"I don't know if Mistral's done this sort of thing before," Cloud said cautiously. "Stealing from mortals, I mean. I never thought of him that way. If he wasn't so recognizable, I would've questioned whether it was really him or not."
My fur rippled along my spine. "Iwillhave my vengeance on him."
"You will?" Cloud asked, his feathers ruffling in surprise.
"Nobody steals from me and gets away with it. Especially not my sword."
Cloud regarded me for a moment. He was probably thinking about how small and useless I must be in the shape of a mouse. How could a creature barely the size of an apple get revenge on anything, much less a magical spirit?
But I knew my own worth. With the sword, I was unstoppable.
Except for when Mistral caught me off guard. That was an exception. An embarrassment I would never let happen again.
Cloud tilted his head and asked, "That sword means a lot to you, doesn't it?"
Even now I felt the aching lack of it like a hole in my paw. Not being able to grip the solid hilt or feel its weight at my hip was unbearable.
"Yes. It means everything."
Now I knew my enemy. Mistral, the air spirit. If he was so powerful, what did he need my sword for? He sounded like a pathetic coward to me. And if there was one thing I hated more than anything, it was cowardice—especially from people who were supposed to be strong.
I closed my paw into a tight fist. The sooner my sword returned to me, the better.
But when I gazed up at the open sky, a pit opened in my stomach. Mistral could fly. I couldn't. That was already a massive disadvantage. How was I supposed to trail an enemy who could travel on an entirely different plane? Even if I shifted into human form and ran after him on two legs, I could never reach an enemy in the sky. Not without help.
And I didn't need help from anybody.
I repeated that mantra over and over, even though Cloud kept trying to catch my eye. There was a hopeful glint in his expression that would've been cute in any other circumstance. How a creature that was designed to kill could look so sweet was a mystery to me.
"Meeko," Cloud said.
Another shiver prickled my pelt. How did he keep doing that? It must have been a biological reaction, instinctive and unfeeling. He was a harpy—a human mixed with a bird of prey, two apex predators combined into one. Of course my mouse instincts were wary of him. That was why I kept shuddering.
"What?" I asked, readying myself to shoot down his suggestion.
"Why don't I help you get the sword back?" Cloud asked eagerly.
Even though I knew it was coming, it still surprised me. Why did he care? He could fly away right now, forget this conversation ever happened. He had no obligation to me—in fact, it should have been the opposite, considering he already knew Mistral before we met. Why wasn't he protecting his harpy friend? Why would he offer to help someone who clearly wanted vengeance on him?
"No," I said.
"Why?"
"Because."
Cloud scoffed. "Who are you, my dad?Becauseis not an answer."
"Because I don't need help from you," I snapped.
He wasn't put off by my burst of anger. "So you're going to sprout wings and chase after Mistral, right?"
His cloying sarcasm made my eye twitch. "That's stupid."
"So is thinking you can steal a sword back from a spirit without being able to actually follow him."
I wanted to bite him so badly. How could anyone be so altruistic and infuriating at the same time?
"I'll think of something," I stated, barely believing it. Because although I wouldn't admit it, Cloud was right. There was no way I could get the sword back on my own in either of my forms. I needed somebody with wings.
