Page 92 of Reckless Bonds
Master Yurghen.
My feline instincts kick in and a low growl echoes from deep within my chest as the door swings open. He steps inside, casting a dim light into the room with a wave of his Chroma, completely ignoring me, if he even notices me at all. Something about this ancient creature doesn’t sit right, and never has. Even when Sunder wanted to come here with the idea that it would help us become whole again, I always felt uneasy.
One of the advantages to being a cat is that well… you have better instincts as a cat. And a better sense of smell. Yurghen smells wrong. There’s a vile taint to his scent, like when someone sprays perfume to cover up a foul odor. It’s as if the bathroom just reeks of fruity poop, and that same shitty sweet smell is what follows Yurghen in a cloud of rot and disgust.
The other man hesitates in the doorway, but I can’t make out his features. “Unless you need me for this…?” I hear him say clearly.
His croaky voice trails off meaningfully, but Yurghen doesn’t look up from the book he’s pulled from the shelf. “Wait for me in my study, boy.”
“Yes, Master Yurghen.”
Ah. Apparently the harmless-looking boy human was not a boy after all, but a man disguised as a child.
Ew.
Yurghen turns back to the book. I squint and finally make out the title - “Runological Treatise on the Art of Enchantment” by Sefu Luthar - and a flicker of curiosity ignites within me. This is no ordinary spell book.
I think I remember this one.
If I’m right, it’s something important.
And it could be helpful.
The other man closes the door, leaving Yurghen and me alone in the small, dank room. His hands are busy scribbling on a piece of parchment, the sound of scratching paper filling the space around us.
Once again, the rage of being locked in this body fills me. I can’t even yell or ask about Mira. The limitations of this form intensify my frustration, and all I can manage is a hoarse cough.
Finally, the old magi turns to look at me over his shoulder.
“Awake, are you? Good, good. Go ahead, ask me anything,” he says with a nasty smile plastered across his face.
The twinkle of amusement in his eyes burns into my core. This sick bastard finds joy in my inability to speak. I can’t wait to escape. The moment he opens this cage, I’m bolting for the window. I don’t care how high up we are.
A cat always lands on its feet, right?
I’ll sneak back in and free Mira. I’ll get her home. We should have never come here. She’ll never be safe as long as we stay in Iluemera.
“Ready to shift back, then?”
I pause, processing Yurghen’s words. This time, I detect no taunting in his tone. Suddenly, invisible restraints wrap around my tiny frame, rendering me helpless. As if I wasn’t already helpless.
Yurghen approaches the small cage, reaching in with a gloved hand to grab me by the scruff of my neck.
“Here, kitty, kitty. I need you in your fae form for this. Can’t have the girl attempting to bond with a house cat.”
My ears perk up at that. Is he taking me to Mira? Hope lurches in my stomach, but then falls again.
He can’t be anywhere near Mira. It’s not safe for her.
I have to keep them apart.
He utters words that sound closer to gibberish than a spell. They hang in the surrounding air, swirling with light and sound that grows brighter and closer. My surroundings spin and I feel the familiar rush of magic. Chroma pours into me as my body stretches and changes. The floor tilts beneath my feet before I hit the ground and let out a forceful scream.
And then I’m in a world where everything is white. White light shines from every direction, making the walls and ceiling glow brightly. I can’t see him, but I can hear the faintest whisper of a song. The tune nags at me, almost familiar, but then it’s gone.
As the light and sound fade, I’m left bound on the cold tiles of the floor.
I blink. Once. Twice.