Maybe being himself wasn’t enough to get Roan’s attention, but disappearing certainly might be.
But of the attention he’d been hoping to find, Roan didn’t even pale in comparison to how much he wanted to gain Thea’s attention and affection.
He looked up at the sorcerer—when had he gotten so tall?
He opened his mouth to yell at the sorcerer, forgetting that he had no voice.
The man chuckled.“I suppose I will leave your precious building alone.I need something stronger anyway while I try to figure out my problems.The tavern was a good suggestion.Thank you for your help.”
The tone was mocking, and Nathaniel jumped forward, claws extended.
Perhaps this form was good for something.
He sank his claws into the man’s shin and grinned in satisfaction when the man shrieked.He tried to kick Nathaniel, who jumped back with all the agility of a feral cat.
Yes, perhaps this form wasn’t entirely useless.
However, that didn’t mean he wanted it.He needed to figure out how to become human again—and soon.How could he do that if he couldn’t speak?
The man muttered to himself under his breath as he turned and walked away toward the Lucky Goat.Nathaniel watched grimly.Hopefully his brother would manage to avoid getting cursed, too, though if he had any guess as to whether Roan would let the man do whatever he wanted, he would assume that Roan would stand his ground—in which case he might find himself in cat form, too.
But for now, Nat faced the dilemma of what to do with himself.
He could see if Thea would take him in.
She would never turn away an animal in need.
And if he was in the café…he would be able to keep an eye on her and ensure that the man didn’t try anything else.
Because with a madman on the loose in the Northlands, protecting Thea was his first priority.
Nathaniel hurried to the door of the café and began pawing at it, meowing, hoping that Ginger would hear him inside.
Let me in,he called as loudly as he could.Please, someone, let me in.
He waited a moment, but the door didn’t open, so he tried again.Ginger, tell them to let me in.I know you’re in there.Can you hear me?
He waited another moment, and the door snicked open a crack.Nathaniel looked up to see someone…who looked vaguely like Guinevere, the girl he had just met, looking down at him with a frown on her face.
Humans looked different from a cat’s-eye view.
“Did you want to come in?”Guinevere asked, opening the door just enough to let him inside, looking outside warily.
Ginger stood from her place by the fireplace and hurried over.Nathaniel could read the emotion on her face like never before.Was this a perk of being a cat?It wasn’t one he particularly enjoyed when he was faced with such pure hostility.
“Who are you, and what are you doing in my café?”Ginger snarled at him.
The hair on his back stood up.“I’m Nathaniel,” he said hastily.
Ginger snorted.“There’s no way you’re Nathaniel,” she said.“He’s a human, and you’re a cat.”
“But I am,” he protested.“I was cursed to be a cat.”
“Well, this is my café,” Ginger said.“So you’re going to have to leave.”
Nathaniel looked up as footsteps sounded and Thea appeared.
He knew it was her, more from her sweet scent of vanilla and cinnamon than because he could see her face when it towered above him.But even as a cat, she was still the most beautiful person he knew.
