Chapter 8
Lirael
I waited until I was certain Isabella wasn't coming back. Listened to the hum of the yacht's engines, the occasional soft sounds from the animals, the distant murmur of voices from the upper deck. Then I reached out again, this time with more focus, more intention.
The black cat lifted its head, ears swiveling toward me.
I need your help, I told it wordlessly, projecting images and feelings rather than words. That woman—the blonde one—she hurt you, didn't she? I can feel the scars. The burns. She enjoyed it.
The cat's tail lashed once, sharply. Memory flashed between us—Isabella with an electric prod, laughing as the cat screamed, calling it a "filthy beast" and "worthless creature."
I thought so, I sent back, my mental voice cold with fury. Would you like to return the favor?
The cat's eyes gleamed with sudden interest.
I can't get out of this cage, I explained. But yours—I can see the lock from here. It's electronic. Poorly maintained. If you hit it just right, from the inside, it might short out.
I showed it the angle, the spot where the wiring was exposed, the exact amount of force needed. The cat was smart—smarter than any normal animal should be—and it understood immediately.
When she comes back, I continued, you get out. You scare her. Nothing permanent—we don't want to give Sebastian an excuse to put you down. Just... make her regret her choices. Can you do that?
The cat stood, stretched, and gave me a look that was pure feline smugness.
I'll take that as a yes, I thought with grim amusement.
Then I settled back on my cushion, closed my eyes, and waited.
---
It didn't take long. Maybe thirty minutes before I heard the keycard beep and the cabin door opened. I kept my eyes closed, my breathing slow and even, the picture of exhausted resignation.
Isabella's footsteps approached my cage. I could feel her standing there, looking down at me, probably enjoying the sight of the proud elf brought low.
"Still awake?" she murmured. "Poor thing. Can't sleep in your new accommodations? Well, you'd better get used to it. This is your life now."
Now, I thought at the cat.
I heard the snap of metal, the spark of shorting electronics, and then Isabella's gasp of surprise. My eyes flew open just in time to see the black cat launch itself from its cage, a streak of midnight fury with claws extended.
It hit Isabella's arm and held on, claws sinking deep, drawing blood. She screamed—a high, piercing sound of genuine terror—and tried to shake it off, but the cat was relentless, riding her flailing arm like a rodeo bull.
The other animals went wild. The panther roared. The wolf howled. The hyena's laughter rose to manic heights. And I sat in my cage, watching it all with carefully concealed satisfaction.
That's for every animal you've ever hurt, I thought coldly. Every creature you've tortured for your own amusement.
Isabella stumbled backward, still screaming, and I saw the exact moment she realized she was going to fall. Her eyes went wide, her balance tipped—
The cabin door burst open and Sebastian strode in, Marcus right behind him with an electric prod. The sight of them sent the animals into even greater frenzy, and I pressed myself against the back of my cage, suddenly very aware of how bad this looked.
Shit, I thought. This might have been a miscalculation.
Marcus aimed the prod at the black cat, and I felt my heart lurch. No—don't kill it, please don't—
The electricity hit the cat and it yowled, releasing Isabella and scrambling back. But instead of attacking again or trying to escape, it did something that made my chest tighten: it looked directly at me—just for a moment, just long enough for Sebastian to notice—then deliberately ran back to its damaged cage and used its paws to pull the door shut as much as it could.
As if it was apologizing. As if it knew it would be punished and was trying to protect me from association.
You beautiful, clever creature, I thought, my throat tight.
Sebastian's eyes tracked the movement, then slowly, deliberately, turned to me. I saw him taking in the scene—Isabella bleeding and sobbing, the cat's cage obviously sabotaged, the way the animal had looked at me before returning to captivity.
I kept my face carefully neutral, but my mind was racing. He knows. He doesn't have proof, but he knows I had something to do with this.
"Interesting," Sebastian said softly, his voice cutting through Isabella's sobs and the animals' agitation like a knife. "Very interesting indeed."
He walked toward my cage with that predatory grace, and I scrambled to my feet, backing into the corner even though there was nowhere to go. Every instinct I possessed was screaming at me that I'd just made a terrible mistake, that I'd revealed too much, that the consequences were going to be worse than anything Isabella could have done.
"Tell me, little beast," he said, stopping just outside the bars, his amber eyes boring into mine, "why did that animal look at you before it returned to its cage?"
Because it's smart, I wanted to say. Because it recognized a fellow prisoner. Because even animals understand loyalty and gratitude better than most humans.
But I kept my mouth shut and my face blank, even as my heart hammered against my ribs.
"Master!" Isabella was sobbing, clutching her bleeding arm. "She did this! The elf—she made the animal attack me! I saw her earlier, making those strange sounds, communicating with it—"
I didn't make a single sound, I thought furiously. I haven't spoken a word since you put that collar on me, you lying bitch.
But Sebastian was still looking at me with those predator's eyes, and I could see him putting the pieces together.
"Marcus," he said quietly, never taking his eyes off me, "escort Isabella to the medical bay. Have her injuries treated and then—" He paused, and something cold and terrible entered his voice. "—place her under Level One Discipline for unauthorized entry to restricted areas and failure to properly secure dangerous animals."
What? I thought, genuinely shocked. He's punishing her?
Isabella's face went white. "Master, no—I was only trying to—"
"You were trying to punish what belongs to me," Sebastian interrupted, his voice like ice. "Without my permission. Without my orders." He finally looked away from me to pin her with a gaze that could have frozen fire. "She is mine. My property. My concern. And if she commits an offense worthy of punishment, I will be the one to decide it. Not you. Never you. Do you understand?"
Isabella was shaking, tears streaming down her face, but she managed to whisper, "Yes, Master."
"Good." He turned back to me, and I saw something in his eyes that made my stomach drop—not anger, but fascination. Dangerous, consuming fascination. "Marcus, have this cage moved to the corridor outside my quarters. I want her where I can keep an eye on her."
No, I thought desperately. No, that's worse. That's so much worse than staying here.
But I had no choice. I never had a choice.
Marcus efficiently unlocked my cage and gestured for me to come out. I did, moving slowly, carefully, hyperaware of Sebastian's eyes tracking my every movement. The golden chain attached to my collar caught the light as Marcus clipped a lead to it, and I had to swallow back the surge of humiliation.
Pet, I thought bitterly. He's literally going to lead me around on a leash.
As we passed Isabella, being supported by another staff member, I saw the hatred in her eyes. The promise of retribution. The absolute certainty that this wasn't over.
Bring it on, I thought coldly. You have no idea what you're dealing with.