“Does your cat have a name?” she asked. Sorcha shook her head. “No name yet, just ‘Cat’ for now until we figure that out.”
Eirin chuckled. “It’s practical, and you definitely won’t forget it.”
The group began to break up into teams, but Sorcha noticed that Kyron hadn’t joined them yet, and Riona was still nowhere to be seen. Kyron, standing at adistance, looked uneasy. Sorcha caught his eye, and he hesitated before finally making his way over.
“Where did you find that cat?” he asked, his tone uncharacteristically stern.
Sorcha raised an eyebrow. “I found him in the woods. I stumbled on him sleeping in this flower and stone bed.”
Kyron’s expression turned cold, his face pale as if he’d seen a ghost. He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper.
“You found a cat in afairy circle? And youbrought it home?”
“Fairy circle?” Sorcha repeated, frowning. “Kyron, it’s just a cat.”
“Is it?” Kyron’s tone was tight, his usual calm edged with alarm. “Do you even know what that means?”
Sorcha folded her arms. “It means it was a bunch of flowers and stones in a weirdly perfect shape. It wasn’t a fairy circle.”
Kyron ran a hand over his face. “It means something was already living there, Sorcha. A being. A Fae.”
Sorcha turned to the cat, who, as if on cue, tilted its head in mock innocence, then yawned.
“Oh, please,” she scoffed. “It’s not like I stole an enchanted artifact. I took in a stray—”
The cat’s silver eyes glinted as it stretched, its tail flicking in slow, deliberate amusement.
Kyron stiffened. “Sorcha, it’s nodding at you.”
“Yeah, it does that,” she said dismissively.
“That’s not normal,” Kyron hissed.
The cat let out a low, pleased purr.
“Okay, fine. Well, I’m glad to see you this morning. How about I walk you home tonight? Meet at the tavern?”
Sorcha smiled. “I’d like that.”
As Kyron walked away, Sorcha and Cat made their way through the streets of Lumora. They stopped briefly to grab a loaf of bread and a jar of jam, which sheshoved into her bag before continuing on. Their patrol assignment was at the outpost where Riona had specifically requested to be stationed alone. The thought made Sorcha uneasy, and she was anxious to see her.
When they arrived at the outpost, Sorcha was greeted by a few young cadets finishing their rotation. She asked them if they’d seen Riona, but they shook their heads. With a nod, she dismissed them and started walking the grounds.
Sorcha and Cat moved through the outpost, her eyes scanning the tree line as she completed the routine checks. Everything seemed quiet. Satisfied for the moment, she returned to the small building at the center of the outpost. Inside, a worn wooden table and a single chair awaited her. She sat down, pulled out the loaf of bread, and spread a generous amount of jam across a thick slice before taking a bite.
Cat sat beside her, watching intently. Sorcha couldn’t help but feel guilty about eating without sharing, so she tore off small pieces of bread with jam and placedthem on the floor in front of him. Cat ate them without hesitation but, moments later, caught a mouse. He seemed to enjoy his impromptu second course even more. They spent the day monitoring the decay, keeping detailed records of the perimeters to track its spread; how much and how fast. Hourly, Sorcha checked, though Cat didn’t seem to mind; he was happily preoccupied chasing small critters. The hours passed slowly, stretching well into the evening. By the time the moon had settled high into the sky, the cadets arrived to relieve her of her rotation. She gave the orders and called Cat, making her way back into town.
Kyron was waiting at the tavern, just as he said he would be. He seemed to have finished a drink and was now casually eyeing the door. Meeting her gaze, he waved the bartender over and exchanged some coins before walking toward her.
“Long day?” he asked.
Sorcha nodded, letting out a groan. “I spent every hour checking, measuring, and time stamping. Hour afterhour, on the hour, for the entire shift.” She rolled her shoulders, the monotony still clinging to her.
Kyron smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Ouch, that sounds tedious.”
“Agonizingly boring,” she corrected, though her tone carried more weariness than bite. “But it’s important, even if it feels like torture.”
“It is important,” he said, his voice softening.
