Chapter 2
665 Words
•|• Elera's POV •|•
Time was going by and it was going by fast. I was scared of what will happen.
I tried reversing the spell.
Nothing happened.
I repeated it again.
Still nothing.
Panic slowly rose in my chest.
What if I was stuck like this forever?
What if I spent the rest of my life chasing mice and meowing at birds?
A horrified sound escaped me.
Somewhere nearby, a bird chirped mockingly.
“Oh shut up.”
Meow.
This was humiliating.
Unfortunately, my stomach chose that exact moment to growl painfully.
Right.
Food first.
Mental breakdown later.
Keeping low to the ground, I crept toward the town gates carefully. Guards stood nearby watching travelers pass through, but neither paid attention to the small white cat slipping beneath a wagon wheel.
Success.
The moment I entered town, my senses exploded.
The smell of roasted meat nearly knocked me unconscious.
Fresh bread.
Pastries.
Fish.
I suddenly understood why cats stole food.
People crowded everywhere around me, boots stomping loudly against stone streets while merchants shouted over each other.
I darted between legs carefully.
A little girl spotted me almost instantly.
“Kitty!”
Terror filled me.
Children were dangerous.
Sticky.
Loud.
I bolted immediately.
The girl laughed while chasing me halfway down the street before finally giving up.
I ducked into a narrow alley breathing heavily.
“This is my life now,” I thought bitterly.
Then a low growl echoed behind me.
Slowly, I turned around.
Three enormous stray dogs blocked the alley entrance.
Their eyes locked onto me instantly.
My fur puffed up automatically.
“Oh absolutely not.”
The largest dog snarled.
Then they charged.
I ran.
Pure panic took over as I shot through the alley at full speed. Barking thundered behind me while claws scraped stone.
One dog snapped inches from my tail.
I screeched and launched myself over a crate.
Apples exploded everywhere.
People shouted angrily.
I didn’t stop.
I turned sharply around another corner—
—and slammed directly into someone’s boots.
I tumbled backward with a startled hiss.
Strong hands suddenly scooped me up before I could run again.
The dogs stopped instantly.
Whining softly.
Then they backed away.
Confused, I looked up.
A man dressed entirely in black stared down at me calmly.
Blonde hair reaching his shoulders.
Sharp features.
Black eyes.
So black it seemed I was staring at noon nothing.
But I felt it.
Not human.
Something about him felt dangerous in the quietest possible way.
Like a wolf pretending to be civilized.
“Well now,” he murmured softly. “What exactly are you?”
My entire body froze.
The dogs fled completely.
The man kept studying me carefully while holding me effortlessly against his chest.
Then his expression changed slightly.
His eyes narrowed.
“…Magic,” he said quietly.
Ice flooded my veins.
No.
No no no.
He knew.
Panic exploded through me and I twisted violently trying to escape his grip.
“Easy,” he warned calmly.
I hissed at him.
To my horror, he looked amused.
“There you are,” he murmured.
Definitely not human.
My instincts screamed at me to run, but another strange feeling lingered beneath the fear.
Power.
Ancient power.
The kind that made your body recognize a predator before your mind could.
Then church bells suddenly rang through the town.
Everything stopped.
People froze.
The man’s expression darkened immediately.
Screams erupted moments later.
I flattened my ears as armored riders stormed through the town gates wearing blood-red cloaks.
The townspeople scattered in terror.
One rider shouted loudly,
“By order of the Crown, all magic users are to be surrendered immediately!”
My heart stopped.
Magic hunters.
The silver-haired man looked down at me slowly.
Then he smiled.
Not kindly.
Not cruelly either.
Just knowingly.
“Well,” he said softly, “you seem to have terrible timing.”
And somehow…
I had the horrible feeling my problems were only beginning.
- Writer
