Page 36 of Pretty Kitten

“Thanks, lady.”

“I can feel the rest of the pride is safe.”

Those amongst them who hadn’t died before the Scion’s arrival, in any case.

“Did you get to them before coming to our aid?”

Jason’s response was cut off by a sugary sweet voice coming from the other side of the house.

“That would have been me,” a tall, pale blonde piped in, waving her hello. “Daphne,” she introduced herself. “You owe me a pair of shoes. I’ll never get the mud off the velvet.”

They all stood in a circle, surrounding the children, just like they had in Hsu’s vision.

Well, not all of them. Clari didn’t fail to notice two of them were missing. She didn’t want to ask. She didn’t need to either. She’d felt it in her bones. Sawyer and Tracy were gone. She didn’t know the first one well, but Tracy- she couldn’t wrap her head around it. Just last night, she’d said she’d finished her latest book. It would be her last, now.

Before she could wallow in that thought for too long, the doors opened in front of Tria. She’d come through for them – and, if she hadn’t, Clari would have died. So would have Zack.

“It’s done,” she announced cheerfully, like she hadn’t just accomplished something that defied the realm of possibilities.

Everyone breathed out, and Clari relaxed her posture. Daunte’s arms wrapped around her waist and squeezed her hard.

* * *

Her plan had been simple, and positively impossible, at least according to their witch, Rain, and every other member of the pride.

“The Council is coming; all twelve of them, conveniently in one place,” she’d said. “And imagine if they all so happen to suddenly depend on the wellbeing of this little pride to survive. Well- you’ll see just how quickly laws and decrees can be changed.”

No one had understood what she’d meant at first.

“I can link their life force to Zack and Clari. If someone kills them, they’ll all die, too.”

“Impossible,” Rain had replied, unable to wrap her head around it. “There’s no spell that could accomplish that. Even if there was, if it went wrong-”

“It won’t go wrong.”

She’d been matter of fact.

And, apparently, she’d been right.

* * *

Where are they?” Rye asked darkly.

“En route to their evil lair, I’m sure. And good thing, too, by the looks of it. If you’d killed them, they wouldn’t be able to go home and change the laws, now, would they?”

“Do you really think they will?” Hsu asked.

Tria smiled at the child, before turning on her heels. “Why don’t you see for yourself,” she said, before walking out of door.

Epilogue

The Council was quick to act. Two days later, they’d made an announcement, and newspapers around the world were in danger of running out of ink over it.

Turners, they’d said, were nothing more than legends until now. A lie, and every shifter knew it. They’d existed all right; for a time. Then, the moment their nature was discovered, they’d been ruthlessly executed for the greater good. But we have recently become aware that some very, very rare shifters are born with the ability to bestow the gift of an animal to human beings.

These shifters are bound by very strict laws that will prevent them from exercising that gift without consent, and a careful vetting process.

They are a beautiful part of our heritage and will be protected at all costs.

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