Page 76 of Panther in the Shadows
"Always so clever, Rafael. Always one step ahead."
I turn toward where Catalina stands on the water itself, the corrupted surface solid beneath her feet like black glass. Moira faces her from what's left of her boat, power crackling between them. Clean ocean magic versus corrupted death magic. The clash sends ripples across the Sound that rock the boats and make the water beneath my paws tremble.
"Let's see how clever you are against this."
Catalina gestures to the small figure that rose moments ago. Elspeth. The child's corpse that's been standing near Catalina like a weapon waiting to be aimed.
Recognition flares in those glowing blue eyes as she finds Moira.
"Sister." Multiple voices speak at once. The child's voice. Catalina's voice. The ocean's voice. "You let me drown. You let me die."
Then she attacks.
The child glides across the water toward Moira's boat, leaving ripples that spread in perfect circles. Unnatural.
Moira can't fight this. Can't hurt her own sister. Even knowing Elspeth is already dead. Even knowing this is just a corpse animated by Catalina's will.
I have a choice to make. Keep fighting the bound souls. Free them one by one. Or help Moira against the one fight she can't face alone.
The choice takes less than a heartbeat.
Already moving. Already swimming hard toward Moira's boat. I shift back to human mid-stroke because I need hands for what comes next. Need to be able to grab the weapon I spotted earlier when Moira's boat cracked under Catalina's first assault.
The salt-blessed ritual knife. One of Gran's blades. It fell to the deck when the boat broke apart, and I marked where it landed because old habits die hard. Always know where the weapons are. Always have an exit strategy.
Elspeth reaches Moira's boat. Small hands grip the railing. The wood blackens under her touch. Corrupts. Dies.
She pulls herself up with impossible strength.
Moira doesn't back away. Doesn't run. She steps forward, reaching for her sister. "Elspeth. I know you're trapped. I know Catalina's using your guilt against you. You didn't do anything wrong. The drowning wasn't your fault."
The child tilts her head. The movement is sharp. Precise. Like a bird studying prey.
"My fault." The voices overlay each other. Child. Sea-walker. Ocean. "I got on the boat. I made Father take me. The storm came and we drowned and it's my fault my fault my fault?—"
"No." Moira's voice breaks. "You were a child. It was an accident. You need to let go of the guilt. Let me help you?—"
But Catalina's will is stronger than Moira's plea. The child lunges.
I swim hard toward Moira's boat. The corrupted liquid feels like ice against my skin. Like acid. Catalina's taint burns where it touches bare flesh. But I've survived worse. I push through, reaching what's left of the boat in seconds.
Elspeth has Moira pinned against the mast. Small hands around her throat. Squeezing. Moira's not fighting back. Can't fight back. Just stares at her sister's face, every line of her body radiating agony.
I vault onto the boat and drive the ritual knife toward the child's back. Aiming for the binding. For the threads of blue light that tie soul to corpse.
Elspeth spins. Faster than I anticipated. Faster than my panther reflexes can compensate for. Her hand catches my wrist mid-strike. Her grip is iron.
We lock eyes. The child's face. The monster's gaze.
"Rafael." The multi-voiced whisper cuts through me. "The faithless panther. Always protecting her. Always playing hero. But you can't save her from me. You can't save her from what she did."
"She didn't do anything." I twist my wrist, trying to break the grip. The child's strength is inhuman. "It was an accident. A storm. You blamed yourself, not her. Catalina's twisting your guilt into a weapon."
"My guilt. My fault. My death." Elspeth's smile is terrible. Catalina's voice bleeds through stronger now. "But Moira gets to live. Moira gets to be happy. While I'm trapped in the dark. That's not fair, is it, Rafael?"
The child yanks me forward. Off-balance. Throws me across the deck with strength that shouldn't exist in a body that small. I hit the opposite railing hard enough to crack wood. Stars explode across my vision.
Moira finally moves. Salt water rises from the Sound, responding to her will. It forms into a barrier between her and Elspeth. Protection. Defense.
