Page 60 of The Fae King's Labyrinth

Furintag glared at the servant. “The king can do as he wishes.”

I regarded the two of them for a moment before picking my way delicately across the table to the platter of food.

“Have you tested the food?” Azulin asked Ghost.

“Not yet.”

“Then perhaps—” Azulin moved to stop me, but I eluded his reach before glaring at him over my shoulder.

I sniffed the chicken and experienced no urge to sneeze. However, magic wasn’t the only way to poison someone. My mind raced. How could I indicate a preference without consuming something? My tail curled above me, and I wound it back and forth until it encountered an obstacle. I turned to find a young-looking brownie standing over me. His attention completely riveted on my tail as it brushed against the edge of the dish he held.

“Are you as soft as you look?” he asked.

“Merow,” I replied, sitting on the table facing him and curling my tail around my feet.

Balancing the dish in one hand, he offered me his free one, which I sniffed politely. His fingers smelled of spices with a deeper note of trees and moss. Deeming him trustworthy enough, I headbutted his fingers, asking for pets.

“What do you want?” he asked, fear and awe making his voice squeak.

“Rub her head between the ears,” Azulin advised. I hadn’t heard him move, but he was there, standing protectively over the brownie and me.

The brownie flinched and stepped back. “My apologies, sire. I meant no disrespect.”

“I am not offended.” Azulin stroked the top of my head. Magic hummed through me at his touch, spreading warmth in its wake. My chin lifted of its own accord as I pressed up into his fingers, a purr thrumming in my chest. The slight catch in his breath hinted that I wasn’t the only one affected by the connection. With visible reluctance, Azulin broke contact. “She’s only asking you to pet her forehead gently.”

The brownie reached out tentatively to stroke my head. No hum of magic or thrill of connection, but it wasn’t unpleasant either. However, it served its purpose because Ghost had moved in to test the food on the platter while I interacted with the brownie.

“She’s so soft,” the brownie whispered.

“All clear,” Ghost said.

I eased onto my four paws and abandoned the brownie for the food platter.

“Does she understand what he said?” the brownie asked in awe.

“She is a very intelligent cat.” Azulin’s amusement warmed me.

“Tend to your duties,” Furintag admonished the brownie.

The young servant moved away, and I focused all my attention on choosing my cat form’s diet for the next few months.

∞∞∞

Azulin

I made it through the meal before exhaustion became too much. My head ached as I leaned back in my chair, half listening to Ghost and Furintag discussing the safety measures needed to address our new need for privacy.

Calypso appeared weary. She had remained in her cat form while Ghost and I explained the new situation to Furintag. But the moment she finished her meal—choosing a wide selection of options from the food platter—she prowled across the table and climbed into my lap. Curling into a soft ball, she promptly fell asleep.

I tentatively rested my hand on her back, stroking the soft fur there. The magical connection between us coiled around me; pleasure and comfort teased my senses. She sighed in her sleep. And for the first time in many nights, the tension within me eased. My eyes grew heavy.

“You’re going to get a crick in your neck sleeping there.”

I forced my eyes open and tipped my heavy head back to peer blearily up at Ghost where he was standing over me. “Furintag left?”

“A while ago.” Ghost frowned down at Calypso in my lap. “She appears to trust you.”

“Saving her life multiple times helped.” I groaned. “But how to get from trust to love is the leap I can’t figure out.”

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