Page 43 of The Dark Hiss of Magic
‘Hide her,’ I hissed, interrupting him as I scuffed away the liquid.
An instant later, the officer appeared. ‘That was fast,’ he said to Trilby.
They shrugged. ‘I have done all I can. Bye, kiddies.’
The officer mirrored Trilby’s shrug and opened the cell door. They walked out without a backward glance.
Thane, who had hidden Tiddles behind his back in a move that would have fooled very few people, gave me a long look. ‘What exactly is Trilby?’ he asked.
It was a good question. ‘I have absolutely no idea.’ I stared beyond the bars of the cell. ‘Perhaps we’re not meant to know.’
‘I’m glad they’re on our side,’ he said. ‘I’d hate to make an enemy of them.’
I nodded fervently. ‘Come on then,’ I said. ‘Let’s get this over and done with.’
‘Kit—’
‘We have to find out the truth about Fetch Daniel Jackson,’ I said. ‘If we hesitate, the witches’ council will bundle him away and we’ll be sent down for Knox Thunderstick’s murder.’
Thane was still reluctant. ‘What if it hurts her?’
‘It won’t.’
‘But—’
I smiled gently. ‘Thane, do you think I’d ever do anything that would hurt a cat?’
‘No, but—’ His voice trailed off.
‘She’ll stay here throughout. You’ll be able to see for yourself that she’s unaffected.’
He frowned. ‘You have to be close to the original cat for the magic to work effectively. Fetch Jackson could be anywhere in the city.’
‘True,’ I conceded. ‘But the witches’ council headquarters are not far from here. The magic should stretch far enough for me to gain access.’
‘You’ll never get into their inner sanctum, no matter what body you’re wearing.’
‘I don’t need to. I only need to find Fetch Jackson.’ I splayed my hands. ‘It’s better than staying here all night doing nothing.Trilby brought Tiddles for a reason.’ I’d have preferred one of my own cats but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
In the end, it was Tiddles herself who made the decision. She emitted a tiny squeak of a miaow from behind Thane’s back, wriggled free, jumped down and scampered over to my feet.
‘Very well,’ he sighed.
‘She’ll be fine,’ I reiterated. I bent down, scratched her ears, thanked her and plucked a small tuft of soft ginger fur from her side. Tiddles purred loudly in response.
I met Thane’s eyes, silently conveying that this was the right move. He blinked slowly in agreement. With that part out of the way, I tipped my head back and swallowed the fur.
I’d never used a cat as young as Tiddles for my transformation so I had no idea what to expect. Usually the pain was agonising, and I was prepared for a similar experience now; instead, even though my body went rigid and started to shake, I felt only a flicker of discomfort. Huh. Maybe that was because of Tiddles’ age. Or maybe it was because she held a closer relationship with the demon netherworld from where all cats originated.
Either way, the spasms were easier to handle and, when I rose up in the air and began to spin as my body chemistry altered, I felt both surprise and gratitude. Within seconds I was on all fours and testing out my new form.
A cat sith wasn’t like a werewolf. Wolves like Thane only transformed during the full moon and they had no choice. Alexander MacTire was something of a different beast and had proved that he could change at least part of himself regardless of the lunar calendar, but he was definitely the exception to the rule. And every werewolf, no matter who they were, always took the same lupine form.
I was different. For one thing, barely any cat siths existedand nobody ever suspected that the moggy that wandered past them would be anything other than a cat. Plus, the body I transformed into and the characteristics I assumed depended on the cat whose fur I’d swallowed, so it was different every time. On this occasion, I was imbued with an adolescent’s sense of fun and fizzing energy. I could already predict that it would be difficult to maintain focus.
Concentrate, I told my feline self sternly. A lot is riding on this.
I padded somewhat unsteadily towards Tiddles who raised her paw and batted at me playfully. I resisted the urge to return the action. I had to be serious. I twitched my ears to indicate my thanks and glanced up at the now-gigantic form of Thane.
