Meanwhile in the Four Golden Rings rewrite…
———
The dark cat held onto the couch with a paw and kept me attached.
“Thomas,” I said.
I felt an unnaturally dark presence as Thomas locked eyes with me…
Next thing I knew, darkness seeped out of any nooks and crannies, covering the entire room. Shadow, Rouge, and Zero were gone; I was alone with the dark cat.
“Let me get this out now,” he said.
I shivered. His voice was dark, seething with malevolence, but I felt comforted and safe at the same time.
“I am not who I used to be,” he said. “You can trust me.”
I set him on the coffee table. “You instantly become untrustworthy when you have to announce that you’re worthy of someone’s trust,” I told him.
Thomas chuckled as he paced the table. His reptilian green eyes seemed to be emitting a soft glow. “Oh, how ironic indeed. But I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“Really?” I said.
“Why, yes, of course,” Thomas hopped onto my couch and sat where Rouge used to be. “You can be my little witch, and I can be your familiar~” he purred.