Page 4 of To Kill a King

It twitched its tail at her and nodded to her right.

She leaned out. The narrow ledge extended for approximately fifty paces, where a balcony jutted into open space.

An escape route.

If she could get there.

Her heart thumped against her ribs as her breath hitched. Dimming vision had her squeezing the edge of the window until her knuckles cracked. She shook her head. “No, I don’t think I can. I don’t like heights.” The one time she’d changed into a bird and tried to fly had been disastrous.

The cat glared at her. “Come with me or stay and die. Your choice, child.” The feminine voice had a depth that hinted at the cusp of middle age, and didn’t sound at all feline.

Aliya gasped. “Who are you?”

It turned and took three steps toward the balcony, then glanced over its shoulder at her.

Aliya bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. The jump wouldn’t be quite so challenging to land if she was smaller. She scrunched her eyes and imagined the small furry body of a kitten. The world went foggy as her muscles and bones rearranged themselves. When she opened her eyes again, long whiskers tickled her cheeks. Marmalade fur covered her oversized paws and her tail swished through the air.

Slipping out from beneath the frilly white gown that was far too big for her now, she took a few steps to get her footing as she toddled to the edge of the windowsill. Four feet were a lot harder to manage than two. Focusing only on the ledge itself, ignoring the drop below, much longer now that she was so tiny, she scrunched down, wiggled her behind, and jumped.

Her claws scrambled over the stone for purchase as she pushed herself firmly into the wall. Her heart thudded against her ribs as she panted.

The older cat nodded and twitched its whiskers.

She followed her rescuer onto the balcony and through a door they nudged open.

Her guide led her through a maze of hallways, significantly more intimidating now that she was a kitten. A myriad of new scents tantalized her nose that she itched to explore almost as much as she ached to be free of the walls and her new husband.

A loud sound boomed down the hall, reverberating through Aliya’s skull. “Shadow!”

Aliya’s bones chilled as the familiar voice raised the fur on her back. King Malkov stepped out of a room immediately in front of them. She froze.

The other cat meowed and wound itself around the king’s ankles.

Aliya’s stomach dropped to the ground. Shadow had betrayed her!

The tall man bent down and ran his fingers down the cat’s back. The long-sleeved cuffs that had been pinned so tightly during the ceremony were open now, revealing muscular forearms and a tattoo of angular symbols that encircled his right wrist like an ancient bracelet. “What’s this?” He turned to Aliya and reached for her. “You have a friend?” His grip was firm but soft as he stroked her fur.

She scrambled backward, hissing.

The older cat glared at her, a low growl rumbling in its throat.

She was making a scene—by refusing to let him pet her, she might reveal herself. Scrunching into as small of a ball as possible, she trembled beneath his touch as he ran his fingers over her a second time.

He shuffled forward until she was between his shoes. “No need to be scared, kitten. I won’t hurt you. Any friend of Shadow’s is a friend of mine.”

The tattoo on his right arm glowed red, casting the entire hallway in russet light. Aliya’s pulse thrashed past her ears. Her heart pounded against her ribs, spreading a paralyzing heat through her muscles.

With a curse, he leaped to his feet and spun in a circle, holding his wrist in front of him as he drew his sword with his off hand. “Guards! Guards!”

Footsteps thundered down the corridor.

Aliya crouched down and backed up until the space between Malkov’s feet became too narrow for her to proceed. She was trapped.

As soon as the sentries came around the corner, Malkov yelled, “There’s a mage nearby! But I can’t tell where. Find them!”

His men surrounded him and fanned out, half going each direction down the hallway. Their swords caught the red light from the king’s tattoo, reflecting it along the walls.

Her heart in her throat, Aliya dodged Malkov’s feet as he strode off after them.