Page 39 of Cats Never Fly

“Ifeel your magic, like it’s linked to mine.Likeit’s inside me,”Iwhispered.Ipushed my fingers into my chestwhere a knot of our combined magic seemed to be writhing within me. “Howis that possible?”

“It’spart of the summoning spell,”Ogdensaid as he rubbed his own chest.Didhe feel the same thingIdid, or had my magic stolen his?Iwas too scared to ask.

Beforetoday,Ihadn’t thought about how other supes’ magic worked… or any magic at all, really.Magicand magical beings surrounded me all the time.Itjust was.Ilived my life.Ihad my family.Mamaalways saidWillowLakewas special, but what did that mean?IwishedI’dpaid more attention.Didthat mean everyone could put their magic out there like that?

Ogdenwas a lot more worldly thanIwas—I’dknown that even before he mentioned buying swimming gear fromMonacoor having his own lawyer.Ibet he’d know.Sincewe were tied together now,Ishould attempt to learn stuff too.Icringed.Ididn’t know where to begin.Exceptfor biology class,I’dnever really liked any of my school subjects.AndIonly liked biology because it was practical.Whereelse could you find out the answer to important questions like:Couldcats survive falls from great heights?

MaybeIshould start with learning more about summoning magic and the kinds of connections it forged.Huh.Ibet some scientist out there had classified all the various bonds made between supes.CouldIlook that up onSupenet?Untiltoday,I’donly known about bonds for mates, whether chosen or fated.

Butthis wasn’t like that, was it?

Igulped for air.

“Arewe mated?No, we can’t be.”

“No.”Ogdenshook his head. “Butthere is something connecting us.”

“Holyhairballs, what have we done?”

Ogdendidn’t say anything.

Myparents weren’t fated mates; they’d chosen one another instead of having theEternalMagicdo it for them.Withso many people finding their fated mates this past summer,WillowLakerstalked about bonds a lot, soIknew a tiny bit more about how fated and chosen bonds happened thanIdid before.Itmade me suspect something like that might have happened betweenOgdenand me, except… not?

“Imight not be the smartest cat in town, but this…”Ihit my chest where the magic was still tangled up inside me. “Whateverthis is between us, it feels a lot like whatIthink a mating bond is supposed to feel like.Sowhat does that make us?Companions?Chums?Comrades?Partners?Anddon’t sayI’myour master.Nope.Nuh-uh.Nothappening.”

“Partners?”Theword resonated between us. “Icould live with that.”Ogdensaid.

“Sweetmother of kittens,”Iwhispered asIrubbed my chest harder.

Iwas unprepared to be someone’s partner.Iwas an unambitious night security guard at a motel where nothing ever happened.Andif something ever did happen whenIwas on duty, it was a sure betI’drun in the other direction as fast asIcould.Iwasn’t exactly a prize.But, forOgden,Isuddenly wanted to do better, be more.

Andwhat about the other magicIhad sensed when we’d waited for the whistle to take him back to the cage?Fora moment,I’dalmost thought it felt…Idon’t know.Real.Likea true connection.Exceptit wasn’t.Itwas created by the magic in the whistle.False.Artificial.Fake.Counterfeit.

“Thisis all so very, very wrong, isn’t it?”Iasked. “Youfeel it too, don’t you?Howwrong it is?”

Onceagain,Ogdendidn’t speak.

IhatedIcould mistake such a manipulative spell for the real thing.Evenfor a minute.Howwas that possible?

Itwas something to think about later.Muchlater.Ornever.Becausedid it matter now?Themagic had joined us together.Whatuse would it be to dissect the past?

Fornow, allIcould do was try to relax asOgden’smagic pushed into all the gouges and crevices in my own.Thestrange magic should feel foreign and intrusive, but it didn’t.Itsoothed me, even more than a hug from my mama.Ogdenfelt like home.

Thatstupid summoning spell was messing with me.

Myheart pounded in my chest.

Itwas so wrong to crush on a stranger who’d been dragged into my life against his will.AndyetIcouldn’t regret it too much, because where he’d been beforeIblew the whistle sounded horrible.

And… what if we tried to make the most of this situation?I’dnever believedI’dfind my fated mate.ButOgdenandIwere stuck together now, right?Maybewe could find a way to be companions.Loverseven?Orwas that too ambitious?Imean, he could be attracted to me.Hehad flirted with me.Butthen again, he flirted with the others too.Itmight not mean much.

Butif it did…

“Hushnow, kitty cat,”Ogdenwhispered.Herested his hand on my chest, right over my racing heart. “You’restressing yourself.Stressisn’t good for anyone.What’sdone is done.”

Hewas right.Inodded and sucked in a deep breath.Ogdenstroked my chest, almost like he was petting me.Wouldhe do that?IfIshifted, would he pet me?Icould remember my parents doing that for one another.Itseemed…Idon’t know.Itwasn’t sexual, but it was nice.Soothing.

ThenOgdenhummed.Ididn’t recognize the song, but it sounded like a lullaby.Hesmiled as my heart slowed to a normal rhythm and my whirling thoughts quieted.