The Raven and the Wraith Book 2 (Completed!)

The Raven and the Wraith 2 Chapter 34

The Raven and the Wraith 2 Chapter 34

Despite the seething turmoil, I found the food surprisingly delicious, bursting with new, complex flavors. Occasionally some flavor would strike an inner chord of memory, like it was familiar. Yet I had never been to this realm before, so these traces of familiarity were unnerving.

Were they Kaviks memories, somehow tied to mine, now that I was in his realm, in his place? Were they part of the shattered Kahlraugh, formed from my family, now blended inside of me? I wasn't comfortable with either thought, and focused on pushing these thoughts down.

"I said, you seem to be enjoying the meal. Rahvin."

I looked up at Talia's dry tone, seeing a table full of amused smiles aimed at me. I realized I hadn't heard her the first time, and resisted the urge to duck my head down, instead meeting Talia's eyes squarely. I had noticed how rarely anyone here ever met her gaze, and I refused to ever allow myself to appear so subservient.

"Delicious." I stated.

"So I was discussing why you're here with Jahn, my captain of the First Guard. And it would seem we're all quite curious about this. Why did you come here?"

I sighed. Talia's was direct, and she did not slather filler words throughout her every sentence, like the Council wizards had. It was refreshing, but it also didn't give me any wiggle room.

"I'm here because the Cat sent me here. And he does not share his reasons, or much of anything, really, with mere mortals."

Everyone stared at me with sudden, unwavering focus. Talia stood very slowly, her expression as unreadable as a wall of ice.

"What did you just say?" She spoke carefully, as if she needed me to truly understand exactly what she was saying, without doubting.

My instincts had me resting my hands on my throwing knives, my balance settled and ready for instant action. I had no idea what had just happened, but the sheer tension in the room had just spiked, and I would be ready for anything. No one became that focused, that intent, unless they were preparing themselves for battle.

"I said the Cat sent me. The huge, ominous, unhelpful black cat with eyes like holes."

Talia didn't move. "It was black, you say?"

I nodded. "Yep. Blacker than your skin. Blacker than the darkest night."

Immediately everyone at the table relaxed. I looked around in confusion as everyone resumed eating and chatting, as if they hadn't all been ready to randomly tear me limb from limb just a moment ago.

"You guys really got a thing against any cat that's not black, huh?"

I saw Luna hide a smile behind her cup as she quickly took a drink. It surprised me a bit, as she had seemed as controlled and severe as Chan normally was.

"Unlike most races, we have not forgotten the Werecat War. The Cha'el were nearly decimated. So if we seem...on edge when a Werecat is mentioned, without accompanying color information, please excuse us." Talia said coldly.

"Werecat war? I've never heard of it. What happened? And what's the importance of a Werecats fur color?" I couldn't help myself, I was intrigued.

I was actually utterly fascinated, as I realized that the Cha'el, with their wildly long lives, might be able to help me understand what the black cat was, and why it had chosen me as its servant.

"I'm not surprised you've never heard of the Werecat War. Most races don't have long memories, nor do they value and keep history. It's not a topic we will go into now, though you will certainly need to fully understand it once you're officially our Prince. And the colors of a Werecats fur tell you which of the seven orders it is from. If it is all black, it is one of the noble Werecats, and is therefore part of all orders."

"Ok, let's ignore that little matter-of-fact crack about "when I officially become Prince" and focus on Werecats. Let's go back a bit...what are they?"

At that, everybody at the table collectively looked at me like I had just asked what a stone was. I narrowed my eyes, feeling my hands clench in response to the surge of embarrassment, and forced myself to give my most nonchalant shrug.

"What? They don't teach us about Werecats in my realm. And I don't think Werecats visit there very often, as there's no mention of them in our histories."

Talia snorted in disbelief. "The Werecats travel to every realm constantly. It's what they do. You're just not aware of them, as you don't know what they are."

"Yup. So fill me in, help me out, give me some knowledge here. What are Werecats?"

"They are immortal beings that tie every reality together. Like the strings of a web, where every intersection is a realm, and they are the web between. They exist to bring balance to the Infinite Web. Behind every major event on every realm, you'll find Werecats pulling the strings of Fate, with untold trillions of lives lost or saved by their claws."

I leaned back in my chair, trying to process everything I had just heard. Werecats were beyond anything I had ever imagined, so now I found my mind wanting to see them as just mystical things that didn't really exist.