Page 18

“Okay, but—”

Niera threw up a hand, silencing him. “You don’t get it. Your heart is in the sea. Mine is in the forest. No matter what, we could never be.” Without a second thought, she hustled toward the boardwalk, pausing her escape to repeat, “We couldneverbe.”

“Niera, wait. Please!”

She picked up her pace, kicking sand behind her. The boardwalk was almost within reach. A few more feet. Just a few more…

“No, no, no. This isn’t acceptable, Niera. You’re not supposed to leave yet.”

Two beads of light emerged from beneath the boardwalk. Niera slowed, squinting into the shadowy space obscured by sea grass and sloping sand dunes. Instinct screamed at her to run in the opposite direction, and she took a step to do just that.

A familiar face emerged from the shadows. The sweet, masked face of a devious little kitty.

“Holly, enough,” Niera snapped, utterly aware of what she must look like to the quickly approaching Alistair. “Go away. I’m through with the games.”

Holly hopped onto the top of the sand dune and paced the crumbling peak, her glowing eyes never once leaving Niera.

“Don’t run away from him. I’ll catchyouif you do.”If cats could laugh, she would’ve put money that the strange sound that passed through Holly’s parted teeth was exactly that. A cat laugh.“How about you ask him abouthiscurse?”

“What?”

Niera jerked straight, muscles growing taut. She shot a glance over her shoulder. Alistair remained a few feet away, but his gaze had moved to Holly, an unreadable expression darkening his face.

Tiny squeals brought Niera’s attention back to Holly, who paused in her pacing, tail flicking back and forth. With a single paw, she swatted some sand off the dune.

“Go ahead, Niera. Ask him.”

“The cat’s talking to you, isn’t it.”

Niera twirled around, eyes wide as they landed on Alistair. The man had crept up to stand no more than a few inches away. The kindness in his eyes cooled as he continued to watch Holly.

“Sometimes they’ll converse with you. Sometimes they won’t. Depends on their agenda.” His indigo gaze shifted to her face. “This one chooses to give me the silent treatment, but not you.”

Talking. Cats.

A human who believes in talking cats.

Gods help me, this catistalking to me and this human is right to believe so. What have I gotten myself into by coming here?

“Y-you hear them, too?” Niera stuttered, clutching the bag of crystals at her side. She had forgotten about Alistair’s sweater until she swung her arm behind her, whipping the heavy item along for the ride. “Sheunderstands!”

Alistair’s visible chagrin didn’t calm her nerves. “I was telling you about the Sherwood cats and their uncanny ability to muster magic. Some speak to their owners, others choose a more monotonous, regular lifestyle. Some like to wreak havoc”—he leaned to the side and pinned Holly with a cold glower, earning a hiss—“and some enjoy ruining people’s lives.”

“We do not! I never did anything to him. All I know is what I’ve heard from my friends, and no one ever harmed him,”Holly protested.

Niera shook her head, pressing a fist to her temple. “Stop doing that, Holly. Please.”

“Ask about his curse. You’ll see you’re not much different.”

Niera squeezed her eyes shut, willing the cat’s voice to leave her alone.

Alistair’s gentle hands on her shoulders suffused her with calm, drawing her out of her panic before it could suffocate her. She would have blamed it on her proximity to the ocean, had the ocean’s effect on her been substantial prior to Holly’s intervention.

“Your curse,” she squeezed through clenched teeth. Slowly, she peeled open her eyelids and garnered the strength to meet his gaze. Resignation slackened his jaw and the chill he’d lanced Holly with melted. “What about your curse?”

“It’s…complicated,” he murmured.

The battle to look away flashed in his gaze, but he held steady.