Part Four: The Temptress

Chapter Twenty-five

"Now let me see Demeter," I stepped toward the ominous black door, but Macavity stopped me, "Not yet. Not until you fulfill your half of the bargain."

I looked at him, silently wondering if I had the strength to strangle him with my bare paws. I decided that I didn't and so kept my mouth shut. I gave a nod of acquiescence, turning aside slightly so that he could lead the way. It was like entering into the past, walking into that dusky old room that served as Macavity's sleeping quarters. I once found it exotic and intoxicating. It now just seemed empty and lonely. Just like Mac had become.

I turned to him, forcing a smile, "So, how do—"

"Shut up," Macavity growled, pushing me into the room with a forcefulness that scared me, "Hey, what's the big id—"

Macavity lashed out, catching me on the face with his large paw. My ears began to ring; I felt my cheek and sting and tasted blood in my mouth. I gently held my throbbing face, looking at him in a mix of horror and fear.

"I said shut up," he repeated coldly. I rose to my full height defiantly, but I kept my mouth shut. He grinned wickedly, pulling me into him. I felt his sharp claws peirce my back; I gave a small gasp of pain. He chuckled at this. Angrily, I pulled back my left arm, swinging full force at his head. He ducked, but I grazed him enough to make him lash back out at me. It continued this way long into the night.

~*~

I rolled over on the cold floor, sore and bruised from the night before. Mac had played too rough; I wiped the corner of my mouth, which still bled. He had left me lying here, battered and worn out on the floor. I sat up slowly, pain and soreness shooting through my muscles. Mac was no longer in the room. I was grateful for that.

I felt a slight tinge of anger—not at Macavity, but at myself. I had let him win again, although not intentionally this time. But worse than that, I had actually enjoyed last night. Despite his cruel ways, Macavity still knew how to touch me. I hated him for that; I hated myself for allowing me to give myself so fully to him, as I had finally done once I could no longer fight his advances.

I stood up gingerly, slightly satisfied. Even if I hadn't won the game, I still got Demeter. That was all that mattered, I told my aching body as I slowly made my way down the stairs. Mungojerrie watched me descend with fearful eyes, but he didn't say anything. I gave him a smile and a quick wink; I saw his shoulders visibly shift, as if a great weight had been lifted. He smiled back.

"Good morning," Macavity said smoothly, smiling at me in the dim light of the warehouse. "Did you sleep well?"

I shot him a dark look, "I would have slept better if I were in a bed."

Macavity shrugged, "You couldn't move when I left."

"You could've helped," I shot back. Macavity wore a sardonic smile, "You don't like it when I try to help, remember? You turn to stone at my touch…although that's not what you did last ni—"

"Where's Demeter?" I was in no mood for innuendo.

"In her cell," he said simply.

"Would you please release her?" I asked, desperately wanting to get Dem, go home, and sleep for a week. My body was now crying out in pain.

"Why would I do that?" Macavity looked at me, feigning confusion. I took a deep breath to steady my anger, "That was the deal, Mac. Me for her. You've had me, now give her up."

Macavity laughed soflty, "Oh, Red, you misunderstood. I just meant that you could take her place for that one night. I didn't mean that I would set her free."

"But you said—"

"What did I say?" Macavity interrupted. "What were my exact words?"

" 'You for her.'" I said slowly, the realization hitting my like a ton of bricks. That was all that had been agreed upon—I was so desperate that I didn't think to clarify the terms. Oh, Bast, what had I done?

Macavity apparently read my face, for he smiled to himself. "Don't beat yourself up about it, Red. You put up a good fight." He turned to show me the claw marks that streaked down his back, "I should know."

Even though I was quite proud of my handiwork, I could not stop thinking about Demeter. Poor, sweet little Demeter, huddled up in some dark corner of this bast-forsaken warehouse, alone and scared. Suddenly I realized Alonzo had been right—Macavity had set a trap, and I was lured into it, losing my dignity and my only friend in the bargain.

"You are free to go," Macavity said, turning away and ending our conversation. I blinked back tears, completely stunned by this horrific turn of events. Slowly, I made my way out of the warehouse, my mind still reeling from the shock of it.

I entered into the bright sunlight; I had to shield my eyes from its intensity. I walked blindly back to my human house, still trying to figure out how I had screwed this up.

~*~

"Bomba!" Alonzo sat up quickly, his voice filled with concern. He, Tugger, and Munkustrap were all sleeping at my front door. Blood had dried on my face, my hair was tousled and my body was covered with cuts and bruises, but I didn't care.

"I lost," I said quietly, my voice breaking with tears. Tugger stood up, "What do you mean?"

"The game. I played Macavity for Dem, and I lost," I sobbed. Alonzo stepped up to me, gently wrapping his arms around me in a comforting gesture. I gave another sharp gasp of pain. Alonzo stepped back, worry filling his bi-colored features.

"Don't touch me," I whispered. "It hurts too much."

Now it was Munku's turn to be concerned, "Do you need a doctor?"

"No," I replied, wearily making my way up the steps.

"What do we do now?" Tugger asked, not speaking to any one in particular. Munkustrap stood up boldly, "We go after her."

He shot me a look, "Like we should have done in the first place."

I should have been angry, but I wasn't. I simply hung my head in shame, tears welling up in myeyes once more. He was right. I should have listened to him. But I hadn't and now I had lost everything.

"Bomba," Alonzo stepped forward tentatively. "Perhaps you should get some rest. Regain your strength before we go after Macavity again."

I gave a small nod, disappearing into the house.

"I'll stay to watch over her," I heard Munku's voice, followed by the patter of his feet on the hardwood floors. I laid down on the rug—I could not jump onto the couch. Munku sat beside me.

"So, did you see her?"

"No. He wouldn't let me. But I know where she is."

"Do you remember how to get there?"

I shot him an incredulous look. I didn't tell him that I had spent almost a year in that place, that I knew it by heart.

"I figure we'll strike at night," Munkustrap said stolidly. "That's the best time. Most of his hench-rats will be out terrorizing the streets. Gives us better odds."

I nodded, my body still aching. I knew Munku's plan wouldn't work, but I was too tired to say so. I drifted into uneasy sleep.

~*~

"I'm gonna be totally honest with you—that plan is absolutely stupid." I had gotten a few hours of sleep was now better able to argue Munkustrap's brilliant strategy. He looked at me in surprise, "Well, have you got a better idea?"

"Actually," I smiled knowingly. "I do."

~*~

"Now," I said, crouching in the bushes to keep from being seen. "Does everyone remember what they're supposed to do?"

Our hunting party—Alonzo, Tugger, Munku, Asparagus, and Plato—all nodded at me in agreement.

"Do not move until I give the signal," I repeated, slowly slipping away. They nodded again. I gave one last hopeful look at Munkustrap. He forced a smile, and so did I. I quickly made my way back to the warehouse, silently praying that my plan would work.

~*~

Macavity seemed surprised to see me, "What are you doing here?"

I smiled sheepishly, glancing to him, to the ground, and back to him, "Well, I just…"

"I'm not playing another game of cards," he said. "I won fair and square. No rematches. You know the rules."

"That wasn't what I came back for," I looked at him, letting my eyes do the talking. He responded perfectly—his ears picked up, he took a curious step forward, "Then why have you come back?"

"I-I had forgotten how you could…" I trailed off breathlessly, making my eyes shine with a lust that I did not feel. I looked away sheepishly, inwardly excited that I had been able to make myself blush with false embarrassment. I gave a soft laugh, "Well, I guess what I wanted to ask…"

"Yes?" Macavity took another step forward. I didn't have to look at him to know that his face was lit up with uncharacteristic excitement.

"I wanted to ask if," I looked up at him, my eyes meeting his. It was like lightning, "If I could take Dem's place…again. Tonight."

"Tonight?" He seemed surprised, even though Macavity knew where this conversation was headed.

I took a tentative step forward, a meek little kitten trying to make her first move, "Unless you don't want to wait until nightfall."

He chuckled at this. He smiled softly, "I had forgotten how cute you were."

"What?" I asked, genuinely confused. Macacity laughed again, slowly taking my face in his paws. "I had forgotten how cute you are, when you want something and you don't know how to ask for it. You were always beautiful, I'm sure you're aware of htat. But it was the times when you let your guard down—when you showed your vulnerable side—that you were cute. Those where the times that I fell in love with you."

I was shocked by this confession—no one had ever called me cute, even when I was a kit!—and yet I found it oddly endearing. This was going to make my task easier.

I followed Macavity up to the room. Once the door was closed, I turned on him like a lion. He just laughed at me, "You've got spunk, Red. I like that."

He quickly pushed me into the wall, knocking the breath from my lungs. I ducked his blow and rolled past him to the window. I pulled the white handkerchief from my collar and thrust it out the window, waving it about wildly.

"What the…?" Macavity's face suddenly became enraged. "This is some kinda trap?!"

I smiled smugly at him, "You didn't honestly think I'd admit defeat that easily, did you?"

Macavity growled, lunging at me. He grabbed me by the throat, smashing me back into the glass. The window shattered, sending shards of pain through my back, but I did not care. I clawed at his arm, trying to get him to loosen his grip. Over the pounding blood racing in my brain, I could hear the Jellicle toms as they burst into the warehouse, engaging in a riotous battle with the hench-rats.

"We go' intruders, Mac!" Mungojerrie burst into the room. He stopped when he saw Macavity lift me off the ground as I began to writhe from lack of air, my legs trying to find stable ground but to no avail.

"Drop 'er!" Mungojerrie commanded. Mac looked back at him, laughing maniacally, "Or what?"

"Or Oi'll kill yew," Mungojerrie said determinedly, lowering himself into an attack stance. I gagged, trying to tell him not to do it—Macavity would surely kill him. Macavity laughed and tossed his free paw carelessly in Mungojerrie's direction. Blue lightning flashed and Mungojerrie was thrown from the room.

I had forgotten Macavity was a conjuring cat.

"What is it, Red?" Macavity asked soothingly, watching me writhe with little interest. "Do I take your breath away?"

My eyes began to roll back into my head involuntarily; I began to feel the darkness creeping in. I heard Alonzo's voice, crying out in anger as he charged Macavity. I felt the impact of Alonzo's hit; Macavity lost his grip and I landed in a sputtering heap on the floor. I took in air—glorious air!—my whole body shaking from my near-death experience. I looked around wildly. Alonzo was battling it out with Macavity. Mungojerrie was back; since he knew of Macavity's obvious power, he was keeping him distracted enough so that the Hidden Paw could not use his powers on Alonzo.

"Go find Demi!" Alonzo called over his shoulder to me. I nodded, pulling myself to my feet and darting from the room. I hurried down the staircase, lashing out at the thick black horde of rats that stood in my way. I could see the other toms were fighting their way through the crowd. Asparagus looked up to see me darting through the dark rats, "Find my sister, Bombie!"

"I'm on it!" I called back, my windpipe hoarse from Macavity's death grip. I reached the black door that lead to the basement. It wouldn't open. I stepped back, gathered my strength and rammed it full force. After several attempts, it budged open enough for me to slip through.

I ran wildly down the hall, trying to remember Mungojerrie's instructions. Second door to the right, second door to the right. Second—bingo.

I slowly opened the door, my whole body pulsing with adrenaline and fear.

I saw Demeter curled up in the corner. With a cry of relief, I rushed to her. Seeing how weakly she responded, I stopped myself from tackling her in joy. I slowly sank to the floor, my brow furrowed in concern, "Dem?"

Her eyes fluttered, but she did not lift her head. Her voice croaked groggily, "Bombie? What are you--"

"Shh," I realized that talking was draining her already-limited energy. "Shhh. It's Ok; I'm here now. I'll take you home."

Dem gave a small nod, turning her face to the light. That's when I saw the bruises that covered the entire right side of her delicate face. No wonder her eyes had fluttered so--her right eye was nearly swollen shut.

I had a quick intake of breath. I stared at the bruises, my horrified voice barely audible, "Dem…"

"It's bad, isn't it?" Demeter's good eye looked up at me imploringly. "I can't see what it looks like, but it feels awful."

Tears were brimming in my eyes. My fingers as gentle as butterfly wings, I traced the edge of her face, "Oh, Dem, I think we need to take you to the humans. It looks really serious. What happened?"

Demeter began to cry, her mottled face crumpling into heart-racking sobs, "I thought I was going to die, Bombie. I really thought I was going to die."

My heart melted into a puddle of tears. I could not stand to see my best friend in pain, but the fear--the horror in her eyes--that was far worse than the bruises.

Demeter curled into a little ball and began to cry as if her heart would break, sobbing uncontrollably. I gave a small groan of sympathy and laid down beside her, wrapping myself around her protectively, letting her sob into my chest, the way a kit would cry on her mother's shoulder. I stroked her head comfortingly. I didn't say anything; I didn't need to. All Demeter needed was someone to hold her--someone who would let her cry until there was not a single tear left, who would not judge her or torment her with questions. And for once in my life, I was there for her when she needed me most.

~*~

"C'mon," I said soflty after a few minutes. "Let's get out of here."

"But…how?" Demeter looked up at me again, confusion on her bruised features. "Macavity would never let me out."

"Macavity's a little…busy at the moment," I gave slight smile. Demeter sat up, hearing the din above us for the first time.

Mungojerrie rushed into the room. Demeter recoiled, hissing at him in a sudden surge of adrenaline.

"It's Ok," I wrapped a protective arm around her. "He's with us now."

I stood, silently waiting for Demeter to get to her feet. She stood, wobbled, and tumbled back over, groaning, "Oh, I can't. Something's broken."

"We go'a move noaw," Mungojerrie looked at me in distress. "Tha silveh one sed we need to ge'er and go back to tha junkyard, whe'ever tha' is."

I nodded, "Do you know how to get out of here?"

Mungojerrie nodded.

"Then lead the way."

I turned back to Dem, slowly stooping to gather her in my arms. She was smaller than me, but still she surprised me with her weight. I realized I wasn't used to toting around full-grown cats.

"Bombie?" she looked at me with fearful eyes. She knew I wasn't that strong.

"It's Ok," I said, trying not to breath too hard. My muscles were really screaming now—the previous night's fight, added to the task of carrying my best friend were really taxing my strength. Still, I wouldn't have it any other way. I jerked my head at Mungojerrie, "Let's go, kid."

~*~

We didn't make it to the junkyard—we went to our human's house instead. I dragged Dem into the house, mewing pitifully. When my humans came and saw Demeter's poor state, they cried out in fear. They scooped her up and headed for the moving box. Dem gave me a weak smile as they rushed her out the door.

I never asked Dem what she meant by saying she feared for her life, although I often wondered. Many moons would pass before she had the courage or the strength to explain the mysterious circumstances of her disappearance and her bruised and bloodied face.