Page 22 - Mad Shadows II

I grinned like a fool and tried to hide it by burying my face
in the mug of beer.

Werecats are a special breed of magical creatures. To bond
with one is to share in its ability to tap into the ley lines, the
paths of power that connect the axial poles of Tanyime. When a
werecat bonds with a human, it’s a bond that lasts until death.
For a short time after the death of its bondmate, a werecat can
manifest an avatar — a hybrid of feline and human. Sadly,
neither one lives long after the passing of their bondmate.

Crystal meowed and stared at Valuta. Pink eyes and amber
eyes locked onto each other as if in a loving embrace. The
albino cat pawed her bondmate gently.

“Go then, but try to be back before midnight,” Valuta told
her.

The werecat leapt from the table, but before her paws could
touch the wooden floor, she vanished from the room.

“Where’d she go?” I asked.
“Crystal likes to wander about the Otherworlds. She’ll
sometimes take off without even a ‘by-your-leave,’ just like
that.” Valuta snapped her fingers for effect.
“So I’ve noticed.”
Werecats can travel at will through the Gates of Shivrhuan
— the Echoverse. These portals connect the infinity of
Otherworlds that compose the Nine Realms of the Echoverse.
The home world of the werecats is Sor Felisia, part of the
Vahjna Sorai, a realm of demonic entities, benevolent spirits
and a host of other beings that fall somewhere in between, like
the werecats. Our world of Tanyime is part of the Giaeri
Regima, the Four Earthly Realms, which are more or less
inhabited by human beings.
“So . . . what do you want me to steal? Who do you want
me to kill? And which one do you want me to do first?” I asked.
“Oh, my — you are direct, aren’t you?”
“If that’s an accusation, I plead guilty.”

21