Chapter 9

His majesty had ordered his guards to entertain Miss Haru until dawn, when they were to let her into the maze that led to the portal to the human world. The burly cats had been more respectful of their captive than the king, and had asked her what she would enjoy.

"Can you bat?" she asked.

The faces of the guards lit up. Cricket, a winner everywhere.

Haru was given the ginger team, while the informal "palace guard" team assembled with their gear to bat.

She was content to let the team's other bowlers go first, taking up position in silly-mid-on for the first over, then long on for the second over. For the third over, she bowled. On almost every delivery, she got the receiving bats-cat out. She came up on side, and bowled fast spinners. The cats weren't used to it. They didn't have fingers to curl around the ball like she did.

One of the gingers bowled another over. Then Haru was called up to bowl again – to get the rest of the opposing team out. The gingers let her bat first, reasoning that if she was good, they would win very quickly, and if she wasn't, they had other bats-cats that would be able to make the few runs required to win the game.

The other bats-cats weren't needed, and tea was called. It was a grand affair, but Haru couldn't eat anything – unable to bring herself to eat something that stared up at her from the plate. Raw fish had never been appealing to her, even as sushi.

Music started up, and a ginger approached her. Haru thought at first that he might have been on the team, but he was wearing the mask of an entertainer.

"Care to dance?" he asked, offering his gloved hand.

"I'd only break your toes," she said. "I'm a really meowsy dancer. OH!" she covered her mouth. She had meant to say lousy, but it had come out meowsy. She wondered what else had changed about her.

"Trust me," the masked ginger said, slipping his fingers around hers – which were starting to get shorter and clawed.

The music was sweet, and Haru was surprised to find herself dancing gracefully with this strange cat when she realised whom it had to be. After all, what other cat had fingers?

He was guiding her closer to the window, and was almost there when the guards noticed the stranger. They were surreptitiously picking up their weapons and moving towards the dancing couple when Muta burst through the main curtained door.

"Why wasn't I invited!" he yelled, laying into the nearest guard, and cake, at the same time. The distraction more than sufficient to cover his friend's exit.

"Jump," Baron whispered urgently to Haru, tugging her towards the window. "Toto's just outside," he added, seeing the shock and fear in the lady's lovely brown eyes.

Haru jumped. Baron followed. Muta made a mess of the palace security.

"How bad is it?" Haru asked the Baron as Toto flew them to the exit tower.

"Short fur, ears, tail, nose," Baron said. "You're still fetching, if that's any kind of solace," he added, straining the words out. He wasn't used to being so forward, and it showed.

"Thank you Baron, but no, it isn't the most comforting thought," Haru answered.

"There's something going on down in the maze," Toto said, swooping a little lower to see.

"It's Lune and the king!" Haru cried, surprised to see them. "And that looks like Yuki," she added to herself, spotting the white feline that was running along the walls of the maze from the castle to the two royal cats.

The king and his son were fighting. Rather than claws, they were using broadswords, and it looked like Lune was winning.

"Toto, you get Miss Haru to the exit, I'm going to help the prince," Baron said, dropping from the crow's back.

"Got it!" answered the airborne living statue.

Haru wasn't exactly ecstatic about being left behind, but at the same time, getting out was important. She couldn't – simply wouldn't – live the rest of her life as a cat. She held tightly to Toto's back where the wings sprouted from his shoulders as he sped even faster towards, then up inside the tower. With an explosion of water, they left the Cat Kingdom, Cat Paw Lake, and Haru's slightly cat-like appearance all behind.

Toto had to land quickly as Haru was also returning to her regular height, no longer effected by the spells of the Bureau or the Cat Kingdom.