Darklord’s Cat II

Naomi spent the next several minutes trying to convince Lucien that he had killed her.

It was not going well.

She sat on the stone floor beside the summoning circle while Lucien remained cross-legged across from her. Between them rested a sheet of parchment, a bottle of ink and a quill.

Lucien pointed toward the quill.

Naomi looked at him.

“Try again.”

She looked at the quill.

Then back at him.

I am a cat.

Lucien blinked.

Naomi’s ears rose.

“You did that again.”

She stared at him.

“Whatever you just thought, I heard it.”

Naomi concentrated.

I. Am. A. Cat.

“Yes.”

Cats cannot use quills.

Lucien looked at the quill.

Then at Naomi’s paws.

“That is a reasonable point.”

Thank you.

He immediately looked at her.

Naomi jumped to her feet.

It worked.

She hurried toward him.

Can you hear everything I think?

“No.”

Are you sure?

“Yes.”

Naomi narrowed her eyes.

What am I thinking now?

Lucien waited.

Nothing happened.

Naomi continued staring at him.

“What?”

She relaxed.

Good.

There were limits.

Lucien reached for the parchment.

“The communication appears intentional. You must direct the thought toward me.”

Naomi concentrated again.

Like this?

“Yes.”

Naomi sat down.

Then tell me what happened.

Lucien glanced toward the summoning circle.

“I summoned a familiar.”

And killed me.

“I did not kill you.”

I was alive. You performed a spell. Now I am a cat.

“I understand why you might make that connection.”

Naomi hissed.

Lucien raised one hand.

“But you were already dead.”

She stopped.

The room became quiet.

Lucien seemed to regret the directness of the statement.

Naomi looked away from him.

Rain.

The crossing.

The horn.

The headlights.

Her mother was waiting for her.

Naomi lowered her head.

Lucien said nothing.

For once, she appreciated that.

How do you know?

“The invocation cannot take a living human and transform them into a familiar.”

Cannot?

“Cannot.”

Naomi looked at him.

Magic exists.

“Yes.”

You summoned my spirit from another world.

“Apparently.”

Then I think you should be careful when using the word cannot.

Lucien considered this.

“That is also a reasonable point.”

Naomi did not want reasonable points.

She wanted her bedroom.

She wanted her phone.

She wanted her mother.

She wanted wet socks.

Naomi suddenly wanted wet socks more than anything she had ever wanted in her life.

She curled her tail around herself.

Lucien stood.

Naomi did not look at him.

“I am going to determine what happened.”

Send me home.

He paused.

Can you?

“I don’t know.”

Naomi looked up.

It was not the answer she wanted.

Lucien did not soften it.

“I will find out.”

Naomi studied him.

Promise?

Lucien hesitated.

“No.”

Her ears lowered.

“I do not make promises when I don’t know whether I can keep them.”

Naomi wanted to dislike him for saying it.

She couldn’t.

Lucien crossed the room and began collecting books.

Naomi watched him pull three volumes from one shelf and another from a cabinet.

What are you doing?

“Research.”

Now?

“Yes.”

What about me?

Lucien stopped.

He looked at her.

Naomi looked back.

He seemed genuinely confused.

Food. Water. Bathroom.

Understanding appeared.

“Oh.”

Naomi’s tail snapped against the floor.

You have never owned a cat, have you?

“No.”

I am shocked.

Lucien frowned.

“I heard that.”

Good.

A knock came from the door.

Three quick knocks followed by two slower ones.

Lucien turned.

“Enter.”

The heavy door opened.

A goblin walked into the room carrying a silver tray.

Naomi jumped backward.

The goblin stopped.

Naomi stared at him.

He stared at her.

He was short, perhaps three feet tall, with green skin, large pointed ears and a nose that seemed too large even for his face. He wore a white apron over a brown shirt. A wooden spoon had been shoved through his belt.

The tray held a bowl of soup, bread, cheese and a cup.

The goblin looked at Lucien.

Then Naomi.

Then Lucien.

Then Naomi again.

His eyes widened.

“Master.”

“Yes, Tweak?”

“You have a cat.”

“So I have discovered.”

Tweak slowly lowered the tray onto the nearest table.

“A black cat.”

“Yes.”

“In the tower.”

Lucien closed his eyes briefly.

“Yes, Tweak.”

Tweak smiled.

Naomi immediately distrusted that smile.

“Wonderful.”

Naomi backed away.

Why did he say that like that?

Lucien looked at her.

Tweak’s mouth fell open.

“You can speak to it?”

“Her.”

The goblin looked at Naomi.

Naomi looked at him.

Tweak straightened.

“My apologies.”

He bowed deeply.

Naomi’s ears rose.

“Welcome to the tower, Mistress Cat.”

Naomi.

Lucien rubbed his temple.

“Her name is Naomi.”

Tweak’s expression became serious.

“Mistress Naomi.”

Naomi decided she liked him slightly more.

Tweak looked at Lucien.

“Is she staying?”

“That has not been determined.”

Naomi walked over and sat beside Tweak.

I’m staying until he figures out how to send me home.

Lucien translated.

Tweak nodded thoughtfully.

“Then she is staying.”

“That is not what I said.”

“It is what I heard.”

Lucien stared at him.

Tweak stared back.

Naomi looked between them.

There was history here.

Tweak noticed the summoning circle.

His eyes widened again.

“You summoned her?”

“Yes.”

Tweak looked impressed.

Lucien did not.

“It was an accident.”

Tweak looked at Naomi.

Naomi nodded.

“Ah.”

What does that mean?

“Nothing,” Lucien said.

Tweak smiled.

“It means Master Lucien has been attempting to summon a familiar for three months.”

Lucien turned toward him.

“Tweak.”

“And every attempt has failed.”

“Tweak.”

“Once he summoned a boot.”

Naomi stared at Lucien.

Lucien’s jaw tightened.

A boot?

“It was enchanted.”

Tweak nodded.

“It walked around for two days.”

Naomi tried not to laugh.

A strange sound escaped her.

Tweak looked delighted.

Lucien looked annoyed.

You summoned a boot.

“Are you hungry?”

Naomi knew exactly what he was doing.

Unfortunately, she was hungry.

Very hungry.

Tweak immediately became attentive.

“Of course she’s hungry. Look at her. Nothing on those bones.”

Naomi looked down at herself.

She seemed perfectly healthy.

Tweak picked up the tray.

“I shall prepare something.”

Lucien pointed toward the food already sitting there.

“You brought food.”

“For you.”

“I can share.”

Tweak looked horrified.

“Master, that soup contains moonroot.”

Lucien looked at the bowl.

“Yes.”

“Moonroot is poisonous to cats.”

Naomi slowly looked at Lucien.

He looked at her.

You were going to poison me.

“I did not know.”

You have been responsible for me for less than an hour.

“I did not ask to be responsible for you.”

Naomi’s claws extended.

Lucien noticed.

“That was poorly phrased.”

Tweak picked up the tray.

“I will handle this.”

Naomi immediately followed him.

Lucien stepped forward.

“Where are you going?”

Naomi looked back.

Food.

“You cannot wander around the tower.”

Why?

“There are dangerous things here.”

Naomi looked at the shelves of bottles.

Clearly.

Lucien frowned.

Tweak coughed into one hand.

Naomi was certain the goblin was hiding a laugh.

Lucien pointed at her.

“Stay with Tweak.”

Naomi looked at Tweak.

Then Lucien.

Fine.

“And do what he tells you.”

Naomi stared at him.

Lucien stared back.

Don’t ruin this.

Tweak turned quickly and walked into the corridor.

Naomi followed.

The hallway beyond Lucien’s study was enormous.

Stone arches rose overhead. Portraits covered the walls. Suits of armor stood between tall windows. Candles floated several feet above the floor without any visible support.

Naomi stopped beneath one.

Tweak continued walking.

“Best not touch those, Mistress Naomi.”

She hurried after him.

Why?

Tweak obviously could not hear her thoughts.

Naomi meowed.

He looked back.

“Oh. Right. I cannot understand you.”

Naomi sighed.

Tweak nodded.

“I expect that will become inconvenient.”

At least someone understood.

They descended a spiral staircase.

Naomi followed easily at first.

Then the stairs kept going.

And going.

And going.

By the fourth landing, she was reconsidering her enthusiasm for food.

Tweak looked back.

“Would you like me to carry you?”

Naomi immediately continued walking.

“No. Of course not.”

Two floors later, she regretted that decision.

The tower was much larger than Naomi had imagined.

They passed a library with shelves extending higher than she could see. They crossed a greeting room containing a fireplace large enough for Naomi to stand inside. They passed another goblin carrying a stack of folded sheets.

The goblin stopped.

He stared at Naomi.

Naomi stared back.

“Tweak.”

“Yes, Pox?”

“There is a cat.”

“Mistress Naomi.”

Pox immediately bowed.

“My apologies.”

Naomi glanced at Tweak.

He continued walking as though this were normal.

They reached another staircase.

Naomi sat down.

Tweak looked at her.

Naomi looked at him.

He held out one hand.

She stared at it.

Tweak waited.

Naomi finally climbed onto his arm.

He tucked her carefully against his chest.

“Not a word to Master Lucien.”

Naomi purred.

She froze.

Tweak looked down.

Naomi stopped purring immediately.

He smiled.

She narrowed her eyes.

“Not a word about that either.”

They continued downward.

The smell reached Naomi before the kitchen did.

Bread.

Roasted meat.

Her stomach responded immediately.

Tweak pushed open a wooden door.

The kitchen occupied most of the lower floor. Copper pots hung from hooks. Bundles of herbs covered one wall. A large iron stove burned at the far end of the room.

Three goblins were working inside.

All three stopped when Tweak entered carrying Naomi.

Silence.

One goblin pointed.

“Cat.”

“Mistress Naomi,” Tweak corrected.

Another goblin wiped his hands on his trousers.

“Master finally did it?”

“He did.”

The third laughed.

“After the boot?”

Naomi began purring again.

Tweak placed her on a wooden table.

“Everyone knows about the boot.”

Naomi decided she was going to enjoy living here slightly more than she had expected.

Tweak opened a cupboard.

“Now then, Mistress Naomi. What does a magical familiar eat?”

Naomi sat proudly.

Tweak produced a dead fish.

It still had eyes.

Naomi stared at it.

Tweak placed it before her.

Naomi looked at him.

He smiled.

She looked at the fish.

Then back at Tweak.

Her ears flattened.

Tweak’s smile disappeared.

“Not fish?”

Naomi raised one paw and pointed toward the stove.

Tweak frowned.

“Cook it?”

Naomi nodded.

“Ah.”

He picked up the fish.

Naomi stopped him and pointed at its head.

Tweak looked at the fish.

Then Naomi.

“The head?”

She nodded.

“You don’t want it?”

Naomi shook her head.

Tweak stared at her for several seconds.

“You have very strange customs where you come from.”

Naomi sat down.

Perhaps.

But for the first time since dying, she was beginning to think this strange place might have customs she could learn too.

Far above them, somewhere in the tower, a bell began to ring.

Every goblin in the kitchen stopped moving.

Tweak’s expression changed.

The warmth disappeared from his face.

He set down the fish.

“What is that?” one of the goblins asked.

Tweak looked toward the ceiling.

“The outer ward.”

Naomi stood.

Another bell rang.

Then a third.

Tweak reached for the wooden spoon at his belt.

Naomi watched him draw it.

The spoon changed in his hand.

Steel spread along its length until Tweak was holding a short sword.

He looked at Naomi.

“Stay here, Mistress.”

Naomi’s green eyes narrowed.

That was the second person today who had told her to stay somewhere.

She was already discovering that she did not care for it.