Hi everyone! *shyly peeks out at the angry mob* I'm sooo sorry that I haven't been updating! School stuff is getting in the way, and I was going through some things...but I'm back now and I promise I won't suddenly go away like that again! I've managed to get a little bit ahead in the writing for this story, though updates might be sparse as I have a test coming up that I need to prepare for.

But I haven't forgotten all of you, and the knowledge that I had a story to work on and fans to think of helped give me a push to get moving.

To my reviewers!

Evelyn Knight: I'm glad you liked my backstory! I wasn't sure at first, afraid it might be too bold or come across the wrong way, but I'm glad you like it. There will be more backstory, and more Macavity interactions with Grizabella. That's all I'm going to say. ;)

Guest (Aira): I took inspiration from Shere Khan (both the original and the latest live action) as well as a bit of Moriarty Sherlock for Macavity, and just a little bit of Loki thrown into the mix for that mischievous fun. ;) He's definitely an interesting character and I have so much fun writing him. I'm glad you're enjoying my interpretations and I hope you continue to enjoy.

Guest: Is it alright if I request some kind of nickname for you as well? I'd hate to be so impersonal and just call you Guest since you took the time to share your thoughts. Thank you for the kind words, and I hope you will continue to read and enjoy my story! :)

Ok, I think I've held you up enough! No warnings for this chapter aside from general angsty feels, and hints at some darker things. I hope you guys enjoy, and I promise I will have the next chapter up soon!

Don't forget to review!

- Raven

"What do you need me to do?"

Macavity's surprise lasted only a second before his face split into a grin, and I prided myself on not shuddering as he approached me.

"I'm glad you've finally come to your senses," he said, still smiling, but I held my paw up before he could continue.

"If I'm going to do this, we need to set some ground rules." I kept my voice steady, maintaining eye contact as I spoke.

"Ground rules?" he repeated, but his expression was amused, not murderous, and I felt confident enough to continue.

"You have to promise me that no one will get hurt."

He smirked at that, and a small tremor went through my body. "I'm afraid I can't promise that," he said lowly. "You see, my plan is to make them suffer, and unfortunately that will involve hurting."

I grimaced, but grit my jaw anyway, resolute. "No one will die," I stated, and his eyes flashed, but his smirk remained in place.

"That is entirely up to you, my dear."

I growled, ignoring the way he was glaring at me, ignoring the warnings. I wasn't going to back down on this. I might be following his plan, but I was following it on my terms, and only so nothing worse could happen.

"No one. Will die." I repeated, and he was no longer smiling, all amusement gone.

"No one will die," he echoed, but I still felt a sick feeling in my stomach, and I knew I would have to watch carefully to ensure he kept his word.

"Now," he said stiffly, a hint of a growl in his words. "If you are entirely satisfied…." His words drawled off as he made a gesture with his paw, and the door opened behind me. I turned, and was surprised and startled to see Rumpleteazer entering the room. She barely glanced at me, instead stopping just off to my left, watching Macavity for instructions.

"You will be going to the Junkyard with Rumpleteazer," Macavity said, and I straightened instantly, simultaneously relieved and terrified at the news. "She will be showing you the 'ins and outs,' so to speak, of the yard."

"But I already know the ins and outs of the yard," I said, and Rumpleteazer glanced slyly at me from the corner of her eye.

"Not all of 'em."

"You are not to be seen," Macavity said sharply, drawing our attention once more. "You are simply there to observe the state of things, and you will report back to me immediately. Is that understood?"

Rumpleteazer nodded once firmly, and he looked to me. I hesitated, my eyes on the floor as I thought about it. Was I really going to do this? Betray the Junkyard? Betray the Jellicles, when they had done so much for me that I hadn't deserved? Sure they had done terrible things, but who didn't? Everyone made mistakes. Their mistakes just happened to cost more than anyone had foreseen. I had to remind myself that no one would get hurt; no one would die as long as I was careful, and made sure to keep them out of harm's way without revealing how I knew about the harm. Easy. I could do that.

I raised my eyes to Macavity's and nodded, and he smiled once more, satisfied with my cooperation. The door opened again, and I followed Rumpleteazer out of the room and into the hallway. We walked down a flight of stairs, and stepped out into the place I recognized as the main room where I had first entered the warehouse.

"We're not going out the window?" I asked, and she shook her head, her gaze focused on where we were going.

"Nah, there's no need for that now. We're goin' out the front door."

"Oh," I said, and fell silent.

The sky was clear as we stepped out onto the street, and I squinted at the light from the sun, my eyes used to dim and dark. Rumpleteazer allowed me a moment for my eyes to adjust, but then she took off at a fast jog, and I darted forward to sprint after her. As we turned off the street of the warehouse, I noticed the street sign that I hadn't been able to read when I had come in. The letters were worn and faded, but I just managed to make out the name.

Lupus Street.

I laughed, and Rumpleteazer paused and gave me a curious look.

"Lupus Street," I said, nodding at the sign. "Macavity's warehouse is on Lupus Street."

"So?" she said, her brow furrowing.

"You know, Lupus, like the Latin for 'wolf.' I just thought it ironic that a cat lived on a street named for a dog."

She rolled her eyes and set off again, not even cracking a smile. "Keep up, we don't have a lot of time."

"Come on, Teaser," I protested as we ran. "Tell me it's not a little funny."

"Ha ha ha," she huffed, and I frowned.

"Did I do something?" I asked. "Are you mad at me?"

"No," she said quickly, glancing over. "Why?"

"You just seem…testy." I said carefully, and she glanced back towards the road ahead of us.

"Not mad at you," she finally said. "Jus' mad at the situation."

"The situation?"

"We might work for Macavity, but the Junkyard is still our home," she said. "Jerrie and I were born there; it's on our blood. Don't quite like the idea of it bein' destroyed, is all."

"I…I didn't know that," I said quietly, my doubts returning full force. "That would make you guys part of the Tribe, wouldn't it?"

"Not quite," she muttered. "We come and go too much to really settle and be part of the Jellicle Tribe, but they can't exactly do anythin' about us bein' there if we wanna be there."

I remembered the words from their song, then: 'This is merely our center of operation,' and I nodded my understanding. She turned back onto the side street where she and Jerrie had ambushed me, but stopped just short of the main road. Her ears pricked forward, every muscle tense and alert as she scanned the area quickly. She relaxed only enough to sit, and I followed her actions warily.

"Ok," she said in a low whisper. "Rule numb'r one of bein' discrete: avoid the humans."

"I know to avoid the humans, Teaser," I said, but she shook her head, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Numb'r two: stay low. Humans're usually focused on where they're goin', but not how they're goin', so you will get stepped on if you're not careful."

"Ok," I drawled, highly amused by the seriousness with which she spoke.

"Numb'r three: Watch your scent."

"My scent?" I repeated, and she nodded, pausing to take another look around.

"Once we step out onto that street, every cat within a hundred yards can smell us, includin' the Jellicles."

A hundred yards? I thought, but I just nodded again, and she nodded, satisfied.

"Hey, just out of curiosity," I said sheepishly. "Um…what do I smell like?"

It was her turn to look amused as she took in my embarrassed expression, but she humored me anyway, lightly sniffing the air around me. "You smell like dust," she informed me with a smug smirk, and I faltered taken aback.

"Dust? Like, dirt dust?"

She giggled at my tone, and I tried not to look offended. "No," she said, still giggling. "No, like…you know those wood tables?"

I nodded cautiously, unsure what she was getting at.

"You smell like them; ya know, when they're bein' made, and the table dust is everywhere."

"So I smell like table dust," I said, and she laughed again, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Yes."

"Great, I guess."

"Would you feel better if you commented on what I smelled like?"

I glared at her, trying to see if she was just making fun of me. She straightened, trying and failing to contain her grin. I growled at her, but she just laughed again, nudging me slightly, that mischievous gleam back in her eyes. As she leapt at me again, the wind shifted and I caught the smell of perfume.

"Wait," I said, stepping back in surprise. "Wait, perfume?"

She tilted her head in a sort of begrudging motion, and I took another cautious sniff, wrinkling my nose at the strength of the perfume.

"I think it's supposed to smell like flowers," I finally said. "But it's too strong to tell."

"Lilacs," she said. "It's our human's favorite. I tried to get rid of it, but it sticks."

I chuckled a little, and she growled at me, her eyes narrowing. "You're one to laugh, saw dust."

I tried to protest, but couldn't think of anything to retort with, and she laughed again before sobering. "Ok, we can argue, or we can do the job we were sent to do."

"Right," I said, and she started out from the alleyway.

We crept out onto the sidewalk, and then jumped down to walk in the street by the curb. I stayed low, following Rumpleteazer exactly, making note of all the street signs and buildings we passed. We finally entered Queen Street, and Rumpleteazer relaxed minutely.

"Almost there," she muttered, and I looked around and realized we were on the same street where Munkustrap and Alonzo had found me only a couple short weeks ago.

"Forgot to tell you the most importan' rule," Rumpleteazer said suddenly, and I looked over at her curiously. "Dogs."

I smiled then, my earlier amusement returning. "Let me guess: run?"

"No!" she hissed sharply. "You never run! Runnin' just makes 'em chase you!"

"Ok, then what?" I asked, and she resumed her serious tone.

"You hold your ground and look 'em firm in the eye; make sure he knows you aren't gonna invade his territory, long as he don't invade yours."

"And that works?" I asked, and she nodded.

"'Cept for them lousy Pekes," she snarled. "Them you wanna run for."

"But they're so small!" I said with a laugh, and she scowled fiercely.

"Big enough to bite."

"Right," I said, my amusement cut short. She straightened suddenly, and I looked up to see a familiar line of shops, and a lone sewage pipe, narrowly wedged between a crumbling building and a wooden fence.

"This is it," she said softly, and I felt a pang of something sharp and desperate in my gut. "Stay close, and stay low."

I nodded quietly, creeping after her as she approached the pipe. Instead of crawling through it, however, she leapt up on top, squeezing through a narrow gap and disappearing from view. I leapt onto the pipe after her, anxious and nervous as I came face to face with the knowledge that if I took that step, I would be betraying everyone I'd grown to care about.

"You comin'?" Rumpleteazer hissed from the darkness, and I steeled myself, squeezing into the space after her.

I found myself in a narrow walkway, small shafts of light piercing the space and highlighting all the cobwebs. I coughed away some dust, squinting as I tried to see where I was walking.

"If you keep goin', you're gonna walk right into the clearing," Rumpleteazer's voice said, and I looked up to see her balancing on the wooden fence beside the pipe.

"How did you get up there?" I asked, and she gave me a deadpan look.

"Magic," she muttered, and I huffed an irritated sigh. I crouched low, then leapt straight up, scrambling desperately at the fence beneath me to maintain my balance.

"You have got to be the worst excuse for a cat I ever met," Rumpleteazer said, walking easily along the rail. "I mean, it's understandable, considerin' you're not really a cat, but still…least you could do is try."

"Ok, well you know…what?" I faltered, almost slipping off the fence. "What did you say?"

"I'm not stupid," she said, continuing along. "You don' act like a normal cat; in fact, you gotta be the worst excuse for a cat I ever seen."

I faltered, unable to think of how to respond.

"And, anyway," she continued, easily. "It helps that Macavity explained his plan beforehand. Jus' never thought he'd actually do it."

"So you've known I wasn't a cat this whole time?" I finally burst out, unable to keep the hurt and indignation out of my voice. "And you didn't think to say anything, or..."

"Or what?" she interrupted sharply. "Help you find a way out? I'm not magic, you know. I don' know how all that hocus pocus works."

I growled, and she sighed, softening slightly.

"If it helps any, I only found out the other day."

"It doesn't," I muttered, and she fell silent. "I'm sorry," I said with a slight huff. "I just never thought…."

"Sh!" she hissed, and I straightened, angry again.

"Hey, I'm just trying to…"

"Be. Quiet." She hissed again, and I saw that she had gone rigid on the fence, and voices were filtering through the cracks.

"…anything?" I heard a voice say, and I pricked my ears forward as I recognized it.

Munkustrap!

"No," I heard someone else respond lowly, and I recognized the Scottish accent as Skimbleshanks.' "I've looked all along the rail, even asked the other station cats, but no one has seen her."

"We have to keep looking," a female spoke up firmly, and I felt a deeper pang as I recognized Demeter. "We'll find her."

"I still don't understand why we're even trying," another female interjected, a sour note in her voice. "She clearly made her decision."

Growls met this remark, and I crept closer, peering carefully through the cracks to see what was happening. A small circle of cats stood just outside the clearing, and I recognized the distinct patterns of Munkustrap, Demeter, Skimbleshanks, Bomba, and…I paused, then peered closer. Jellylorum and Jennyanydots. It seemed that most of the adults of the Tribe were there, aside from a few: Alonzo, Cassandra and Coricopat and Tantomile.

It was Jellylorum who had spoken, and Demeter and Bombalurina both were glaring at her fiercely, Demeter growling to show her disapproval. Munkustrap sighed, making a vague motion with his paw towards Demeter, who stopped growling but still glared at the older Queen.

"Jel," Munkustrap began, but she cut him off sharply.

"You said it yourself, Munkustrap; she's not one of us."

I realized with a start that they were talking about me, and my tail twitched as I crept closer.

"Maybe if we had made her feel more welcome," Demeter hissed angrily, but Jellylorum interrupted her as well.

"Inviting her into our home wasn't enough?"

Munkustrap sighed again, stepping forward before Demeter could do more than just growl at Jellylorum.

"That's enough," he said quietly, but firmly, and they fell silent. "What matters is she's gone, and arguing about it won't bring her back."

"We should never have brought her in in the first place," Jellylorum muttered, and Munkustrap's ears went back, a frown pulling his features down sharply.

"Jellylorum, please," he said firmly, and she sniffed haughtily before walking away. I couldn't say I was sad to see her go, and the tension in the group seemed to diminish once she had left.

"C'mon," Rumplteazer whispered, and I jumped, forgetting that she was there. We continued along the pipe until she stopped and squeezed her way down through a hole in the metal. I followed, and just caught a glimpse of her disappearing through the side of the pipe. When I stepped out after her, we were at the far side of the Junkyard, well away from any of the dens or other cats. There were several piles of junk strewn about, and a few mismatched props for the ball were wedged in the debris, including something that may or may not have been a flagpole.

"Stay low, and meet me back here when the shadows cross the pole," Rumpleteazer hissed, and I looked over to see her preparing to leap onto a pile of trash.

"Where are you going?" I whispered, and she made a shushing noise.

"Got my own work to do," she said quietly, already halfway up the pile. "Jus' remember the rules and you'll be fine."

She was gone before I could protest, and I glanced around anxiously, my fur raising slightly as I found myself alone in the Junkyard. There was no guarantee that I would be perceived as anything less than a threat, and Jellylorum's words rang in my ears. I wasn't welcome, and I wasn't entirely sure if I had been at all; if my initial experience with the Jellicles was simply due to the hiding of true feelings. I tried to shake myself of the doubts, but my time with Macavity had influenced me more than I thought. I shouldn't have agreed to this; I shouldn't be here.

I was preparing to flee back into the pipe when something rustled off to my left, and a voice whispered my name.

"Persephone?"

The pronunciation was wrong, and I froze, not wanting to turn and see my fears confirmed. I felt a gentle sort of tingling, and could smell something resembling coffee beans, as a body brushed against me softly. I couldn't help but flinch, and the form withdrew before circling around me completely. And there she was: Exotica, her dark eyes filled with worry, the white stripes on her face only serving to highlight the emotion.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered, and I shifted backwards slightly as she made to approach me again. She stopped, and the worry strengthened, hurt flickering into the mix.

"Sorry," I said, my voice hoarse as the memories that I had seen replayed in my mind. "Sorry, I…I don't know why I came back, I…." I turned, desperate to flee from this situation.

"Stay," Exotica said from behind me, a pleading note to her voice, and I hesitated, shuffling uncomfortably. "Everyone has been looking for you. We were all worried something might have happened."

Something like Macavity, you mean? I know. I know what you did. The bitter remark was just there on the edge of my lips, but I clenched my jaw, forcing it back.

"Nothing happened," I lied, still not turning to face her. "I just didn't think I fit in, so I stayed away."

"Where did you go?" she asked, still in that quiet tone, and I couldn't help but feel a slight surge of anger.

Stop pretending you care! I didn't know if the thoughts were mine or Macavity's, but the anger and the pain were definitely my own. I know the truth; I know what happened! I know why Macavity hates you all.

It was all there, waiting to be said, and my resolve was slipping. I knew I'd have to say something, do something, but….

"I went all over," I finally said, turning around but not looking her in the eye. "I found some museums, even a few theatres. I almost snuck into one, too." I tried for a smile, but I was certain she would know it was fake.

"Bustopher and Skimbleshanks never saw you," she said, and I knew she could tell.

"I saw them," I lied again; so easy. Why was it so easy? "I just stayed low, I really didn't think you would want me back."

"Well," she said after a moment. "You're back now. That's all that matters."

No! I felt a hint of panic. No, I'm not back, I can't be back. That wasn't part of the plan. Don't be seen! That was the one rule, the one rule and he'll….

"Persephone?"

I drew a sharp breath, my eyes flicking up to hers on a desperate instinct. There was more than worry there now…something worse. Knowledge. Understanding; as though, somehow, she knew.

"I wasn't supposed to get this far," I said. "I told myself I wasn't going to come back."

"Then why did you?"

I shook my head, unaware that I had been backing away until she stood. "I don't know."

"Don't-," I heard her cry, but I was already running before she could finish telling me not to, leaping for the closest shadow and burying myself in it, doing what I should have been from the beginning. Staying low, and not being seen.

I crawled my way through, peering out only long enough to gauge where I was, how I had gotten there, and who was around before moving on. I had made it halfway across the Junkyard before something caught my eye, and I paused again, curiosity getting the better of me. I felt the air leave my lungs in a soft sigh, then return in a constricted rush as I saw what it was.

My den.

Only, it wasn't as I had remembered. The porch had been buried so deep it was only just big enough to crawl into, but now it stood higher from the ground like a tent. A small alcove could be seen looking in, and the alcove itself was filled with books. There was a small green bed tucked into the corner, and strung up above the entrance was my name, painted in a delicate flowing script, accentuated in equal parts by flowers and small gold fairy lights.

There were cats standing outside, and I recognized Demeter, Bomba, and...I had to look again to be sure. Tugger. He stood with his hands on his hips, eyeing the lights with a slight frown.

"I still think we should have strung up flashing ones," he said. "You know, really make it pop."

"I don't think she's the kind to fall for things that pop," Bomba said. "Especially considering the way she turned you down."

Tugger shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Come on, Bomba, it was one time! I said I was sorry, and it won't happen again, I swear."

"I can't see how it could," Demeter said, sorrow in her voice. "Seeing as she's gone."

"Deme," Tugger said softly, obviously trying for comfort, but she shook her head, waving it off.

"It's fine," she said, but Bomba stepped forward, placing her paws comfortingly on her shoulders.

"It's not fine," she said firmly. "What is it?"

"It's been a week," Demeter burst out, and I could see her struggling not to cry. "We should have found her by now, and I just can't help but think…."

Bomba shushed her before she could continue, though I could see the same fear reflected in her own eyes. "We'll find her."

"Yeah," Tugger chimed in helpfully. "She's tough. If she could stand up to me, she could stand up to anything."

"Not helping," Bomba snapped, and he ruffled his mane.

"Fine. I have to go find Munkustrap, anyway." He wandered off, and I followed him on a whim, staying low and creeping along the edges of the junk piles.

Munkustrap was still in the clearing, but Alonzo was with him this time, as well as Coricopat and Tantomile. They glanced up as Tugger approached, but continued with the conversation once he had moved to stand beside Munkustrap.

"There's still no sign of her anywhere," Alonzo said. "At this point, Munkustrap, I think we should consider…."

"What? Giving up?"

Alonzo winced, but nodded slowly.

"We can't give up on her, Munkustrap," Tantomile said. "She's one of us, no matter what anyone thinks."

"I know that," Munkustrap said tiredly. "I can try to delay the ball, but as much as I hate to say it, we may have to assume the worst."

A heavy silence settled over the group, and I couldn't help but wonder again if the worst was death, or Macavity. Coricopat's ear twitched, and his head turned sharply to stare in my direction. I sucked in a sharp breath, not daring to move from where I hid. He couldn't possibly have heard me, not with the block….

"Cori?" Tantomile asked, and all eyes turned to him. "What is it?"

"I thought…" he drawled thoughtfully, but was interrupted as Alonzo sneezed.

"Why do I smell cheap perfume?" he asked, his nose wrinkling, and Rumpleteazer stepped out from behind another pile of junk, a small bag that she hadn't had before draped over her shoulder.

"Cheap!" she hissed indignantly, her fur raising as she glared at Alonzo. "I'll have you know my 'uman paid seven 'undred pounds for this perfume."

Seven hundred pounds! I thought, choking back an audible gasp. That was like, a thousand dollars in American money.

"What are you doing here?" Alonzo said, hissing right back at her, and Munkustrap raised his eyes skywards, as though mentally sending a prayer for help.

"Alonzo," he said reproachfully, and the Tom scowled but didn't say any more. He turned to Rumpleteazer and leveled his own questioning look at her.

"I do have to agree with him on one thing, though," he said. "What are you doing here, Teaser? And where's Jerrie?"

Rumpleteazer shrugged with one shoulder, adjusting the bag on her opposite side. "Didn' wanna come," she said easily, and Alonzo growled slightly at that.

"What, he didn't feel like we were good enough?" he asked, but Munkustrap ignore him, understanding in his eyes as he gazed at Rumpleteazer. I wondered if he knew, somehow, and it was just some sort of code between them, and I made a mental note to ask her later.

"Should I be concerned about what's in the bag?" Munkustrap asked, and Rumpleteazer smirked, a gleam in her eye.

"You should be very concerned," she answered, and Alonzo took a wary step back while Munkustrap tried to decide if she was serious.

"What's goin' on here, anyway?" she continued, while he thought. "I mean, shouldn' you be getting' ready for the ball? It's only what…three days away?"

"We should be," Munkustrap said. "But one of our members has gone missing. She…you know, you and Jerry weren't here when she arrived. I doubt you'd even know her if you saw her."

"Well, if ya tell me, I could keep an eye out," she said, and I shook my head. She was quite the actress.

"She has short brown fur that has darker brown stripes if you look close enough in the right light," Coricopat said.

"And just a little hint of white under her chin," Tantomile finished, and Rumpleteazer nodded, looking as though she was receiving this information for the first time.

"Well if it helps any, there haven't any new arrivals at work, so…."

There was a collective sigh of relief, and Munkustrap looked grateful as he responded. "It does help. At least our worst fears haven't been confirmed."

Yes, I thought, my eyes narrowing. It's good to know you'd rather see me dead in a ditch.

"I'll keep an eye out," Rumpleteazer repeated, adjusting the bag again. "An' I'll let Jerrie know, since he likes to do his own thing sometimes."

"And Teaser," Munkustrap said before she could leave. "Just know that if you or Jerrie need anything…"

Rumpleteazer scoffed lightly. "Come on, Munk, we're not havin' this conversation again."

"The offer still stands," he said, and she paused before nodding slightly, then jogging off and out of the clearing.

I ducked back into the shadows and made my way after her, reaching the pole moments before she did. She nodded at me, then leapt back into the pipe. The trip back was silent as I thought over everything I had seen and heard, still struggling between doubt and anger. But I couldn't deny the fact that I was touched to see how Bomba and Demeter, and even Tugger had gone out of their way to decorate my den for me, and the fact that Munkustrap had even considered cancelling the ball for my sake…. It made me question everything all over again.

"Is that perfume really seven hundred pounds?" I asked Rumpleteazer to distract from my thoughts. She chuckled, and nodded.

"Yup, and it's worth every penny."

"Apparently," I muttered, and she chuckled again before suddenly changing the subject.

"Did you find anythin' useful?"

"Huh?"

"You can't go back empty handed!" she hissed. "You were sent to get information; what information did you get?"

"The Junkyard seems to be in a vulnerable position," I reported in a monotone. "My…disappearance…hit harder than I thought it would."

Macavity made a thoughtful hum before motioning that I continue. He was pacing again, circling around the room slowly, and I couldn't decide if I should worry about his silence or take it for the blessing it appeared to be.

"Munkustrap nearly cancelled the ball," I said, and his head shot up in shock. "Nearly," I made sure to emphasize. "It's three days away, so he can't really afford to cancel now."

Another thoughtful hum. A nod of the head. The bag that Rumpleteazer had brought was sitting innocuously on the pool table, and I focused on that instead of the pacing criminal.

"There's a side entrance," I said. "Rumpleteazer showed me; if you jump onto the pipe instead of going into it…"

"I know about the pipe," he snapped impatiently, and I started, looking up in surprise.

"You do?"

"Who do you think told her about it?"

I fell silent, and he huffed slightly. "Anything else?"

"I…," I began, but then I faltered, not wanting to think about what would happen if he knew I'd run into Exotica.

"No," I finished. "Not much."

"I suppose it is better than nothing." He frowned, but thankfully didn't press.

"Thanks," I muttered, and his eyes narrowed.

"You're not having any second thoughts now, are you my dear?" he growled. "Because I can assure you, it is far too late to turn now."

Past the point of no return, no backward glances. Our games of make believe are at an end!

"No," I said quickly, shaking my head to clear it of the dark thread it had gone on. "I know that…I…."

"You're still worrying about what I'm going to do to them," he finished, and I nodded. It had been on my mind, and it was better admitting that than to admit my confrontation with Exotica.

"There is no need to worry," he purred smoothly. "As long as you do your part, no one will be seriously injured."

"Wait, seriously injured?" I repeated. "As in, there will still be injury?"

He said nothing, just peered at me calmly, and I growled in frustration. It was my turn to pace, and I cursed myself for even thinking I could trust him to keep his word.

"I should never have agreed to this," I said.

"No, you shouldn't have."

"I should have known you would do something like this! I should have seen I was being tricked."

"I'm not called a master criminal for nothing, my dear."

"I should have run when I had the chance."

"Ah, but we all know where that leads, don't we?"

Jez, can I ask you something?

I froze, remembering, and then slumped in pained defeat. This wasn't a game. I could try and tell myself it was, to try and hide from the truth. But the truth was standing before me, glaring back with bright green eyes.

"Don't look so upset," he said with another purr. "You're going back to the Junkyard."

"What?"

"Tonight."