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“Hey!”

Holly leaped to the ground and trotted off, tail high, head tipped skyward, proud of her pickpocketing skills. Niera dropped her can beside her chair and lunged after the blasted cat, ignoring the sudden crash of weakness that consumed her. Darn, those crystals really were doing a fantastic job of limiting her aversion to the sea, but the rebound effect of having them snatched from her unsuspecting self left something to be desired.

No one tried to stop her as she wound through the dense crowd, keeping Holly’s prancing body in sight.

“Oh, you sneaky little thing. You just wait…”

Her stomach churned, threatened to lurch.

“Ugh.” Swallowing back bile, she ducked her head and pushed forward. “No milk for you, bad cat.”

“That’s okay. I don’t like milk anyhow.”

Niera halted, gaze narrowing on the four-legged thief weaving between spectators’ legs. That voice. It sounded inside her head. An airy, soothing voice that curled inside her mind, unhindered by the ruckus of paradegoers.

Impossible.

Holly glanced at her, a knowing gleam in her cat eyes. She gave the velvet bag a playful shake, swished her tail, and resumed her leisurely trot.

“Come on, Niera. Catch me…if you can.”