Chapter 34 A Terrible Influence
A Terrible Influence
Sorcha awoke to the soft crackle of the fire and sunlight streaming through the windows. She didn’t remember falling asleep. Looking down, she saw the cat still perched on her lap.
I guess it wasn’t a dream, she thought, staring at the creature, its fur bright as stars.
She felt a twinge of guilt about moving and waking it, but she needed to get ready for patrols.
As Sorcha dressed, the cat darted around the house, circling too many times for her to keep track.
She frowned, wondering what it was up to.
It acted as though it were impatient, waiting for her.
When she finally emerged from the bedroom and headed for the door, the cat was already there, sitting expectantly.
“And what do you think you’re doing?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at the feline.
The cat simply stared back, unmoving. She shook her head and opened the door. The cat followed her out, then sat down, watching her close it behind her.
“I’m heading to work,” she told the cat firmly. “You can’t come with me.”
She started walking, but the sound of tiny paws padding behind her made her glance over her shoulder. Sure enough, the cat was trailing her.
She sighed and tried to ignore it, but the cat stuck to her like a shadow all the way to the circle.
When she arrived, Commander Nethran tilted his head, confusion plain on his face as he eyed both Sorcha and the odd-looking feline at her side.
Sorcha noticed the mixed expressions on everyone’s faces, too.
Most looked amused, but Kyron’s reaction stood out; his gaze was fixed on the cat, his face a mix of shock and unease.
He clearly didn’t like it, though he tried and failed to hide it. Sorcha noticed, and so did the cat.
Commander Nethran finally broke the silence. “Why is there an animal with you, Sorcha?”
Sorcha shifted uncomfortably. “Sir, this cat followed me home last night. I guess it’s mine now… It won’t leave alone.”
The commander blinked, baffled. “And that means it has to be here?”
Sorcha nodded awkwardly. The cat, surprisingly, nodded too. Commander Nethran sighed, muttering under his breath before approaching the cat. He reached out to pick it up, but the cat sprang onto his head in one swift leap, clinging there stubbornly.
What followed was chaos. The commander flailed, grabbing at the cat from every possible angle, but the creature dodged every attempt with ease, only to land back on him each time.
The circle erupted with laughter, and Sorcha’s face flushed with embarrassment as the commander bellowed, “Sorcha, get this damn thing off me—NOW!
Mortified, Sorcha rushed forward, already trying to wrangle the cat.
“Please stop,” she begged under her breath.
To her relief, the cat finally leapt down, landing gracefully on the cobblestones before sitting at attention, staring the commander down.
Commander Nethran, red faced and fuming, took a deep breath and composed himself as best he could.
Without another word about the incident, he quickly assigned patrol routes and stormed off toward the Druid School.
As the laughter died down, Sorcha turned to face the circle. Her friends were still staring at her, and at the strange cat by her side.
Drystan walked over, chuckling as he knelt down to face the cat at eye level.
“Nice work, buddy. I’ve never seen the commander that shade of red before,” he said, patting the cat’s head. He glanced up at Sorcha with a grin.
“So, Sorcha, you’re taking in strays now?”
Before Sorcha could respond, Eirin appeared behind him. “No, Drystan, she’s not taking you in.”
Drystan shot him a mock glare before looking back at Sorcha. “Really, Sorcha? A cat? I didn’t take you for cat person.”
Sorcha laughed softly, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment.
“I’m not, but this little guy didn’t really give me a choice. So… yeah, I guess I’m a cat person now.”
The three of them laughed as Rhosyn and Eirin approached. Rhosyn leaned down to pet the feline, her expression warm.
“Does your cat have a name?” she asked. Sorcha shook her head. “No name yet, just ‘Cat’ for now until we figure that out.”
Eirin chuckled. “It’s practical, and you definitely won’t forget it.”
The group began to break up into teams, but Sorcha noticed that Kyron hadn’t joined them yet, and Riona was still nowhere to be seen. Kyron, standing at a distance, looked uneasy. Sorcha caught his eye, and he hesitated before finally making his way over.
“Where did you find that cat?” he asked, his tone uncharacteristically stern.
Sorcha raised an eyebrow. “I found him in the woods. I stumbled on him sleeping in this flower and stone bed.”
Kyron’s expression turned cold, his face pale as if he’d seen a ghost. He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper.
“You found a cat in a fairy circle? And you brought it home?”
“Fairy circle?” Sorcha repeated, frowning. “Kyron, it’s just a cat.”
“Is it?” Kyron’s tone was tight, his usual calm edged with alarm. “Do you even know what that means?”
Sorcha folded her arms. “It means it was a bunch of flowers and stones in a weirdly perfect shape. It wasn’t a fairy circle.”
Kyron ran a hand over his face. “It means something was already living there, Sorcha. A being. A Fae.”
Sorcha turned to the cat, who, as if on cue, tilted its head in mock innocence, then yawned.
“Oh, please,” she scoffed. “It’s not like I stole an enchanted artifact. I took in a stray—”
The cat’s silver eyes glinted as it stretched, its tail flicking in slow, deliberate amusement.
Kyron stiffened. “Sorcha, it’s nodding at you.”
“Yeah, it does that,” she said dismissively.
“That’s not normal,” Kyron hissed.
The cat let out a low, pleased purr.
“Okay, fine. Well, I’m glad to see you this morning. How about I walk you home tonight? Meet at the tavern?”
Sorcha smiled. “I’d like that.”
As Kyron walked away, Sorcha and Cat made their way through the streets of Lumora.
They stopped briefly to grab a loaf of bread and a jar of jam, which she shoved into her bag before continuing on.
Their patrol assignment was at the outpost where Riona had specifically requested to be stationed alone.
The thought made Sorcha uneasy, and she was anxious to see her.
When they arrived at the outpost, Sorcha was greeted by a few young cadets finishing their rotation. She asked them if they’d seen Riona, but they shook their heads. With a nod, she dismissed them and started walking the grounds.
Sorcha and Cat moved through the outpost, her eyes scanning the tree line as she completed the routine checks.
Everything seemed quiet. Satisfied for the moment, she returned to the small building at the center of the outpost. Inside, a worn wooden table and a single chair awaited her.
She sat down, pulled out the loaf of bread, and spread a generous amount of jam across a thick slice before taking a bite.
Cat sat beside her, watching intently. Sorcha couldn’t help but feel guilty about eating without sharing, so she tore off small pieces of bread with jam and placed them on the floor in front of him.
Cat ate them without hesitation but, moments later, caught a mouse.
He seemed to enjoy his impromptu second course even more.
They spent the day monitoring the decay, keeping detailed records of the perimeters to track its spread; how much and how fast. Hourly, Sorcha checked, though Cat didn’t seem to mind; he was happily preoccupied chasing small critters.
The hours passed slowly, stretching well into the evening.
By the time the moon had settled high into the sky, the cadets arrived to relieve her of her rotation.
She gave the orders and called Cat, making her way back into town.
Kyron was waiting at the tavern, just as he said he would be. He seemed to have finished a drink and was now casually eyeing the door. Meeting her gaze, he waved the bartender over and exchanged some coins before walking toward her.
“Long day?” he asked.
Sorcha nodded, letting out a groan. “I spent every hour checking, measuring, and time stamping. Hour after hour, on the hour, for the entire shift.” She rolled her shoulders, the monotony still clinging to her.
Kyron smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Ouch, that sounds tedious.”
“Agonizingly boring,” she corrected, though her tone carried more weariness than bite. “But it’s important, even if it feels like torture.”
“It is important,” he said, his voice softening.
He placed a hand on her arm, the warmth of his touch steadying her for a moment.
They walked side by side, their conversation drifting between what Eirin and Sorcha had discussed in the library, the growing decay, and the druids’ increasingly strained efforts to understand it.
Eventually, Sorcha hesitated, her steps slowing slightly as she shifted the conversation to what Kyron had said the night before.
She didn’t want to bring it up, not really but the questions clawed at her, demanding answers. Even if she feared what the truth might reveal, she couldn’t let it go.
Kyron shifted slightly and told her it was best to wait until they were somewhere more private. It was probably better he told her at home or somewhere else she was comfortable. Sorcha agreed they could talk at her home. The rest of the walk was quiet.
Once inside, Sorcha offered Kyron a seat at the breakfast nook where she sat across from him. The tension in the air was a mix of discomfort and anxiety between the two. Kyron looked at Sorcha.
“What did you want to talk about first?” he asked, his gaze meeting hers.