Page 160 of A Baron of Bonds
“Hello, little one,” I spoke softly, pulling myself to the branch with my arm for balance and holding my hand out for her to sniff. She did so and licked it eagerly, likely smelling bacon on my fingers.
“Should I take you down from here?” I asked, not expecting a reply and not getting one. She mewed again, this time sitting up and peering over the ledge. We were at least twenty feet up and the fall would be disastrous for us both.
She stood, her claws gripping the branch and mewed a third time, this one answered by her siblings. From that height, I could see them now, each having gotten themselves on a different part of this door, each far too small to be able to climb down.
“They are quite adorable, are they not?” The Blightress called up to me, standing at the base of the door.
I didn’t reply, turning back to the lizardous cat creature, whispering, “If Rev would allow it, I think I’d just bring you home with me. I stroked her scaled nose, hearing a purring rumble loudly in return. “Can I take you down? Is that what you want?”
She replied with a short meow, and I scooped her into the crook of my arm, bringing my magic underneath to help hold her in case she slipped. I began my slow decent down to the ground, thankful the other two were not as far up.
I set her down near the Blightress’s robes, glaring at her in a threat not to touch it before climbing to the left side, following the cries of the other two. Thinking I was clever, I reached the highest one first, letting her smell the grease on my fingers before snatching her into my arm and using my magic to lower her safely to the ground. I then climbed back down and stopped at the third on the way. By then, my fingers probably smelled more like her sister’s tongues, but she happily lapped them anyway and let me take her into my arms.
Back on the ground, I lowered the last of the creatures, dusting my hands and grinning. All three were now batting at each other’s tails, tumbling and biting.
“Aren’t you forgetting something, Karus?” The Blightress grinned wide, turning to look over her shoulder.
A low growl shook the wooden slats at the ceiling, more of them breaking and falling fast, shattering on impact as a gigantic black form rose from the dark side of the room.
My blood ran cold as the Blightress warned, “Where there are kittens, there is a mother cat close by.”
Chapter 67
Rev
THE IUMENTA TRIAL
I countedthe minutes as they ticked by because it was the only thing I could do.
I couldn’t see her.
I couldn’t help her.
I could only count time as it moved, squeezing my rhyzolm tightly, ensuring she still moved with time, too.
I would be able to feel when she was through the first trial. The portal to the next would open and draw power from me.
At least nothing could follow her through. Only one beating heart could enter my portals.
I reminded myself nothing could happen to her.
Nothing could actually hurt her in there.
But as it always seemed with Karus, what should be, often was not.
Chapter 68
Karus
THE IUMENTA TRIAL
She looked exactlylike her kittens, if her kittens had grown ten feet and sprouted razor-sharp spikes where whiskers should be and long pointy fangs where tiny baby teeth should be.
She crouched low, each careful step of her paw—the size of a lumen’s head—jostled the ground, shaking more slats loose from the ceiling.
“She looks quite unhappy with you, Karus.” The Blightress stood unafraid, with nothing to lose or gain if I tapped out of this trial.
“I don’t need commentary from you,” I snapped, my mind flying through every possible outcome.
