. But then I remembered that one of these witches killed mine, and the others allowed demons to be captured and have their fire taken in order for Fafnir to rise. They were monsters. And monsters ate fluffy beauties like me.

After hopping down from the bins, I searched for another entry point toward the back of the building, the side hidden from the road with a small, fenced patio area. A second-story window was wide open, but it was only accessible by a slender ledge. One even a cat might struggle to walk along.

I was glad for the bravery instilled in this form, because human Clawdia did not have the mettle needed for this task. Yet Clawdicat lived for the challenge.

Doing my fellow felines proud, I easily vaulted up onto the fence and walked toward the building with the idea that I could jump onto the top ledge of the back doors. Once I successfully landed that elegant hop, I readied myself for my next move: ascending onto the second-floor window sill. And with a prayer and the muscle memory of a big cat, I made it. Barely. I held on just by my claws and dangled as I curled my body around the small piece of plastic. My stomach rolled as I glanced down. I’d survive if I fell, but I wouldn’t like the feeling.

Scrambling to pull my back legs up, I eventually made it onto the window ledge, where I let out an enormous sigh of relief and quickly hurried inside. Exhaustion weighing down my bones, I caught my breath and admired the lovely bedroom. With its crushed velvet headboard and multitude of pillows and bedspreads, the bed itself was a beautiful feature and called to my lackadaisical nature for an early evening nap. Yet, I didn’t have time to relax. I had to make sure there was no one around before I headed downstairs to let Elizabeth in.

With the last bit of adrenaline rushing through me, I powered my legs to race around the upstairs rooms. There were five bedrooms and two bathrooms. All the doors were open, and although luggage lay on the floor and makeup scattered every flat surface in each room, I couldn’t identify the lodgers. But it was clear they weren’t currently there.

---