Chapter Twenty-Four – Millie
Chapter Twenty-Four
Millie
The next morning, Elysia’s mood took a nosedive. Her usual cheerful demeanor vanished, replaced by a sullen pout and teary eyes. No matter what I said or did, she remained fixated on one thing: seeing Lady Mews. I tried everything – distractions, bribes, even a bit of gentle scolding – but nothing worked. She was determined to visit her cat, and my arguments fell flat. As the morning wore on, I felt my resolve weakening. Elysia’s pleas became more insistent. I hated seeing her so upset.
Eventually, I knew I had to talk to Grim. I found him in the library, a place I’d been avoiding since my parents’ death. As I stepped inside, the familiar scent of old books and polished wood hit me like a wave. The room was quintessentially Tudor, with dark oak paneling lining the walls, and a massive stone fireplace dominating one end. Rows upon rows of bookshelves stretched from floor to ceiling, filled with everything from classic tomes to modern bestsellers. My father had loved this room. I could almost see him sitting in his favorite armchair by the window, glasses perched on his nose as he pored over some dusty volume. The memory made my chest tighten.
Grim was standing by one of the tall windows. He turned as I entered.
“Grim, I need your help.”
He moved towards me, his cloak rippling like smoke. “What’s wrong?”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “It’s Elysia. She’s desperate to see Lady Mews. I’ve tried everything, but she won’t let it go. I think I need to take her to the pet hospital.”
Grim was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he nodded slowly. “I understand. It can’t be easy, keeping her cooped up like this.”
“It’s not,” I admitted. “And I hate lying to her. But Grim, if we go out... those things, the Poppets...”
“Hey, I promised to protect you, remember? Both of you. I won’t let a single Poppet get anywhere near you or Elysia.”
I let out a sigh and nodded. I didn’t like this, but it needed to be done, or Elysia would truly start to hate me.
“All right, then. I guess we’re going on a field trip.”
As we left the library, I cast one last glance over my shoulder. The room seemed to whisper with memories, both painful and sweet. I made a silent promise to myself to spend more time here when this was all over. If it ever was.
The drive to the pet hospital was tense, with Elysia bouncing in her seat and me gripping the steering wheel so tight my knuckles turned white. Every few seconds, I found myself glancing in the rearview mirror, half-expecting to see a horde of Poppets chasing us down. But the road behind us remained clear, thanks in no small part to Grim’s presence in the passenger seat.
When we arrived, my sister practically flew out of the car to see Lady Mews. I watched her dash towards the entrance, and a mix of emotions swirled in my chest – relief at seeing her so energetic, worry about potential dangers lurking nearby.
Inside, I hung back as Elysia approached Lady Mews’ cage. The moment her eyes landed on her tortie cat, they lit up like a Christmas tree. It was a transformation so pure and joyful that I felt my own spirits lift. Lady Mews was looking much better, her leg almost fully healed. She purred loudly as Elysia reached in to scratch behind her ears. As Elysia played with her, cooing and petting, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. The constant worry and guilt I’d been carrying around eased just a fraction. Watching my sister – my daughter – so happy and carefree, even if just for a moment, made me realize it was worth the risk to come here. But as the minutes ticked by, the anxiety began to creep back in. My eyes darted to the windows, scanning for any sign of the grotesque clay creatures. The cheerful chatter of other pet owners and the smell of antiseptic suddenly felt oppressive. I needed air.
“Elysia,” I called softly. “I’m going to step outside for a minute. Will you be okay here with the vet tech?”
She barely looked up from Lady Mews, giving me a distracted nod.
Stepping outside, I took a deep breath. The parking lot was quiet, with only a few cars scattered about. My eyes found Grim, standing guard near the entrance, like a macabre statue. The people walking in and out of the hospital did a double take when they saw him, but soon relaxed. He was a monster in a world where humans and monsters lived together without conflict. Yes, he was an unsettling vision, but no more than, say, an orc or a golem, or a creature made entirely of dark smoke – yes, there were a few of those walking among us.
As I approached him, my hand went to my purse. I remembered the prophecy I’d forgotten to tell him about last night, and my fingers closed around the small bottle. I took it out.
“Grim,” I said, holding out the bottle. “I forgot to tell you about this last night. It’s... well, I’m not sure what it is, exactly.”
He took the bottle, his bony fingers careful as he examined it. “Where did you get this?”
I shifted my weight, suddenly feeling foolish for not mentioning it sooner. “A woman gave it to me yesterday. She said it was important.”
Grim uncorked the bottle and pulled out the slip of paper. His eye sockets seemed to darken even more as he read aloud, “When richest fur meets fated breath, you’ll find your end in silent death.”
I frowned, wrapping my arms around myself. “What does it mean?”
“I have no idea.” He turned the bottle over in his hands, as if searching for hidden clues. “But I can tell you this: the woman who gave it to you is one of the Fates.”
My eyes widened. “The Fates?”
“Yes. They only write prophecies for those who’ve pissed them off. Prophecies are always bad news.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, I kind of got that from the ‘silent death’ part.” I paused, a thought occurring to me. “But isn’t it good that Ma-Vasha can be killed?”
Grim tilted his head, considering. The gesture was so human it momentarily threw me off.
“Yes and no,” he said. “It’s great that she can be killed, but she can only be killed in the way the prophecy says. If we don’t know what it means...”
“It doesn’t help us,” I finished, deflating. “Great. A cryptic message we can’t decipher or use.”
I leaned against the wall of the hospital, feeling exhausted. I closed my eyes, wishing I could wake up and find this had all been a bizarre dream. When I opened them again, Grim was watching me intently. Despite the empty sockets where his eyes should’ve been, I could feel the weight of his gaze.
“We’ll figure it out,” he said softly, moving closer. “We have time. Lady Mews still needs to heal, remember?”
I nodded. Grim reached out and gently touched my arm. The contact sent a shiver through me, hot and delicious.
“One step at a time, Millie,” he said. “Right now, let’s focus on getting you and Elysia home safely. We can worry about decoding cryptic messages later.”
I took a deep breath, centering myself. He was right, of course. There was no point in getting ahead of ourselves. I straightened up, squaring my shoulders.
“You’re right. Thank you for keeping me sane.”
The door swung open behind us, and Elysia rushed out.
“Millie! Millie!” she called. “The vet said Lady Mews can come home in two days!”
My heart swelled at her enthusiasm. Seeing her happy, healthy, and full of life was everything I’d ever wanted.
“That’s wonderful,” I said. “Did she say anything else?”
Elysia nodded, her eyes wide and serious. “She said she healed really fast and isn’t in danger anymore. But we have to take good care of her at home and not let her climb things.”
I couldn’t help but smile at her earnest recitation. She’d always been attentive when it came to Lady Mews, treating the cat’s care like a sacred duty. It was one of the many things that made her so special.
“We’ll make sure to follow those instructions to the letter,” I assured her, giving her a quick hug.
That was when something caught my eye. A flicker of movement around the corner of the building. My breath caught in my throat as I recognized the jerky, unnatural gait of a Poppet. Fear surged through me. I glanced at Grim, seeing the tension in his posture. He’d spotted it, too. We needed to leave. Now.
“Hey, Elysia,” I said, keeping my voice light despite the panic building inside me. “Why don’t we head home and start getting everything ready for Lady Mews? We want her to have the perfect welcome, right?”
Elysia nodded enthusiastically, oblivious to the danger lurking just out of sight. I took her hand, guiding her towards the car with what I hoped was casual haste.