CHAPTER NINE
A few days later, I put my plan into action.
"Lionblaze!" I hissed. It was after midnight. He lifted his ginger head sleepily, and murmured, "What?"
"We need to talk."
"Now? But it's the middle of the night!"
"I'll answer your questions later. Get Jayfeather and Dovewing and meet me at the Twoleg nest."
Lionblaze looked alarmed, but poked Dovewing until she got up, told her what to do, then slipped out of the den to fetch Jayfeather.
"What do you want, Gingerclaw?" Dovewing asked as we walked through the forest.
"Ah, I want so many things," I said, trying to sound mysterious. (When I showed this to Sam, she said to inform you that I failed. I hate her sometimes.) "But StarClan granted me my greatest wish about seven moons or so ago."
"And what was that?" Dovewing asked, curious.
I smile wryly. "I can't tell you ... Yet."
We waited silently at the Twoleg nest for a long time. When Lionblaze and Jayfeather finally arrived, I remarked, "Well you two took your time!"
Lionblaze smiled. "Sorry. Jay-jay here took forever to wake up."
Jayfeather growled at his brother and asked, "Why did you drag us out here in the middle of the night?"
"Becuase ..." I straightened myself and took a deep breath. Then I did what was probably the stupidest thing I've ever done to this day; the exact same thing I had warned everyone else not to do.
I said the prophecy.
Hey, it was the phantom voice's idea!
"There will be three, kin of the cat with fire in his pelt, who hold the power of the stars their paws."
The Three just stared at me, obviously shocked. Yup, that definitely was the stupidest thing I've ever done.
"You—but—you—" Lionblaze stammered, mystified.
"How do you know?!" Dovewing whispered.
I was smiling stupidly. Then I turned to Jayfeather and said bluntly, "Been talking to Half Moon recently, Jay's Wing?"
He flinched backward, as if he had been electrocuted.
"Choose your mate wisely, Dovewing. Your current code-breaking love interest is a traitor ... even if he does love you."
Dovewing looked away guiltily.
As I turned on Lionblaze, my gaze softened. "Whatever thoughts of rebellion you're having, drop it. You can't fight what's preordained."
The handsome ginger tom looked bewildered. Then Jayfeather spoke.
"Gingerclaw, you've lost us."
So I explained. I explained everything. Who I was, where I came from—everything. Well, except for the conversation with Mothface. And the one with Dashwind. And my feelings about Lionblaze. And ... well, you get the picture.
When I was done, Jayfeather nodded. "She's telling the truth."
I had always wondered what the Warriors cats would think if they knew that they were actually just the figments of a few Twolegs' imagination. Now I was about to find out.
"So everything that's happened to us—everything—is controlled by Twolegs?" Dovewing asked quietly.
"Yeah, that just about sums it up," I said. "Of course, StarClan could be controlling the Twolegs."
"That's not very reassuring," Jayfeather muttered.
"It's not," I agreed.
And that pretty much says it all, doesn't it?
Jayfeather and Dovewing were eager to return to their nests. I wasn't tired after what I had just done; rather, I was energized by finally letting my secrets go. Well ... most of my secrets.
When I announced I would like to stay in the Twoleg nest and hunt a while, Lionblaze said he would join me. I smiled and accepted his offer.
After a vole and a mouse, I took a breather. Lionblaze jumped from the second story with a squirrel in his mouth. He dropped it to the ground and sat next to me.
"Nice night, huh?" he said.
I nodded. Suddenly I thought struck me. Surely there were more romantic places than the Twoleg nest ... ? "Think there might be some prey by the lake?" I asked.
"Well ... yeah, I guess." Lionblaze sounded a little disappointed. Why, I wonder?
"Then let's go!" I said. He nodded and we went to bury our prey. He had caught more than me.
We walked to the lake in silence. I kept "accidentally" brushing up against him. He kept flashing nervous glances at me, but I pretended not to notice. My heart was in my throat. I was nervous that this wasn't going to work.
When we reached the lake, I made no move to go hunt. Neither did he. I padded to the shore. The moon was high in the sky, still almost full. The waves lapped the pebbled shore quietly. The scent of autumn filled the air—it was nearly leaf-bare, and the trees at the edge of the shore were beautiful shades of orange and yellow.
Lionblaze walked up next to me. "It's a wonderful night," he murmured. I nodded in agreement. I breathed in the smell of the forest. The moon's reflection on the water was dazzling. It was almost as if StarClan had set up the perfect scene for romance here.
I sighed. "I'm glad to share it with you, Lionblaze," I whispered. "I only wish ..."
"What?" he asked, concerned.
I smiled faintly. "Nothing."
"Just nothing?" Lionblaze persisted. "Is it something I can help with?"
"Oh, Lionblaze," I laughed, "I can't answer that. Only you can."
He licked the top of my head. "I think I know the answer."
I sighed happily and rested my head on his shoulder. He blinked, a little shocked.
"Gingerclaw ... ? Do you ... do you ... like me?"
I looked out on the perfect night. "Do you mean 'like' as in 'I like you as a friend'? Or 'like' as 'like like'?"
He shuffled his feet uncomfortably and said, "Gingerclaw, this may sound weird since I was your mentor and all ... but I really like you. You're funny, smart, beautiful, a good warrior, loyal, and after what happened tonight, I really made up my mind about you. I loved Cinderheart for awhile, but when she found out about the prophecy, she left me for Mousewhisker. I was afraid to fall in love again because I didn't want to be broken again, but ... I did. And since you already know about the prophecy, it makes things so much easier."
He turned and looked me in the eyes. I gazed into his big, worried, amber ones as he whispered, "I love you, Gingerclaw."
I reached up on my tiptoes and touched his nose with mine, the equivalent of a cat kiss. "I love you too, Lionblaze."
I swear I heard my phantom voice mutter, "At last she says it!" But I let it pass. I was too happy to argue with myself.
Lionblaze and I lay down next to each other, watching the fireflies dance across the water of the lake, and purred until we fell asleep.
