Paen backed away from the door, ignoring the pounding of fists and the calling of his name from the other side of the wood. He walked down the hall to where Issa and Lineche waited. “Keep looking for their werecat friend,” he ordered in a hushed tone and his mother tongue, “let them out in a week or so and don’t hinder them further from there but continue to watch their movements.”
Lineche bowed, striding down the hall to stand guard at the hotel room door. “My lord...” Issa began, pulling Paen’s gaze to the older man, “is this necessary? They are only a couple of children.”
Paen leaned a hip against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest, “kids who claim to have a god on their side...” Issa’s frown lines and wrinkles looked deeper as he gave Paen a tired, withered look. Paen tilted his head to the side, averting his gaze, “look... there’s two possibilities. These are just two slightly strange children with a missing cat who might die if they continue on this path which would shatter my heart or...” Paen held out the word as he looked back at Issa again. “The boy has an actual Ascendent in his head and they could rescue the princess before me and ruin my plans, “ he pushed away from the wall, “either way, it’s better to hinder their progress.”
*
“Priestess... Priestess!” Marsa jolted awake, a warm hand on her shoulder. Her knees ached as she slowly came to in the prayer room. She raised her head, wincing at the crick in her neck and slowly tried to stand on tingling legs. She gave a gentle smile to the man, a frequent guest of the temple, that had awoken her, “I can’t believe I fell asleep like that. Truly embarrassing.”
The elderly man, Cerve, returned her smile, “all I see is devotion so great that you prayed until you could not anymore. Nothing to be ashamed of... who’s this?”
Marsa’s heart stopped as she all of a sudden remembered why she had fallen asleep outside of her quarters. She looked down at the curled up, still sleeping form of Orfen. His tail was wrapped around his body and tucked between his legs and when he laid on his side his hair fanned out enough that his ears blended in. Thankfully, Cerve’s eyesight was poor and the incidental hiding of his cat features was enough for the old man to not notice he wasn’t looking at a human.
“A poor, sick child that wandered in last night in search of shelter... Cerve, could you please relight the candles for me. I must get this child into a proper bed and freshen up a bit for the day.”
“It would be my honor, Priestess.” Once he turned his back to them and left to get the supplies, she scooped Orfen up in her arms, her back protesting the weight of the gangly teenager. She had only just straightened out when Orfen jerked awake, panic in his amber eyes.
“Shh...” Marsa hushed him, holding him tighter, “pretend to be asleep and keep your tail tucked.”
Orfen listened without question, his tail coming up between his legs, the fluffy part resting on his chest. Marsa’s heart panged as she realized how often the poor boy likely had to hide himself.
For the sake of both the boy and her back, Marsa beat a hasty retreat back to her quarters. She only got a few steps down the hall before a voice called out to her, “Priestess, would you mind showing me what you have in those arms of yours?”
