Prologue

It was beautiful day in the City, and Carmen was a beautiful cat.

Her ruddy pelt aglow in the light of the morning sun, Carmen looked out at the sea of sparkling glass and towering stone. She relished the warmth rippling through her fur and seeping into skin. A purr danced within her ribs. Her tail hung limp over the plush edge of an expensive cat tree. She rolled onto her back, amber eyes softly closing.

She could hear her siblings arguing in the next room. There were murmurs coming from the room where her human was. The air conditioner's quiet humming filled the background of her ears. Carmen knew without thinking that it was close to breakfast time.

After breakfast would come a thorough preening. First, Sophie would brush her fur with two different types of brush. Next would come the daily checkup. Then, a light cleaning to keep her paws and ears in top shape. Afterwards, Carmen herself would go over everything and deal with any imperfections the human missed.

In the world of Cat Shows, image was everything, so she simply had to be the best. Only one would be the pick of the litter, chosen to carry on the family legacy. Her parents both came from long lines of winners, and Carmen was sure to be the next. Her siblings would go on to have more ordinary lives, and that would suit them just fine.

The humans knew what was best, and they would recognize her as the obvious choice.

#

Mosspaw ducked beneath a tangle of iron and dragged herself through a well-trodden opening. A scrawny mouse dangled from her jaws. Her stomach growled and her mouth watered, but she didn't dare stop and eat.

The apprentice hadn't eaten in three days' time, but she couldn't take the mouse. She wouldn't, even if she knew no one would find out. Mosspaw was a Clan cat, and Clan cats put their Clanmates before themselves.

A siren blared somewhere a few blocks away. She padded across cracked concrete and pushed through a curtain of sickly vines to enter her Clan's camp. It was a building the humans had long forgotten, but to her, it was home.

There was a large room which acted as the main chamber. The upper floors had collapsed long ago to create the Rubble Pile. Golden light poured in from above and dust drifted in its wake. There was a small room behind the pile where the leader slept. To her left was the nursery and apprentice rooms. Warrior beds were scattered all around, and the elders rested in a small den to her right.

Mosspaw carried her catch to the nursery, finding that Hawktalon had already fed the queens. She gathered her kill and presented it to the elders instead. Two tuxedo-patterned sisters claimed that they were alright. Emberfur cheerily declined the offer, leaving Whiteroad to make her decision.

The tabby apprentice had secretly hoped for a meal after all, but Whiteroad snatched it away. "About time," she spat in her ragged voice.

Hiding her disappointment, Mosspaw dipped her head and left the elder to eat in peace.