A Game of Cat and Mouse

T W E N T Y O N E

The steady percussion of the fat, fluffy black cat went along nicely with the soft sounds of the piano. Well, until the cat decided that the piano keys were the best place to lay down.

"Perkins!" Annie scolded even though she couldn't help but smile down at him. Perkins was the Riddle family cat, purchased when Annie was only three years old and had learned that her father would buy her anything she wanted if she just flashed him a puppy dog face and grabbed onto his large hand with her little one. Tom hated animals but he'd bought the kitten that afternoon because he couldn't imagine a world where his daughter didn't smile. Now, almost eighteen years later, she and Perkins were closer than ever. He followed the young woman almost everywhere she went. His favorite spot was her lap as she soothed him with piano, though apparently, he wasn't in the mood for that now.

"I'm beginning to think that cat is immortal," James said from the doorway before he took up his usual spot leaning up against the black baby grand. "Eighteen years? Do cats even live that long?"

Annie smiled and scratched Perkins behind his ear. "This one does."

James rolled his eyes but petted Perkins anyway. Like their father, her brother wasn't one for pets but he did love his sister more than anything so he sucked it up and loved the damn cat. Secretly, Annie was pretty sure that Perkins had made everyone in that home as in love with him as Annie was.

"Are you ready for tonight?" James asked.

Annie gestured to her ensemble. Tonight, she'd decided on a pale silver dress that almost looked white unless it was in the right light. Elio had said he'd love the silver stars in her eyes—ones she didn't even really know she had until him—so she wore it to please him. The empire waist gown accentuated her small figure, while her half-up hair fell down her back with spiral curls dotted with matching stars.

"Very ready." She couldn't decide if that was a lie or the truth. On one hand, she was ready to see Elio again. Ready to be in his arms and feel his lips—and maybe other things if things lined up just right. But on the other, she was terrified of James meeting him. Elio had promised to not be as cheeky as she knew he could be and perhaps she could convince her brother to give him a chance. Still, James was... James. There was a reason her brother was next in line to be the Dark Lord.

"I don't think Lottie will be there so looks like it'll just be you and me. I might say hi to a friend or two at first but then we can have some sibling bonding."

James flashed a charming smile that he reserved only for his family and girlfriend. In all the years that she knew him, Annie had only seen James be charming to a handful of people. "Friendly" wasn't exactly on the list of his personality traits. To be honest, it wasn't on any Riddle's. Even Annie could be kind but to be friendly, she had to have at least a modicum of sociability and she truly did not.

"About tonight..." Annie said with a wince.

"What?" James's face immediately flooded with concern. He yanked his younger sister from the piano bench by the arm and began inspecting her for injuries immediately. "What's wrong? Did someone say something to you? Is there someone I need to take care of?"

She pushed his hands off. Well, attempted to. James still kept a tight grip on her bicep and she was far too weak to push it off. "No, nothing like that."

"Well, what is it, Annalise?" She frowned because James only used her full name when he was serious. More serious than he normally was, at least.

"There's someone I want you to meet tonight."

His face darkened. "Annalise Adele Riddle. You better say that this 'someone' is a girl." She just shook her head with the look of a sullen child who had been scolded. "Fuck. A boy?"