Chapter seven, folks.

Chapter 7

"It's not much, compared to what you're used to." Cat said hastily as he opened the door to the playroom. But the Goddess beamed.

"Oh, Cat, it's beautiful! Just like the one in the Miss Kitty book!" she cried, impulsively hugging him.

Rodger smirked at the obvious embarrassment on Cat's face. This would be a great way to get him back for teasing him about fancying Janet. Which he didn't, of course. Not at all. Really.

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The Goddess was looking at the playroom in awe, especially the bookshelves. "Are these all fiction?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes." Janet replied. "Julia and I, we love to read. Here" She handed the Goddess another book.

"What's this?" the Goddess asked, and then her eyes lit up. "Oh! Miss Kitty and the Handsome Stranger! How many Miss Kitty books are there?"

"A few." Julia laughed. "They're still being produced, you know."

"I'm going to love it here." The Goddess grinned.

Rodger shook his head. "Just you wait. You haven't had one of Michael's lessons yet." He informed her ruefully.

"They aren't that bad, Rodger." Cat said.

"What're you talking about? You get to train to rule the world with Dad while we're stuck learning to levitate mirrors – like we've never done that before."

"Levitating mirrors?" the Goddess asked, interested.

Janet smirked. "Right, you magical lot, get to work. The God…Kitty here would like to see the mirrors."

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The five children were whizzing around on mirrors, laughing their heads off when Euphemia opened the door. "Are you supposed to be doing that?" she asked, cheerfully enough.

"Eh…no. Don't tell Dad." Rodger replied, taking the tray from her.

Euphemia laughed. "Don't worry, I won't. Now, either I'm seeing things or there are five dinners on that tray. Mary was going nuts. Who's your friend?"

"This is the G-Kitty." Cat replied, a forkful of food halfway to his mouth. "She's staying her for a while."

"Well, I'm pleased to meet you Miss G. Kitty." Euphemia laughed. "Mind you're in bed and those mirrors are gone when your mother comes up to check on you." She added to Rodger and Julia, then left.

"She seemed nice." The Goddess said later, finishing her food daintily. "But what the devil did you mean by almost telling her who I was?"

Cat squirmed. "I do apologise. Hadn't we better be getting to bed?"

Rodger stared away from him, determined not to laugh.

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The Goddess was in Janet's room that night. She seemed so enthusiastic about everything. But now she was sitting at the edge of the sofa bed (a very posh one), looking rather upset.

"What's wrong?" Janet asked her, through her toothbrush.

"I miss Taia." The Goddess sighed in reply. "My cat."

Janet surveyed her for a moment, then turned to the mirror. "Cat! Cat, can you hear me?"

"Yes. What is it?" Cat's voice replied, rather irritably, followed by his image in the mirror.

"Could you get Fiddle?"

Cat's image looked rather surprised by this. "Why…oh, never mind. I'll be right back."

The Goddess was fascinated. "How did you do that?"

"Two way mirror." Janet said, but was prevented from saying more when Cat reappeared.

"Do you want me to send him over now?" Cat asked, obviously still confused as to why.

"If you don't mind." Janet replied. "Goodnight, Cat."

"'night, Janet. G'night G-Kitty" Cat replied sleepily, and then the mirror went back to being a mirror. About ten seconds later, an orange streak of fur appeared in the middle of the floor.

"This is Fiddle." Janet said. "Cat's…err…cat. And he seems to like you." She added, laughing as Fiddle ran straight to the Goddess and jumped into her lap, purring like anything.

The Goddess petted him, smiling. "Thank you, Janet. Goodnight." She said.

"Goodnight." Janet replied.

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The next morning, the five children trailed down to Michael's room. Michael didn't bat an eyelid on seeing the Goddess, so the others assumed Chrestomanci or Conrad had already told him.

Luckily for the Goddess, they were doing Maths and French that day, those were the same over all the worlds.

But then it was time for magic, and the Goddess looked up hopelessly as Janet and Cat both left the room.

"Alright…Kitty, wasn't it?" Michael asked. The Goddess nodded nervously. "Let's see you levitate that book."

The Goddess raised her arms, and raised the book…then the table…then tiles from the floor…

"STOP!" Michael roared.

The Goddess lowered her arms guiltily. "Eh…"

Michael was surveying her closely. "Try a mending spell." He said, pointing to the floor.

The Goddess did it, and easily. Rodger and Julia were staring, and Michael looked rather amazed.

Michael was looking even more so. Rodger and Julia were rather neglected that day, as Michael tested the Goddess far beyond anything he'd ever tried with any of the Chant children.

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Chrestomanci paused mid speech as his desk raised a few inches off the ground then clattered to the floor with an almighty crash.

"Was that you?" he asked Cat, blinking.

"I thought it was you." Cat replied.

"That's what I thought." Chrestomanci replied. "I must move my study. It isn't very safe above Michael's room." (I know it isn't there, but for the purpose of this story…)

Cat looked surprised. "Julia couldn't have done that. Neither could Rodger. That's enchanter's magic"

"What about your friend Kitty?" Chrestomanci replied shrewdly.

"It could have been." Cat replied uncomfortably. "But I'm not sure that's possible…"

A while passed.

"Where did you meet her, Cat?" Chrestomanci asked.

"I told you, the village. Can I go?" Cat asked.

Chrestomanci nodded. "I guess so. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

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The five children met up on the grounds later that day.

"Was that you levitating back there?" Cat demanded of the Goddess.

"How'd you know-?"

"Chrestomanci's desk rose about a foot in the air." Cat explained. "That's enchanter's magic. You aren't an enchantress, are you?"

"That." The Goddess said. "Is a horribly sexist word. Why should I be an enchantress and you be an enchanter? Our powers are the same. Well, they would be if you didn't have nine lives…"

"I had the exact same argument with Christopher when I was your age." Millie's voice laughed from behind them. "You must be Kitty. I'm Rodger and Julia's mother, Millie."

The Goddess span around, smiling. "Hello, I…"

She trailed off. Millie and The Goddess's eyes met, and the smiles on both faces faltered.

The other four children stared at this.

"Mummy?" Julia said uncertainly.

"Kitty, what's wrong?" Janet asked.

Both females blinked.

Millie turned to face the others. "Yes, my dears, dinner's almost ready. I wanted to come out and get you, because Conrad wanted to show you his camera, and…"

"Is everything alright, Mum?" Rodger raised an eyebrow.

"Of course it is." Millie said, smiling again. "Come on now, back to the Castle."

They all started walking, and Cat turned back and grabbed the Goddess's hand. "Come on." he said, waking her up from her daydream. "Aren't you hungry?"

The Goddess nodded, shaking her head as if to clear it. "Yes. Yes, I am quite hungry."

None of the young Chant's could fail to notice the strange looks the Goddess and Millie kept shooting at each other.

To Rodger and Julia, this was incredibly odd.

To Cat, and possibly to Janet, it appeared they'd just been proved right.

But if they had, and if Chrestomanci found out exactly who 'Kitty' really was…

Well, at the very least, they wouldn't be escaping trouble quite as easily as they had recently.

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