Melly sat with Isla and Elias at the dining table, sharing the breakfast they’d cooked together. Elias was a quick study and blessedly patient with Isla’s questions and comments.

  “I didn’t know men had ears and tails like us!” Isla said through a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

  Elias looked at Melly and tilted his head.

  “I’m not sure there’s ever been a man in Nyarlea with ears and tails like a catgirl,” Melly explained. “Does that make you a catman? Or”—she recalled the second term Matt had used to refer to young men—“a catboy?”

  “Where I come from, people like you and I are referred to as ‘halino.’”

  “Ha-lee-noh,” Isla repeated slowly. “Halino! Mommy, I want to be a halino like Sir Elias!”

  “It sounds like you already are.” Melly smiled.

  Isla clapped, then returned her attention to Elias. “But wait. Do all halinos have eyes like you?” She shifted to her knees and bent over the table to get a closer look. “They’re so strange!”

  Melly flushed. “Isla.”

  “What? They are!”

  Melly frowned. She had noticed Elias’s unusual eyes while they prepared breakfast, but wasn’t sure how to broach the topic. They were the deep blue of Saoirse’s sapphires, but the right held a black cloud that nearly consumed the color outside of one shimmering island in the lower left of his iris. A second black haze traveled along the edges of his left iris, but the brilliant blue outshone it. She’d never seen anything like them.

  Elias laughed. “Strange is a fair word. I’ve never met another halino with the same patterns.” He mimicked Isla and leaned over the table. “But they’re not nearly as lovely as yours.”

  Isla blushed and gasped. She collapsed back into her chair in a giggling fit.

  Melly swallowed her instinct to chide Isla for her poor choice of words—if Elias hadn’t taken offense to it, then scolding her held little meaning. Instead, she collected the plates from the table and moved them to the sink.

  “Are you ready to see Miss Aubrey, Isla?” Melly asked over her shoulder.

  “I thought we were going to see the queen?” Isla countered.

  Melly licked her lips. She hated lying to Isla, even if the fibs were small. She had sworn to herself to keep their conversations true and open, in the hopes that Isla would reciprocate as she grew older. “Sir Elias needs to speak with Queen Naeemah alone first. That way, we’ll know when she’s ready to meet such a famous kitten.” It wasn’t a complete lie, but the taste was still bitter on her tongue.

  “Why isn’t she ready now?” Isla pouted.

  “Queens lead very busy lives, Isla. Do you not wish to speak with her?” Elias asked.

  “What? Of course I do! I want to hear all about her amazing adventures!” Isla clasped her hands to her chest and her gaze grew distant. She was no doubt picturing her first meeting with the queen.

  “If we bring you now, you will only be able to see her from afar. She will have appointments with her handmaidens and subjects,” Elias explained. “However, during her appointment with me, we will discuss a time when you can speak with her personally. I promise,” Elias said.

  “Oh.” Isla’s pout eased, and she nodded. “Alright. I’ll have patience then.”

  Melly smiled. ‘Have patience’ was a phrase she often shared with her daughter when things didn’t happen fast enough for her. But, to Isla’s credit, she handled delayed gratification well for her age, and she knew that her mother would always make good on her promises. Melly just hoped that Isla meeting the queen wouldn’t be her first failure.

  “In the meantime, would you do the honor of introducing me to Miss Aubrey?” Elias asked.

  “Oh! Yes! Please! Can I?” Isla looked back and forth between them.

  As much as bringing Elias out into the daylight worried her, Melly knew that it must happen sooner or later. Better to do it now. She had women to tend to and sick kittens awaiting treatment. Besides, if anyone found out that she was hiding Ichi Island’s new man for any period of time…

  She shuddered, thinking of the golden cages that still hung above Rājadhānī’s outer wall. A tiny voice in the depths of her heart said the queen would reimplement their use for such a crime.

  “Yes, of course you can,” Melly conceded.

  “Yesss!” Isla squealed. “I’m the luckiest girl on Ichi!”

  “Before we leave, however, I would like to test something. Is that alright, Isla?” Elias asked.

  “I don’t mind if it’s okay with Mommy.”

  Melly hid her grin behind her hand. It was sweet of him to defer to Isla. “By all means. Miss Aubrey isn’t expecting you just yet.”

  “Excellent.” Elias stood and moved to the center of the kitchen. Melly and Isla watched him curiously. “[Combat Mode].”

  A warm light outlined his silhouette, and his clothing shifted to a set of equipment that was very different from the attire he’d arrived in. A basic, iron breastplate clung to a red doublet with long white sleeves and a stiff collar. Metal pauldrons and bracers protected his shoulders and forearms, and a set of leather boots pinned ashen trousers to his calves. A thin black belt with a golden buckle cinched his waist, and his hands remained bare.

  Elias plucked at the edge of the breastplate and chuckled.

  “Is this armor from your previous world?” Melly asked.

  “No. They seem to be gifts from yours.” He unfastened the buckles holding the breastplate around his chest and lifted it over his head. “This is too cumbersome for my liking.”

  Stolen story; please report.

  Isla hopped down from her chair and wandered to his side. “Oooh. What Class did you choose?”

  “[Fighter].” He let the straps of the breastplate dangle from one hand as he turned his attention to his empty hand. “Where is my weapon?”

  “You can summon it at will,” Melly explained as she joined them. She swept Isla up from the floor and balanced her weight against her hip. “If you picture it in your hand, it should appear like the iPaw does.”

  Moments later, a spear materialized in his palm, bearing a cloth tied just under the sharp head that was the same red as his doublet.

  “So it does,” he murmured. His ears rotated to the sides, and he craned his neck.

  Melly’s ears perked, and she looked from side to side. Only the morning songs of birds caught her attention. “Do you hear something?”

  “You don’t hear her voice?” Elias asked.

  “Just yours.”

  “Hm.” After carefully setting the plate on the ground, he held his hand out and said, “Summon iPaw.”

  The moment he began to speak with it, unfamiliar words spilled from his tongue.

  “Who did he hear? Lady Saoirse? Can she talk to men?” Isla whispered.

  Melly shook her head. “I’m not sure.”

  “What’s he saying?”

  “We won’t know unless he tells us.” Melly kissed Isla’s cheek. “It’s Saoirse’s language.”

  “Can I learn it?”

  “No, sunshine. None of us can.”

  The spear vanished from Elias’s palm, and a [Cat Pack] appeared in its place. He dismissed the iPaw and peeled back the [Cat Pack]’s flap. “The one who called for me said I can store anything in this pack.”

  The catgirl in the iPaw? Melly had stolen a few glances at her the night prior. “Ah. Up to a certain limit, yes. There are catgirls who practice advanced leatherworking who create upgrades that carry more items.”

  “Very well. But can it really store anything?” He traced the lid with his fingers and peered inside. “It isn’t very big.”

  Melly looked around the room. She set Isla down, picked up the discarded breastplate, and slid the armor inside the [Cat Pack]. “It can’t hold catgirls or Encroachers, but the size typically doesn’t matter.” Next, she went to the dining table and retrieved the bowl of fruit. Without removing the five nyapples it held, she dropped the bowl inside. “Once it’s full, it won’t allow you to add anything more. It kind of…spits it out.”

  Elias raised his eyebrows. “The weight did not change.”

  “Aren’t [Cat Pack]s the best?” Isla said. “Mine holds all of my favorite rocks and sweets!”

  “Nyarlea is saturated in magic. It is dizzying.” Elias reached inside, paused, then pulled a nyapple free. “How can a simple thought summon so many items?”

  Melly opened her mouth to respond, but Isla replied first. “Because of Lady Saoirse! It’s because she loves us.”

  It was close enough to Melly’s response that she nodded. “Our goddess is generous in her gifts.”

  “I see.” Elias walked to the table and replaced the bowl and nyapples. He was quiet for a time before he sighed and looped the [Cat Pack] onto his belt.

  “Sir Elias? Are you alright?” Isla skipped to his side and tugged his hand.

  “Yes. Thank you, Isla.” He looked down at her and smiled. “There is much to learn.”

  “That’s okay! Mommy and me can teach you!”

  Melly’s blush returned. Isla wasn’t old enough to understand the weight of what she asked. “Only if Elias wishes us to, my sweet.”

  To Melly’s surprise, Elias scooped Isla up from the floor and let her sit on his forearm. “I can’t imagine that two better tutors reside in Rājadhānī.”

  Isla threw her arms into the air and cheered. Secretly, Melly wanted to do the same. She struggled with what to say to him. This was the second time a man had requested her assistance, and even in just the few hours of Elias’s arrival, she held high hopes that he could truly help them heal Ichi Island. A weak “Thank you” was all she managed.

  “Ah, there’s no need for that. I haven’t done anything to deserve it yet.” Elias chuckled, then tipped his head toward the door. “Shall we go?”

  Melly followed him out, and her heart sped. Worries of how the others would react to the new man resurfaced. Would those who lost family to Magni’s rule try to hurt him? But then, those who flourished beneath the late king were likely to do the same, weren’t they? She touched Elias’s arm without thinking, and he exchanged a long look with her.

  “Isla, why don’t you hold my hand and show me which way to go?” Elias set her carefully on the ground before summoning his spear. “I will stand guard of Ichi Island’s new princess.”

  Isla giggled. “I’ll be the best princess!”

  Melly was grateful that he’d read the discomfort on her face. She feared that changing into her own [Combat Mode] would set Isla on edge. While she always kept a handful of Microbe and Acid Bottles on hand in her [Cat Pack], she wouldn’t have access to her Skills, and it would prove difficult to fight off multiple attackers on her own if it came down to it.

  I wish I didn’t have to think of my neighbors this way.

  Women from every Shell were out for their morning preparations and to begin their work. Breaking down the walls and reshaping them into usable building blocks took an immense amount of time and [Energy]. Then, once the blocks were ready, using them to repair and rebuild the houses in the Third Shell occupied nearly every craftswoman’s waking moment.

  It didn’t take long. Elias’s presence called the immediate attention of anyone within line of sight. He’d moved Isla to walk between himself and Melly, sharing idle conversation with the kitten while the spear rested against his right shoulder for all to see.

  Melly counted four women trailing a few yards behind them, watching and whispering to one another as they journeyed to Aubrey’s house. She tried to keep an eye on the shadowed alleys created between houses, but her nerves had convinced her that every object that caught her attention moved, shifted, or was approaching closer.

  She breathed deeply when they made it to Aubrey’s doorstep. At least Isla would be safe. Outside of her duties as a nyanny, Aubrey was a powerful [Wizard] who was fiercely protective of her charges. Few would dare to challenge her.

  After knocking three times, Melly positioned her back to the wall and peered out at the half-dozen catgirls observing their every movement.

  “Oh, my!” Aubrey gasped when she opened the door.

  “Miss Aubrey! This is Sir Elias!” Isla announced. “He’s my guard!”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Elias said with a quick bow.

  Melly never stopped watching the girls behind them. One hand rested on her [Cat Pack], ready to throw whatever was necessary to keep them safe.

  Aubrey looked between them, then reached for Isla. “We’ve just started making jojoba cakes. Why don’t you come inside and help us, Isla?”

  “Oh. Alright!” Isla hopped up on the doorstep. “I’ll see you tonight, right, Sir Elias?”

  “Of course, Isla.” Elias ruffled the kitten’s hair, then stepped aside and turned to face the growing crowd.

  Melly couldn’t help the smile that played on her lips. Isla had grown attached to him so quickly. She turned to her daughter and kissed her forehead. “I love you, sunshine. Have fun with your friends.”

  “Love you, Mommy! Bye!” Isla rushed into the house, leaving Aubrey on the doorstep.

  “Luck and warmth to you both,” Aubrey said in a voice the kittens would not be able to hear. “I’ll remain in [Combat Mode] until your return.”

  “Thank you, Aubrey,” Melly murmured.

  After the door closed behind them, Melly turned to stand beside Elias.

  “Four of these women watch us out of curiosity. One intends to harm. One is unsure,” Elias whispered to Melly. “There are two in the shadows—I believe one is the partner of the ill-intended, as they share a similar style of armor. The other, I could not read.”

  Melly’s jaw slacked, but she quickly shook her head and recovered her surprise. He’d inferred that much from a short walk? “What should we do?”

  “I will position myself closest to the woman I do not trust. You stay to my left.” He glanced at Melly. “Our aim is to make it to the castle, and we will not tarry. Just enough words to temporarily sate them, and then we continue forward.”

  “What if they strike us from the shadows?”

  A wry smile tweaked Elias’s lips, and he rolled his fingers across his spear. “Then we strike back.”

  Volume One is out now on eBook, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback, and Audible! , , , and are available on eBook, Kindle Unlimited, and Paperback.

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