Chapter Twenty-Eight

Something was tickling my face. My first instinct was to smash it, but since it could have been Mariposa, I settled for batting at it. My hand came into contact with something much bigger than I thought I would find and my eyes flew open as I rolled away and brandished my knife.

It took me a moment to realize that what I was aiming at was a frightened Peece rather than a hostile enemy.

"K-Kaos?" Peece inquired, her voice soft as she stayed frozen, unwilling to move in case I attacked.

"Peece?" I asked, blinking sleep from my eyes.

"G-good morning?" Why were we speaking in questions? And why did she keep stuttering? Then it dawned on me: Peece was awake! She was awake and alive!

"Peece!" I shouted, dropping my k nife and lunging for her, happily nuzzling her hair as I hugged her. "You're okay. You're okay. You're awake and alive and not bleeding."

"Yes, Kaos, I'm fine."

"Come on, let's get you closer to the river, you still look pale. Do you need something to eat? I can go hunting for you." "No thank you, Kaos." Peece chuckled. "I'm fine, really. Mariposa led me to some berries that I could eat." I looked around and found my Foreverfly perched on a leaf a few paces away, happily eating her own fill. I chuckled and glanced back down at my girlfriend. "You're alive." I whispered, making sure to reassure myself.

"Kaos?" Peece inquired. "Are you alright? You have bags under your eyes and you're really pale. What happened after I passed out?"

I ducked my head and muttered, "Nothing."

"You were worried?" she giggled. "About me? Silly Kaos, I'll be fine as long as I'm with you."

I snickered and shook my head at her silliness. "Alright, stay with Mariposa, okay? I'm going for a quick hunt."

Peece nodded and climbed under a bush with Mariposa to await my return. I ran a few meters away so that she couldn't see me as I stripped down and transformed, going after a few rabbits and a field mouse. I was just catching a bluebird when Mariposa came fluttering onto my shoulder and I turned to her.

"Mariposa, what are you doing here?"

Kaos, Gato has Peece!

"What!" I shouted, jumping down from the tree and racing for the place I'd left Peece at. She was nowhere to be found, but her bow and arrows were still under the bush.

Pulling them out, I found a note attached to the bow. Distantly wondering where Gato had gotten paper, I read the note. Come to the Cornucopia before noon and I'll give you back your precious girlfriend… if you live that long.

I stared at the words and crushed the paper, feeling my teeth itch and lengthen slightly as I stood. "Gato's about to be one unlucky cat."

Mariposa fluttered beside me as I transformed again and raced for the cornucopia, my clothes in my mouth as I ran. Arriving to the clearing the large structure was in, I changed back and slipped into my clothing, my sword already strapped to my pants. I stepped out into the clearing and threw Peece's bow and arrows into the Cornucopia. A second later, the bane of my short existence appeared in the mouth of the large tunnel-like structure and grinned maliciously at me.

"Here, Kitty, kitty, kitty."