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Chapter

Fifteen

E ither Trilby actually possessed real legal credentials or they were extraordinarily good at lying because the officer allowed them into our cell then departed so that we could talk without being overheard.

I was certain that someone was still eavesdropping but Trilby was prepared for that.

They took out a small glass vial and scattered the liquid contents in a circle on the cell floor before beckoning Thane and I inside it.

As soon as I stepped across the liquid line, I knew what they’d done: the sound inside the circle was different to outside, as if we were underwater.

‘A noise nullifying spell?’ Thane asked. ‘Impressive.’

Trilby waved an airy hand. ‘Every good lawyer comes prepared.’

I tilted my head. ‘Are you a lawyer?’ They only smiled. ‘How did you know we were here?’ Again, Trilby’s response was a grin. ‘You,’ I said, ‘are most definitely an enigma.’

They swept a bow. ‘Thank you.’

I tried a different tack. ‘Why are you here, Trilby?’

This time, they nodded approvingly. ‘It appeared that you might require some help. The stall is closed for the day and I wasn’t doing anything else noteworthy, so I thought I’d pop along.

I detoured via your house on my way here.

I hope you don’t mind but I went inside and gave some food to your feline friends. ’

There weren’t many people who I would feel comfortable allowing into my house when I wasn’t home, but I had no problem with Trilby going in – and at least I knew the cats were fed and watered. Trilby had no visible scratches so presumably my furry family had been content with the arrangement, too.

Thane opened his mouth but Trilby forestalled him. ‘Yes,’ they said. ‘I went by your place too.’

‘How do you know where I’m staying?’

I knew before he finished his sentence that was one of the many questions that Trilby wouldn’t answer. ‘I fed your young demon kitty,’ they said instead. ‘And then, because she’s only a baby, I thought I ought to go one better.’

Trilby unbuttoned their long coat and revealed Tiddles’ tiny snoring form nestled in a harness against their chest. ‘It’s amazing,’ they said with an odd emphasis, ‘what one can conceal when concealment is required.’

Indeed. I beamed. ‘Your help is greatly appreciated.’

‘I thought it might be.’ They gently lifted the little ginger cat and passed her to Thane. ‘My work here is done.’ Trilby tipped their hat, dusted off their palms, then stepped out of the circle and called for the MET officer.

‘Wait,’ Thane said to me. ‘Did they bring Tiddles so that you can…?’

‘Hide her,’ I hissed, interrupting him as I scuffed away the liquid.

An instant later, the officer appeared. ‘That was fast,’ he said to Trilby.

They shrugged. ‘I have done all I can. Bye, kiddies. ’

The officer mirrored Trilby’s shrug and opened the cell door. They walked out without a backward glance.

Thane, who had hidden Tiddles behind his back in a move that would have fooled very few people, gave me a long look. ‘What exactly is Trilby?’ he asked.

It was a good question. ‘I have absolutely no idea.’ I stared beyond the bars of the cell. ‘Perhaps we’re not meant to know.’

‘I’m glad they’re on our side,’ he said. ‘I’d hate to make an enemy of them.’

I nodded fervently. ‘Come on then,’ I said. ‘Let’s get this over and done with.’

‘Kit—’

‘We have to find out the truth about Fetch Daniel Jackson,’ I said. ‘If we hesitate, the witches’ council will bundle him away and we’ll be sent down for Knox Thunderstick’s murder.’

Thane was still reluctant. ‘What if it hurts her?’

‘It won’t.’

‘But—’

I smiled gently. ‘Thane, do you think I’d ever do anything that would hurt a cat?’

‘No, but—’ His voice trailed off.

‘She’ll stay here throughout. You’ll be able to see for yourself that she’s unaffected.’

He frowned. ‘You have to be close to the original cat for the magic to work effectively. Fetch Jackson could be anywhere in the city.’

‘True,’ I conceded. ‘But the witches’ council headquarters are not far from here. The magic should stretch far enough for me to gain access.’

‘You’ll never get into their inner sanctum, no matter what body you’re wearing.’

‘I don’t need to. I only need to find Fetch Jackson.’ I splayed my hands. ‘It’s better than staying here all night doing nothing. Trilby brought Tiddles for a reason.’ I’d have preferred one of my own cats but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

In the end, it was Tiddles herself who made the decision. She emitted a tiny squeak of a miaow from behind Thane’s back, wriggled free, jumped down and scampered over to my feet.

‘Very well,’ he sighed.

‘She’ll be fine,’ I reiterated. I bent down, scratched her ears, thanked her and plucked a small tuft of soft ginger fur from her side. Tiddles purred loudly in response.

I met Thane’s eyes, silently conveying that this was the right move. He blinked slowly in agreement. With that part out of the way, I tipped my head back and swallowed the fur.

I’d never used a cat as young as Tiddles for my transformation so I had no idea what to expect.

Usually the pain was agonising, and I was prepared for a similar experience now; instead, even though my body went rigid and started to shake, I felt only a flicker of discomfort.

Huh. Maybe that was because of Tiddles’ age.

Or maybe it was because she held a closer relationship with the demon netherworld from where all cats originated.

Either way, the spasms were easier to handle and, when I rose up in the air and began to spin as my body chemistry altered, I felt both surprise and gratitude. Within seconds I was on all fours and testing out my new form.

A cat sith wasn’t like a werewolf. Wolves like Thane only transformed during the full moon and they had no choice.

Alexander MacTire was something of a different beast and had proved that he could change at least part of himself regardless of the lunar calendar, but he was definitely the exception to the rule.

And every werewolf, no matter who they were, always took the same lupine form.

I was different. For one thing, barely any cat siths existed and nobody ever suspected that the moggy that wandered past them would be anything other than a cat.

Plus, the body I transformed into and the characteristics I assumed depended on the cat whose fur I’d swallowed, so it was different every time.

On this occasion, I was imbued with an adolescent’s sense of fun and fizzing energy.

I could already predict that it would be difficult to maintain focus.

Concentrate, I told my feline self sternly. A lot is riding on this.

I padded somewhat unsteadily towards Tiddles who raised her paw and batted at me playfully. I resisted the urge to return the action. I had to be serious. I twitched my ears to indicate my thanks and glanced up at the now-gigantic form of Thane.

‘I have to admit you’re kind of cute,’ he said.

There was no kind of about it. I was gorgeous and I knew it. I nudged his ankle with my head before twisting around and slinking away, escaping easily between the cell bars. Time to find a murderous witch.

I might have looked like a beautiful teenage cat but I still wasn’t supposed to be there and I didn’t want any of the MET officers to spot me.

I wound my way down the cold hallway to the doorway at the end; it was securely closed and I had no way of opening it.

Fortunately a slight breeze rippled my fur so I back-tracked slightly.

There was an open window to my left that would do perfectly.

I purred, bunched my muscles and sprang upwards.

It wasn’t a high jump – even my old girl, She Who Loves Sunbeams, could have made it.

But not me: somehow I misjudged the leap and smacked into the side of the wall instead of landing on the windowsill.

Oops. Being a young cat was harder than I’d realised.

My spatial awareness clearly wasn’t fully developed.

I shook myself off and took a moment to regroup, grooming my fur in an instinctive need to pretend I wasn’t embarrassed even though nobody had witnessed my failure.

Then, when I was ready, I tried again and nailed it.

I would have to be careful in future; this youthful body was still learning and I had to remember that.

I gazed out at the street. It was fully dark now, which benefited me because not only would my vision be enhanced but I’d be less likely to be noticed.

I was on the ground floor so it was only a short drop but, mindful of my adolescent clumsiness, I took my time. I skittered head first down the wall like a lizard until gravity took over and I was forced to jump the last metre. My landing certainly wasn’t elegant but it was good enough.

I sniffed, turned right and moved quickly towards the headquarters of the witches’ council. I was coming for Fetch Jackson, whether he liked it or not.

Even in the wealthier parts of Coldstream most buildings were tightly packed; although there was plenty of empty land in the borders of Scotland, magical land such as this was far less abundant.

Occasionally a bid was made to extend the boundaries and allow more construction for the ever-growing population of Preternaturals, but it was both difficult and expensive to achieve.

The further you strayed from the border between Scotland and England, the less ancient magic was bound into the land.

Most Coldstream residents ended up in far smaller spaces than they felt they deserved.

If you wanted a big property, the compromise usually involved living in an area where there was less natural magic and therefore fewer benefits to be gained from it – but there were exceptions, and naturally the bureaucratic witches’ council was one of those.