A man without secrets is as rare as a coin with no value. The informant knows this and guards his own with the skill of a thief.
My smile widened, the edges tinged with something dark and dangerous. "Stand in my way, and I'll devour you. Stand against him, and I'll devour your families. Stand against us, and I'll devour your entire nation."
I spoke each word dripping with cold resolve. "It won't matter if it's one of you or every last one of you. I will tear through the feline nation if I have to."
The judges shifted uncomfortably in their seats, their veils unable to hide the fear that radiated from their tense forms. Even the three prominent figures on the balcony exchanged uneasy glances. The room, moments ago a cacophony of outrage, was now a sea of silent, apprehensive faces.
"My companion will have his coming-of-age," I continued, my tone cold and unyielding. "And you will grant it. Not because you wish to, but because I will it."
The power in my words hung in the air, tangible and suffocating.
I paused, letting the silence stretch, then added, "If you grant the ceremony, I will leave. I'll leave the entire feline nation in peace, so long as you leave Rolo alone. No retaliation, no lingering threats. I think that's a fair deal."
The tension in the room tightened, but it was a tense negotiation now, not the outright chaos of moments before. I could see the gears turning in their minds, weighing the cost of refusal against the offer I presented.
From the floor, a voice cut through the silence, sharp and defiant. "Your Honour," the voice called, familiar and filled with contempt. "I don't think it's wise to take a murderer at his word."
My gaze shifted to the source: Sera. She was still on her knees, trembling slightly, but her eyes burned with defiance as they locked onto mine.
"This monster has killed and hunted down our kin," she continued, her voice steady despite her position. "He has wounded several of them. How can we trust him now?"
A ripple of murmurs spread through the room again, the fear mingling with a flicker of agreement.
I sighed, ready to respond, but before I could, Leo's voice rang out, firm and commanding. "This matter is under my jurisdiction, not that of this council," he declared, his tone brooking no argument.
The room fell silent again, all eyes turning to Leo. His grip on the railing tightened, but he remained standing, his authority evident despite the lingering tremor from my earlier display.
"Shaytan's past actions are not relevant to this hearing," Leo continued. "We are here to address the matter of Roland's coming-of-age ceremony and any associated charges. Nothing more."
Sera's defiance flickered, but she didn't lower her gaze. Still, she said nothing further, the weight of Leo's words hanging heavy in the air.
Leo turned to me, his voice neutral. "Do you have anything else to add, Shaytan?"
I inclined my head slightly. "Only that I appreciate your clarity, Leo. It simplifies things."
I let the weight of the moment dissipate, letting the energy in the room return to its usual stillness. I drew in a slow breath and, just like that, my presence faded away. The monstrous aura, the intensity in the air—it all seemed to evaporate as though it never existed. My hair returned to its usual color, and my eyes shifted back to their original shade.
The council, wary of pressing further against Leo's ruling, seemed more willing to focus on the matter at hand.
"The first part of the hearing is completed," Leo concluded, his voice steady as he brought the session to a pause. He cast a glance toward the judges, who began to murmur among themselves, their veiled faces tilted in discussion.
Leo then turned his attention to us. "Roland, Shaytan," he said formally, "please step out while the council deliberates."
Sera got what she wanted. Rolo looked up at me, disbelief in his eyes, the question clear. I nodded slowly in response.
I rose smoothly, gesturing for Rolo to follow. His movements were extremely stiff. As we walked towards the door, I felt the weight of every gaze in the room on our backs. I moved to cover him, shielding him from all those stares.
The double doors opened silently, and he stepped into the quiet corridor outside. The two feline attendants flanked us once more, their expressions unreadable as the doors closed behind us.
When I stepped out of the room, I saw him waiting against the wall, his arms folded in front of his chest. That alone surprised me. I thought I'd have to chase him down and explain the situation, calm him down. But there he was, calm despite everything.
Rolo sighed, his gaze still focused on the floor.
"I know you don't like my kind. It's no surprise," he said, his voice quieter than usual.
"Right," I replied, my tone measured.
"I don't care why you did it," he continued, lifting his eyes to meet mine. "What pissed me off is that you thought it would change anything."
"It doesn't?" I asked.
"No," he said firmly. "You think my loyalty is that weak? Have a little more faith in me and in yourself, Shay."
Something tightened in my chest at his words. A weight I hadn't realized I was carrying seemed to lift just a little.
He stepped closer, his gaze intense. "Remember something," he said, voice soft but powerful. "You are the only one who can command me. That must mean something, right?"
I couldn't help but smile, a mixture of relief and something deeper creeping through me.
"Only barely, though," I teased, the tension between us finally breaking.
He chuckled, and the air between us lightened, his earlier frustration now just a memory. It was clear to me then—he didn't need explanations to trust me. And maybe that was why I felt this strange need to explain.
"Do you remember that telepathic spell?" I asked, my tone casual.
Rolo's eyes widened in surprise, and his mouth opened, as if he was about to ask how I knew about it. But I didn't give him the chance.
"Use it," I urged, my voice low but firm.
He hesitated, his gaze flickering between my face and the space between us. Slowly, his hand reached out, and he gingerly took mine in his. There was a brief pause before he spoke.
"I can only manage it if we're touching," he explained, a touch of uncertainty in his voice. "I still need to refine it, but I think this is the best way to get it to work for now."
I nodded once, my eyes steady. "Then establish the link," I said simply.
"Mentis Vox."
The air around us seemed to grow heavier, charged with something unspoken as Rolo focused. I could feel the weight of his concentration, the subtle pulse of energy passing between us. The room felt quieter, as if we were alone in our own world.
They were assassins, I said, my voice quieter now, my words just for him.
My fingers glided softly caressing from her cheek to her neck.
"Who sent you?" I asked in a sweet voice.
Her eyes sparkled with determination and loyalty. This loyalty persisted even as the grip of my fingers tightened to an uncomfortable tightness and her breath began to grow fatally thin. She had one hand on mine, but I would not let go. Her nails dug into my skin, but I didn't bother.
There was no pleading or doubt in her eyes—only loyalty. I knew she would not say the name I already knew, and that was enough for me.
I loved loyal people, I respected them for their sacrifice. That is why, as a sign of respect, I did not strangle her as I had planned, but snapped her neck in one swift motion. I simply couldn't let her live.
My gaze was drawn to the wound in my side. My only thought was to get out of the room. I picked up my shirt and dragged the two bodies into one of the stalls, then escaped the restroom.
I grabbed my jacket on the way to hide the obvious blood stains. I closed the door and leaned against the cool wall. Just being away from the cats helped and my wound began to heal—albeit at an unnervingly slow pace compared to usual. However, the crescents left by the cat's claws showed no improvement at all. I wanted to laugh mockingly.
This is why I hate cats.
At the boy's look of shocked disbelief, I shrugged.
Just as fae are vulnerable to iron, mages have the limitations of their magic, shifters pay with pain for their transformations, and vampires are undone by their own venom, I have my own little... condition.
I call it an allergy, I said, continuing casually, My self-healing is practically limitless, but when it comes to cats, it just... doesn't work.
If I get wounded by a knife wielded by a cat, I heal faster than a normal monster,if the wound is from their claws, it heals normally—as if my ability didn't exist. No idea why, but I've learned to live with it. I call it a 'cat allergy.'
It's my little secret, I added, a faint smile creeping onto my face. And I intended to keep it that way. Even if it meant slaughtering every single cat to keep it quiet.
I paused, lips pursed at the thought of the effort involved in such a task.
Rolo stood still, his gaze locked on me, eyes wide in disbelief. At first, I thought he was shocked that my weakness was so trivial, so... absurd. But as the silence dragged on, I began to wonder if he was processing something more—that I would, without hesitation, kill anyone who threatened to expose it.
Finally, he broke the silence.
You really... he began, his voice faltering as though searching for the right words.
For a moment, I debated what he would say. Will he say that I was a monster? Will he ask if I really thought he would believe this? Or will he just cuss me out, how despicable I am?
You really trust me, he continued in stunned disbelief.
That caught me off guard. Of course, he was a cat, and I'd just confessed that they were the only ones capable of exploiting my weakness. I almost grimaced at how highly he was thinking of himself, for weakness here and weakness there, he couldn't beat me in a fight.
But then, as I looked deeper into his eyes, I realized what he truly meant. He knew that.
He wasn't considering his own strength; he was considering the value of the secret I'd just shared. The leverage it gave him. He knew what a powerful piece of information it was, and how badly my enemies would want it.
He thought I trusted him, but I just knew he wouldn't betray me. He owed me, and I knew he would never be able to betray such a secret to anyone.
Leo knows? he asked, his voice a bit more careful now.
I shook my head. I just stopped by to remind him it would be a bad idea to make me his enemy, then we agreed to leave things at a standstill.
Alex? he asked, this time more hesitant.
Do you honestly think if he knew, he'd still be so eager to bring a cat home? I raised an eyebrow, He just knows I can't stand them.
Rolo looked surprised, touched, and annoyed. I let his hand go, breaking the spell.
"So, can we go back?" I asked. "The hard part's still ahead, and this time, it's your turn."
By the time we returned to the room, things had settled. Rolo had stood his ground, countering every doubt with a solid answer, finding loopholes for every restriction. I wasn't the only one prepared.
He spoke with such unwavering confidence that it was clear no one was going to deter him, despite Sera's determined efforts. The next day, sharp at eleven, he was summoned to appear alone—for a ritual reserved only for cats.
As we stood in the elevator, I broke the silence.
"You did a great job."
He flushed slightly. "Well, you weren't so bad yourself."
I grinned. He seemed to be holding back a question, but couldn't quite bring himself to ask it. After a few moments, he finally found the courage.
"Why did Leo want to kill you?" he asked.
"Hm, it's a complex issue," I replied thoughtfully. "First, I know too much. Second, he wanted my job. He's an informant, so trying to climb the ranks isn't a surprise."
"Just for that?" he asked, clearly incredulous.
"Well," I added innocently, "I might have fucked his girlfriend."
Rolo blinked. "Weren't you supposed to hate cats?"
"She wasn't a cat," I clarified.
"And how did you finally settle things with him?" he pressed.
"Well, first, I gave him the exact spot where I buried his assassins," I began.
"You buried them?" Rolo was genuinely shocked.
I shrugged. "The least loyal monsters deserve."
"And then," I continued, "I sent him the bank statement of his ex, along with the details of her tapping into his account every week without him knowing. Bonus: her bank account info, passwords, all the juicy bits."
Rolo blinked again, processing. "Of course, he never forgave me or himself for the assassins' deaths, but hey, it could've been worse," I said. "I could've killed his cats when I broke into his headquarters. But I didn't. I think that's what really convinced him."
"We didn't exactly become friends," I added with a smirk. "We don't like each other. He just knows he can't win against me, and I don't want to go to war with him."
"So, that's how you say we're allies?" Leo asked, voice dripping with amusement.
I merely gave him a scornful look and stepped out of the elevator. He laughed and playfully punched me in the shoulder—his way of showing his fondness, although, I found it a rather violent and primitive way of making friends.
I rolled my eyes. I could feel Rolo's gaze on me, and when I glanced towards him, I saw sparks explode in his eyes. It was the look he gave me when he realized something. When I raised my eyebrows, he shook his head, so I let it go.