‘If you run away again, I’ll have no choice but to take you home. I’m here for a reason. This isn’t a jolly.’
She started to groom herself.
‘Are you listening to me?’ I demanded.
She paused mid-lick, her ear twitching.
‘That’s more like it,’ I huffed.
Her tail flicked from side to side and she raised herself on all fours while her fur puffed out. Uh-oh. I tensed as I tried to follow her gaze but my pathetic human eyes couldn’t pierce the darkness.
I reached for my dagger, then frowned and grabbed a small vial containing an explosive spell. As I tucked it under the cuff of my cardigan for easy access, She Without An Ear started to growl.
‘Shh.’ I stepped into the centre of the tunnel and positionedmyself between whatever was approaching and the cat. If this was another one of those damned magicked monsters, my mood would sour. Dramatically.
As I adjusted my stance, the dim lantern of an approaching worm trundled into view. It was Dusty.
I relaxed. ‘It’s fine,’ I said to She Without An Ear. ‘I know the worm looks scary but there’s nothing to worry about.’ I moved forward with a hand raised to pat him. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance.
She Without An Ear released an ear-splitting yowl and sprang forward, claws and teeth bared. My words didn’t matter: she had decided that Dusty the worm was an enemy and he had to be taken down. Never mind that he was at least a hundred times bigger than her, or that she’d never encountered a creature like him before and had no idea what defences he might possess. And never mind that he'd done nothing to provoke her.
She was ready to kill. Some cats were more obviously demonic than others and she was definitely at the higher end of the scale.
I jumped into her path to block her but I was no match for a determined cat and she skittered past me. Although my reaction times were fast, I couldn’t do more than snatch at air. Before I knew it, She Without An Ear was inches from Dusty.
‘Wait!’ I yelled. ‘He’s a friend! He…’
I was too late. My cat launched herself upwards, claws extended, intent on a full-scale attack. In contrast, Dusty barely twitched, although once She Without An Ear was in the air he opened his mouth. Then, with a speed I could never have anticipated from a worm, his head flashed down and he swallowed her whole.
Fuck.
‘Um, Dusty?’ I raised my voice to make sure he could hear me. ‘I know we only met yesterday and I know my cat wasbeing a dick, but she doesn’t deserve to be eaten. And if you’re not trying to eat her and that was just a kiss, well, er, she didn’t want to be kissed and…’
Thankfully, I didn’t have to give a lecture on consent to a giant worm who may or may not understand a single word I said. Dusty spluttered, coughed and opened his mouth to eject She Without An Ear who tumbled onto the ground. Her usually sleek fur was glistening with worm drool. Ick.
She immediately righted herself and hissed before sensibly backing away and starting to furiously lick herself. I wondered how long it would be before her fur stopped reeking of worm breath.
‘Thanks, Dusty,’ I muttered.
She Without An Ear glared at me. I shrugged. ‘I tried to warn you.’
An odd squeaking sound emitted from the worm. Initially, I was worried that She Without An Ear had hurt him by using her claws and teeth to scrape at his insides but then I realised that it wasn’t a noise born of pain: it was mirth.
Dusty the worm was laughing. Apparently worms had a sense of humour. Then he shook himself, making his head lantern waver and wobble, and he slid away from us as he continued on his way.
‘And that,’ I said to She Without An Ear, ‘is why you shouldn’t run away from me.’
The cat’s whiskers quivered then she bounded into my arms. I cuddled her and stroked her damp, slightly slimy fur. ‘Minx,’ I whispered fondly. ‘Now let’s go. We’ve got more worms to find and a nasty magic monster maker to hunt down.’
Chapter
Ten
We veered away from the direction Dusty had taken and into a narrow side tunnel that would, I hoped, lead to Nicola’s usual route and the spot where I’d been attacked the previous night. I didn’t doubt that I had been its target because the scaly monster had ignored Lady Penelope. I was determined to find out why it had gone for me – and who was behind it.
Eventually my impulsive tabby recovered enough to return to her perch on my shoulder, though she pushed her head against my cheek and offered a delicate lick as she did so. ‘You’re welcome,’ I said aloud. I didn’t need to repeat my warning to stay close to me. She’d learned her lesson.
I held my witchlight jar aloft as we pattered quickly down the tunnel but my steps slowed when we turned a corner and it became even narrower.
