Page 129 of Catapult

I sat there, thinking, worrying, and processing, for a long time until Baelen finally stirred. “Clawdia?” he called, his hands coming up to tentatively touch me. His eyes were still closed, so he must have been confused about the strange weight on his chest.

I meowed, and his eyes flicked open, wide and confused as he took me in.

He tried to sit up, keeping me in his arms and dragging himself toward the cave wall to rest against. “Why are you a cat?” he asked, his hands roaming me, checking for injury or harm. “Are you all right?”

I meowed again and hoped he could see I was fine. Or as fine as I could be, considering the circumstances.

He frowned, and his eyes, thankfully back to the pure red they’d been before, darkened as he stared at me. “What happened? Why can’t you change back?”

I hadn’t tried to change back. My body, mind, and soul were so battered and bruised that I knew I wouldn’t be able to. Baelen must have seen something because he sighed but didn’t press. Instead, he asked, “Is he here?”

I knew to whom he was referring since he’d said hello before disappearing through the portal. I shook my head in a very un-cat-like movement, which was actually very difficult to achieve.

His jaw clenched, and he lowered his gaze. “I’m sorry, Clawdia.”

It wasn’t your fault,I wanted to say.You didn’t want to be possessed.But I had to settle for bumping my head into his chest and meowing softly.

“I will tell you everything. But not right now. I’m so tired.” He stroked lightly over my head, and I nuzzled into him, purring to soothe and heal us both. He was tired and no doubt traumatized from the ordeal. Everything else could wait. We could stay here, rest, gather our thoughts, and breathe for a moment before we attempted anything else.

Sometimes, all you can do is breathe and hope the next day is better.

The blue swirl from the portal cast interesting, hypnotic shadows and patterns along the cave walls, and before long, Baelen was snoring. I wanted to drift off too, but fear burned brightly inside me. Fear that remaking the portal had noticeable effects across the realms that could lead people here, where we lay alone, exhausted, and powerless.

I won’t let anyone hurt him again.

So, I catnapped. I awoke with every squawk and rustle from outside the cave and jumped when the hum of the portal changed as a fridge did sometimes. More than any noise, my thoughts kept me awake.

Charlie might be dead. Zaide could be anywhere, and we are still under threat by Fafnir.

What a catastrophe.

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