The Raven And The Wraith (Completed!)

Chapter 14

The Wraith
Chapter 14

Jewel saw my stunned expression as I looked past her, and quickly spun around. Then she screamed so loudly that the black cat laid its ears flat and leaned back, wrinkling its nose in irritation.

"She screams wisdom, too." I remarked blandly.

Next to me I heard Keira choke back laughter. I could tell she was as stunned as Jewel, but she was standing next to me and was obviously taking strength from the way I hadn't really reacted to the cat. I was glad she hadn't seen my initial saggy-jawed, bug-eyed display of idiocy when it had first stepped into the firelight.

Jewel was backing away from it, her hands shaking as she held them out in front of her. Then, a moment later, my words, my calm reaction, registered through her fear.

"This is the cat?" Her voice was little more than a whisper, with undertones of both fear and awe.

"Yup. This is the famous world traveler. Who came and tried to order me around, without explaining anything. Shockingly, I chose not to obey."

She looked at me incredulously. "You disobeyed this..this immortal being??"

I shrugged nonchalantly.

"Yeah. Never was very good at following directions..."

"The Daughter Of The Wind will die in the next week if you do not go to her. Do you wish that on your conscience?"

This time I saw Jewel twitch in shock and I knew the cat had spoken in both of our minds at the same time.

"Ya know, Jewel, you're likely to pull a muscle if you don't quit all the flapping and twitching and lurching about." I said sagely.

This time Keira burst out laughing, making me grin. I loved the sound of her laughter.

The cat stepped past Jewel, prowling right up to us, staring at Keira with its terrifying, fiery golden  eyes.

"Hello Healer child. Have you claimed this Wanderer as your own?"

Keira's cheeks flushed bright red and she opened her mouth, paused, then shut it.

"She can't! He is Genevieve's!" Jewel snapped.

The cat turned to face her, it's golden eyes glittering coldly.

"Silence!"

Jewels face drained of color and she swayed on her feet, and I almost felt bad for her for a moment. I would not want to ever be on the receiving end of an order delivered like that!

"Speak truthfully, but carefully." It admonished Keira.

Keira shook her head. "I...I don't think that's any of your business." She managed.

The cats ears perked up and its whiskers seemed to shiver. It took me a moment, but then I realized it was laughing!

"Ah, how curious the twists of fate!" It remarked, beginning to prowl around us.

"I'm going to go see Genevieve. And I'll help her hold back that storm, whatever it is. But then I'm leaving that city. It is no longer my home." I told it.

The cat sat down and began licking a paw, reminding me for all the world of a small, sweet house-cat. Except this one had so much presence and power that the air around it seemed to ripple like the heat waves above a fire, and even the shadows all around it seemed to dance and sway differently.

"You will help her do what, now?"

"I met the Wraith. It showed me Genevieve. I saw the storm above the city, I saw how she was sending her power into it. Trying to hold it back, to send it away. To save the city."