Prince of Cats (7 page)

Neomee heard a
familiar
massive roar shake the room as
she
flew out the door. 

Back in the slave quarters, the
Slave Master
ordered the other
slaves from the room, “Out!  Go!
F
ind work.  Stay busy!
  And for the sake of your lives stay away from the dining hall.  STAY AWAY FROM THE CATS
!
  Hide if you must!”

Neomee turned to the
Slave Master
.  She could
n’t control the tremble of fear that shook her limbs
.
 
“
Wh
-
what just happened?”

The
Slave Master
slapped her, drawing blood from her nose.  “You stupid fool!  Paradin
g around in front of the Prince and
calling his attention to you.  Do you see what it
has
wrought?  You could have died today, should have.  Probably still will!”  He slapped her again.

Neomee’s cheek stung more from anger than from the
Slave Master
’s assault.  Her adrenaline
was
still
coursing too
quickly for her
to have felt any pain
.
“I did nothing wrong.  He
toys with me!”  Tears of anger seeped down her red cheek.

“As is his right!  As is any of their right!  You are a slave. 
Only
a slave!
”  The
Slave Master
pushed her hard and Neomee stumbled backward and fell to the ground.  “You with the
eyes always looking around.  Don’t think I do not see.  Everyday where the other slaves keep their eyes where they belong, you look about as if you are better than them.  That is how you brought this on yourself.  You sought out trouble and have now found it.
  If the Prince or one of the other Cats does not
claim you
or
kill you tonight, the Priest surely will.  Do you think he can allow a mere slave to cause a mutiny among his Cats?  Even his most favored
of
Cats?  No, I think not.” 

Neomee sat on the floor glaring up at the
Slave Master
as he unfurled his whip.  He cracked it in the air once, making Neomee flinch as he
quickly
lashed it down and wrapped it around her
neck
.  Neomee’s hands went to her throat and pulled at the whip as she gasped for air. 

The
Slave Master
tugged the rope tight and began
slowly dragging her from the room
.
“I’ll save the Priest the trouble and take you to him now.”

Neomee’s legs flailed as she tried to gain purchase
.  Pebbles dug into her arms and tore at her skin as she was drug toward the door.  Then, just a
s the
Slave Master
crossed the threshold
,
the whip around Neomee’s neck instantly loosened and she sprawled on the dirt floor coughing and gasping for air.  Crawling to her side she looked up for the
Slave Master
, but saw only the handle of his whip lying in the dirt in front of her as dust clouded the air.
 
She
scooted herself
back
from the doorway, still
dragging in great pants of breath
. 

H
er back hit the far
wall,
and
she sat watching the door
way, terrif
ied at not knowing what happened to the Priest
. 
S
he nearly cried out in relief when Bray entered
. 

Still clutching her throat, Neomee
slumped against the wall as he
approached.

“Are you alright?” Bray asked as he bent and grabbed her hand.  He had bloody claw marks down the front of his chest and on one forearm.

Her relief quickly turned to anger and
Neomee glared up at
Bray
as she jerked her hand from his, “If you are so determined to see me killed, then do it now, but do it yourself!”

Bray stood and
glared down at her
, “I meant you no harm.” 

Neomee rose, trying to wipe what was now
a thin coat of
mud from the front of her gown.  She approached until she w
as inches from him as she peered
up at his
concerned gaze, “
Perhaps you could mean it a little more.”  Neomee made to pass Bray, but he grabbed her arm
and jerked
her back to him.

“You forget your place.  You are still a slave.  And
I am a Cat. 
Prince of Cats
!
”

Neomee dropped her eyes to the floor.  She made no attempt to pull from him as she
bit through clenched teeth
, “My apologies
…
Master
.”

Bray stood holding her arm in his vice-like grip as he glared down at her. 
She didn’t look at him and remained motionless, submissive.

“If I may be so bold
oh Prince
.  Perhaps whatever it is you seek from me, you should take
it
now so that we may be done with it.”

“And what is it you presume I seek from you?”

She couldn’t control the anger and resentment that flooded her. 
“My only guess could be humiliation
.  As it is all you’ve given me for the past few weeks
…
Master.”
The last word
dripped with sarcasm and too late Neomee realized she’d gone too far.

Bray’s hand was around
Neomee’s throat in an instant.  His fierce grip crushing her
warm flesh until stars danced before her eyes
.  She
struggled to breathe as t
he warm liqui
d pools
of his eyes that
she was
now
so familiar with transitioned to a neon yellow with black
slits down the center.  His face rippled before her
transitioning from flesh to fur than back.

Did I just see..
?

It was the last thing Neomee saw.

***

Neomee’s hand went to her throat as her eyes fluttered open. 
Between the
Slave Master
’
s whip and Bray’s chokehold it wa
s a
miracle
her slender throat hadn’t snapped in two. 
She
warily eyed her surroundings from the cushion of the bed on which she lay. 

One window on the far wall revealed that it was late
at
night
.  T
he sky was black as pitch, dotted by the winks of numerous distant stars.  Letting her eyes travel the wall she saw that the room was barren.  No curtains covered the open
window;
no art decorated the brown stone walls.  It appeared that the only thing in the room aside from her was the canopied bed on which she lay and the low divan seated at the foot of the bed.
 

Looking for an escape route, Neomee found Bray’s ma
ssive form standing in the door
way with his back to her.

She
rose
unsteadily
from the bed and dropped her eyes to the floor,
rubbing
her neck before she dropped her hands and
lock
ed them together
behind her back in the proper slave s
tance.
 

“M-
m…,
” Neomee
cleared her
s
cratchy
throat, “Master?”
The word came out on a harsh whisper.

Bray turned to face her,
sadness in his eyes
as he noted
her posture
.
 
“You don’t have to do that.” 

“Master, please forgive me
for
my transgressions
.
  I truly meant you no dishonor.
”  Neomee bowed her head in submission.

“Please don’t do that.”  The pain in Bray’s expression trickled into his voice.

Neomee bowed her head even lower. 
I have got to get out
of here.  Please Amon, don’t screw this up.  Just be what he wants.  Just be a damn slave.

“
It is
I
who must beg forgiveness.
” Bray crossed the room to stand before her, “
My apologies.  I should not have sought you out so soon from a fight.  My Cat was too…well, he is often uncontrollable.  But that is no fault of your
s
.  I sh
ould not have toyed with you the
s
e
past few weeks.  Now it would seem my Cat cannot go a day without your scent.”

Neomee’s mind raced for the proper response.  “
As is your right Master.  As is any of your right.  I am a slave. 
Only
a slave.”  Neomee repeated the words the
Slave Master
had
spoke
n
to her e
arlier, only t
his time she believed them
.
  Her head still bowed submissively, Neomee licked her parched lips,
“Master, may I be excused?” 

Again,
a pained expression crossed Bray’s face, but was lost on Neomee as she refused to
raise her bowed head
.  Moments passed before Bray whispered, “Yes.”

Neomee calmly walked from the room without ever
having looked
up.

C
hapter
7

The following day, Bray made an effort to get to the dining hall early in hopes of conversing with Neomee prior to her work shift
.  Dust b
illowed up from the floor as his sandaled feet
paced back and forth just outside the door to the dining hall.  He knew the slaves would be streaming down the ha
ll any moment. 

Guilt over his actions had prevented any real sleep during the night and even now he still cursed his lack of control.  He wasn’t accustomed to dealing with females so his natural instincts overrode good judgment when she’d challenged him. 
She should have known better
.  And not because she was a slave.  In fact, her status didn’t matter at all to him, what did was the fact that she’d brazenly disrespect one of the guardian Cats. 

For what felt like the hundredth time in the past
day,
anger
bubbled to the surface. 
What in all the temples had she been thinking?
  He knew for a fact that had she dared to address any of the other Cats in such a manner she
would have
paid dearly. 
He cringed when he thought of the likes of Hondo getting his hands on her.  She was small and fragile looking and that fact brought forth his protective instincts.
 
His eyes darted
to
the mouth of the hall when he heard muffled voices. 

Why he felt the need to apologize again made no sense but it was still so
mething he felt compelled to do.  He knew she could never understand his need for dominance, it was the animalistic part of him that he couldn’t control.  He was neither ashamed nor proud of what he was, but he wanted Neomee to understand
.  For some strange reason it was important to him that she not
fear him.

He caught sight of her near the end of the line
.  W
hen her bright blue
eyes
snagged on his,
she quickly bowed
her head, her feet
stutter
ing
to a halt.  Bray watched as slaves behind her nudged
her out of the way to walk
past.

Even with her head down he could see her eyes shifting from side to side in indecision. 
Over the scent of the processional of slaves he picked up the all-too familiar scent of Neomee’s fear and it angered him.  His lips pulled back to reveal sharp canines
that had elongated involuntary when his Cat became displeased
.  The slaves parading by took notice and it only took a moment for their quiet talking to cease as they
dropped their heads to
pass in silence.

Bray stomped toward Neomee who still stood motionless near the mouth of the corridor. 
He tried to control his angered response at her reaction to seeing him
but when his words
burst
forth he realized too late that he’d failed.  “You will not avoid me!”
 
His eyes dropped to her full lips as they parted but no words came out.  He inhaled a calming breath and tried again
more slowly
.  “Are you well today?”  He lifted a hand to touch on her throat where it was bruised from his assault a day earlier.
 
Neomee jerked back at the action
and Bray’s brows speared down before his expression softened along with his tone.  He dropped his hand to his side, “I meant you no harm.”
  Drawing in a deep breath he took a step back when he noticed her trembling.  “I wanted to apologize again for my behavior yesterday.  I lost control and if I hurt you…I am sorry.”