Cat in a Cauldron

Chapter 12 - Cat in the Shadows

In the end, all barriers breached, they used magic to lift Todd out of the car, up the steps, through the house, to Cat's bedroom. As Victoria changed out of her costume, Cat decided multiple points of action.

The first rule when being pursued was to never corner yourself. There were 2 doors to the house, and both were facing the street, easily accessible to... Adam.

Cat's plans had halted for a minute there. The reality rushed over her again, jerking tears. All her life, she'd been trained to fear the very mention of Hunters. But all she'd ever known of Adam was his contagious energy, the blaze of his touch, his need to be close to her. Yet as she looked back, she could recognize the details she'd noticed and ignored: the predatory gleam in his eyes when he looked at her, how he had her at his mercy with a grin, the fierce agility and anger he displayed at times.

Yes, the clues fit. But she didn't want them to. Cat had sunk to her knees in a corner of her room when she thought of all she'd given him, all she'd trusted him with. She'd been so careless, time after time. Cat felt violated, invaded, torn down from inside her walls. She wasn't sure if she would ever be able to stand without shaking again.

Her eyes flashed to Todd's still form as he lay on her bed. That was her fault, another result of her carelessness. She should've learned her lesson back in May. She'd promised herself she wouldn't get close to any Redbloods, because they always ended up hurt. Who she was, her silver blood, was a bane to them. Yet she had ignored her own oaths and found someone dear to her heart that she hated to lose and someone who took down her walls only to get an easier shot at her back.

There was a cough then, and Cat was on her feet and at Todd's side before another dark thought could take over again.

Looking down at Todd, Cat knew that he was more than a friend to her, that he had always meant more. But something about him had kept her at bay, and she thought now that whatever it was about him reminded her of the mistake she had made half a year ago. But that played little part in how she felt now, except to strengthen what she felt.

In that moment, Cat decided that she wouldn't let anyone else take this out of her hands. It was time she faced her demons and fought her own battles.

She returned to planning.

Victoria came back halfway through Cat's preparations, watched what she was doing, and took over for a while so that Cat could change out of her dress. Within a half-hour with no little help from their Silverblood power, there were now three exits to the house.

From there, they needed to decide what to do if they were to take a stand or flee.

Cat was averse to fleeing, knowing that they needed somewhere to go and a quick way to get there if they had to carry Todd. But fighting was something Cat knew nothing about, and despite her promise to herself, she wasn't ready to face Adam just then.

She needed more time, more weapons.

Victoria suggested then that they create a portal at the end of their third exit, one that would take them to a safe place. Supposing they could think of nothing better, Cat agreed. They didn't know where they could go, but that had to be decided when the time came to leave.

As Victoria crafted the portal, Cat watched over Todd.

The grimace of pain that stretched over his face had already revealed that he wasn't Redblood, and Cat couldn't shake the grave curiosity as to what shade it really was. Yet he had kept this secret from her, and she couldn't bring herself to take it from him.

So she sat beside him and looked at him.

It was then that the wards she had placed around the property shattered with a wave of power.

Someone had arrived.

Cat's heart flew to her throat and her eyes flashed around the room, waiting for Victoria. She would've felt it too. Not half a minute later, she appeared, eyes wide.

For a second, Cat couldn't move, but then there was a pressure on her fingers. She jumped in her seat and glanced down to see Todd's hand over hers. He had moved it himself, and that lit a flicker of hope.

That stubborn ember was going to get her through this.

Rising to her feet, Cat glanced at Victoria. Another point of action she'd intentionally neglected to mention to her friend earlier.

"You have to leave," she said to her roommate. "It'll be safer if we split up."

"Safer?" Victoria repeated flatly. "Against a Hunter?"

"One Hunter can't follow two Silverbloods at once, and I'm the one he really wants."

Victoria's eyes flashed as she regarded her friend.

"How do you know?"

Anger licked at Cat's insides, stirred to life by that flicker of hope. She glared out the bedroom window, seeing nothing but Adam's face before her eyes.

"Because this Hunter likes to play with his food," Cat answered darkly.

"I'm not leaving you to that creature," Victoria spat fiercely, her hazel eyes flashing.

"Please, trust me. I can't ask you to fight this fight for me, and it is my fight. He Hunts us both, but he wants me."

"Why?"

That was a very good question. Cat shook her head, and didn't answer, hoping that her friend would stop being stubborn for once and do what was best for both of them.

And finally, a single tear slipped down Victoria's cheek as she came forward to hug Cat.

"This probably isn't the time for fangirl humor," she said quietly, "but I'll always find you."

Cat gave her best attempt at a smile for the line from Once Upon a Time, and stepped back. Victoria met her gaze with a strengthening breath and nodded before disappearing into the tunnel they had dug, their final exit.

With one friend out of harm's way for the moment, Cat headed to the front of the house to keep watch. She felt the emptiness as she had back six months before. But this time, the one waiting outside wasn't a harmless black kitten.

Cat glanced out the windows in the sitting room and saw nothing but the small grass lawn. She turned the lights off as she went.

It was when she stood in front of a window in the dining room, right next to the kitchen, that she saw the tall figure standing, waiting, watching.

Cat took a deep breath and locked her eyes on the Hunter.