Chapter 11
It had been ridiculously easy to sneak out of the house. Cat knew that she owed her good fortune to good timing, and nothing else, but she was celebrating on the inside, anyway. All of the women who worked there had gathered around the king and his men. He must have just arrived, because when Cat snuck by the reception area, he was still wearing a heavy cloak and his hair was wet and glistening. Since she was curious, she had risked taking a quick look at the man who had won her in the poker game. He was tall, and it appeared that all of the things that she had suspected about him when she had seen his picture, were true. His mouth had a cruel shape to it, much like the mouth of a child whose every mood is catered to without hesitation, and if not, then the temper tantrum was pre-programmed.
His bodyguards had taken up their places next to him, but according to Cat’s insignificant opinion, the guards did not deserve that title. She snorted condescendingly. The sight of a few women in various stages of undress had been enough to distract the men and give her a significant head start. The king would probably discover sooner, rather than later, that his little bird had flown the cage.
Let Talon, Shazuul, and Sharita deal with him. Cat had other plans.
First, she needed to go see the Krak. She had briefly considered just going underground, but Shazuul’s warning still rang in her ears. The Krak were dangerous, he had told her. Cat sighed and squared her shoulders as she walked through the deserted streets. She didn’t even try to be quiet, because what else could possibly happen to her? Anyone who tried to stand in her way would feel her pent-up anger head-on. The time when she would have let herself be manipulated mercilessly was over. Forever.
She hoped that she would be able to convince the Krak to find another solution. Maybe it would be enough for her to tell them where he could be found. Could she expect mercy from the fish creatures, and if not mercy, maybe at least leniency?
Anything was possible.
The further she walked from the city, the more afraid she became. Her abilities had not helped her when confronted with a horde of Krak, and she doubted that Shazuul’s lessons had done anything to change that. The memory of the little Sethari hurt almost as much as thinking about Talon. Cat could forgive a man whom she didn’t love anymore, but forgiving someone who had pretended to be her friend was considerably more difficult. She shook her head. No, he had not lied to her when he had showed her his memories of her parents or the flight from the huge spaceship – Cat had felt that – but it was definitely possible that he had kept something from her.
In the meantime, she had almost arrived at her destination. The zoo buildings were clearly visible in the light of the moon. A light breeze had come up, and Cat was cold, even though she was wearing a heavy jacket. At least, there was no snow to reduce the visibility.
At that exact moment, Cat realized that she had made a huge mistake. An unforgivable, stupid, beginner’s mistake. She had run through the snow. No snow was falling to cover her tracks. Therefore, any idiot who had merely the slightest clue about tracking someone would find it very easy to follow her. Well, it was too late for regrets now. She had made her decision, had made a mistake, and now she would have to deal with it. At least she didn’t have the lives of Ferthoris’ bodyguards on her conscience. If the Krak were going to kill someone, then it would be her. Or the king. Or both of them. Or… a noise in front of her startled her. “It’s me,” she called, and was surprised to hear how thin and scared her voice sounded. She repeated herself, this time louder and stronger.
Something seemed to move in the shadows behind the aquarium. Cat kept going, but much more slowly now. “I did not bring the king with me,” she told the shadow. As if the Krak didn’t know that already! “… but I know where you can find him.” She listened into the night but heard nothing other than the buzzing she remembered so well. This time, it was softer, and a little muted – less excited than last time. She wondered if this was how the ocean creatures communicated with each other. She tilted her head to the side and listened.
A silhouette materialized from the heavy, swaying blackness, and started gliding towards her. It was one of the Krak. They all looked the same to Cat, so she had no idea if she had already talked to this one or not. Her heart was beating in her throat.
No problem, the Krak said. Cat had the impression that he was smiling, but that it wasn’t a pleasant smile. Evil was emanating from him, and it made her shiver. She took a careful step back, to stay out of his reach. The king will be here in a minute. Consider your promise as kept. Her knees went soft in relief. You served us well. The Krak are satisfied. Is there anything we can do for you?
No, thought Cat, but kept herself from saying that out loud. She had the distinct impression that the fish creatures were not used to anyone rejecting their benevolent offers. “That is very nice of you,” she responded instead, and tried to think of something she could ask the Krak for. The last thing she wanted was for these scary fish creatures to owe her a favor. She thought that might be even worse than the other way around.
Just when she thought of something she could ask the Krak for, all hell broke loose.