Hellcats: Anthology

by Kate Pickford

  One day, when the sun fought through the foliage and struggled to warm me where I lay curled in the safety of my leaves, a giant blocked out all light, leaving me in a pool of dread so powerful I thought my weakened heart might not recover.

  “What have we here?” His big paws cradled me, and I hissed into his face. Undeterred, he stroked my sticky fur with a fat, clawless finger. “Now, now, little one. Where’s your family?”

  Oh, how my heart did pinch at that. Gone. They were all gone. But how could I tell this lumbering hulk of a creature that I was alone without making myself vulnerable? To him, I would make a tasty snack. Not even a complete meal, just a nibble to tide the belly until suppertime.

  Another hiss, but this one lacked any real anger. Thinking about supper made my own tummy ache, and truth be told, I was tired of being alone and frightened. If he ate me, so be it. At least I would be warm once more.

  I curled into his paw and buried my head beneath my forelegs while he rustled through the underbrush of the forest. I heard his grunts and tried to block out the horrible imaginings in my mind. Of my mother and siblings—all dead—their bodies nothing more than scraps of fur littered beneath twigs and dirt. It’s not that I wanted to see the visions, but they shoved their way into my thoughts, and I was helpless to prevent them from showing me what happened to my family.

  “Well, little fella, I don’t know how you survived out here all on your own. Let’s get you home where there’s a nice fire to stretch in front of, plenty of food, and a young lady who will take very good care of you.”

  I was too frail to comprehend most of what he said, but I began to like the sound of his voice and the gentle way he carried me in his paw. He held me close to his chest, where his sturdy heartbeat lulled me into a deeper sleep than I’d ever known. When I woke, it was to hushed voices and the soft glow of candles burning.

  My mother once told me about the creatures who walked on two legs and lived in stone dens. They sounded fearsome and horrible, but as I blinked against the dimness of the room, I didn’t think my mother ever had the pleasure to meet anyone like the giant who held me.

  “What is it, Finnick?” A female snarled and I perked my ears.

  Perhaps she was the same as me, a feral kitten once lost, but saved by the giant.

  “I’ve brought you something very precious, Dela. He’s weak and will need tending. Do you think you could keep an eye on him? He’ll need feeding several times a day, and you’ll have to keep him plenty warm until his bones strengthen.”

  Feeding several times a day? Oh, yes please. I liked this giant more and more with each passing minute.

  “Oh.” Dela’s gasp was full of heartache and longing. My head wobbled as I lifted it toward her outstretched fingers. “He’s so small. Couldn’t be more than a few weeks at most. Where did you find him?”

  “In the forest. He was alone.”

  Too much unspoken meaning weighted that last word, and I shut my eyes to keep from seeing the vision of fur and blood, but it haunted me still.

  “You poor little thing.” She scooped me into her smaller paws and held me against her face. Heat oozed into my skin from hers, and I purred with all my little heart. “He’s a fighter, this one. Defiant against all odds.” A pause, then she said, “Thank you, Finnick.”

  Having just met her, I didn’t know the significance of her words, but I understood that they were not often spoken to the male. His big paws encircled hers and for a moment, we were a family, but then she pulled away and I was left confused. The giant saved me. Without him, I would’ve died and for that, I would always hold a special place in my heart just for him. But the young female, she did not want to love this man. I hoped it didn’t mean she would reject me if I did.

  “I’ll get him cleaned up and then take him to the kitchens.” Her nose wrinkled at my foul stench.

  I’d like to see her smelling fresh after being abandoned and left for dead. If I wasn’t so tired, I might’ve bitten her just to let her know I didn’t appreciate her judgmental attitude.

  The bath didn’t go so well. Instead of cleaning me with her tongue like Mother had, and really, any sensible cat would do, she tried to drown me. The water might’ve been heated and lovely, but it was water and everyone knows cats don’t like water, although I’m not really sure why. Probably that whole drowning thing.

  I tried not to fight her, truly I did, but I’d already been through so much and I didn’t yet trust her not to hurt me. So, I did what came naturally—I scratched. My little claws were far from lethal, but they did a fair bit of damage. I guess I did feel a little guilty, but really, cats aren’t supposed to be submerged in liquid, no matter how tepid. She should’ve known better.

  “Ouch! Please don’t claw me again. I won’t hurt you, but you stink, little one. I’ll forgive you this time, but if you ever come to my rooms smelling like you rolled in horse manure, you best be prepared for a good soaking.” Her eyes narrowed and a clever little smile quirked her lips. “You’re thinking cats don’t like water, aren’t you?”

  How did she know my thoughts? I blinked several times, hoping that by doing so she would be fooled.

  “That’s just a myth. Water is like everything else in this world—you can either like it or not. It’s your choice. I happen to love water and am jealous of your delightful little bath.”

  It was an interesting way of looking at life. She was right, of course, but I wasn’t going to tell her that. Just for good measure, and so she didn’t get too uppity about me and baths, I bit her thumb.

  “You silly cat! That hurt.”

  But she didn’t try to tell me I should like bathing. In fact, she used a soft cloth and as that reminded me of Mother, I relaxed and let her clean my fur.

  “We don’t have much time. We’ll have to hurry with your supper before the monster arrives.” She scooped me from the warmth of the basin and into a dry towel.

  I’d never seen a monster and wasn’t sure I liked knowing one would be there soon. She didn’t seem particularly worried about the monster, but I sensed her apprehension as each moment ticked past.

  In the kitchen, there was much fussing over me, and I was handed from bosom to bosom, with each new female loving on me with their soft cheeks, their flour-coated fingers, and kind words. I graciously allowed all of their affection.

  A thick blanket was wrapped around my skinny body and someone placed me in a basket by a roaring fire. Having never seen flames up close, I was more than a little worried about an errant spark lighting upon my fur, but I needn’t have wasted the energy. Still, I kept the crackling licks in my periphery.

  I must’ve slept because when I woke, I was again in the female’s room. She hummed a song as she rocked with me still in the blanket, snug against her chest.

  “I’ve your supper here if you’d like.” She held a cloth soaked with milk to my lips, and I opened my mouth to suck the cloth as if it were my mother’s teat.

  Again and again she fed me until my belly was full to bursting. Her gaze would flick from me to the windows where, over the horizon, the sun slowly slid downward.

  “I’m sorry little one, but that’s all for now.” A worried glance went to the darkening skies. “Please don’t be frightened. My name is Rainne. Remember that. Rainne. Not Dela like Finnick calls me, but Rainne. I’m an elven lady.” Her finger stroked under my chin. “You’ll remember?”

  I wrapped a paw around her finger and licked the soft skin.

  “We’ll sort out a name for you later. But please, don’t let me hurt you. I swear it’s not me if I do. Not Rainne. Not the elven lady. Do you understand?”

  Not even a little. I didn’t understand her frantic words or the way her brow dipped to a hard V each time she looked out the window. I didn’t understand what an elven lady was or why it was important to remember her name. But I knew her fear. I understood her dread.

  The monster was coming.

  A cry escaped her lips and she set me on a soft cushion. Another
female rushed into the room and put her arms around my lady.

  “Is it time?” The newcomer squinted toward the window. “Drink your hot milk. Egritte says these herbs might help with the transition.” She handed Rainne a mug. “Drink it all. There’s a good girl. All of it. No faces, my lady. This is sure to help.”

  I watched the pair with fascinated horror. Even as Rainne drank, patches of her skin turned from a lovely shade of cream to that of a new blade of grass. Mother never mentioned green-skinned two-legged creatures.

  Rainne’s cry was full of sadness and pain and impotent fury. Something deep within me answered her wail, and I opened my little mouth to add my voice to hers. A pathetic little meow squeaked out. Not even loud enough for the females to hear.

  A moment later, my beautiful lady with crimson hair and eyes of jade was transformed into a heaving green monster. Hair wild, bones stretched to make her broader and taller, she resembled Rainne only a little. Her darkened eyes roamed the room and fell upon me.

  “You.” A green finger pointed in my direction, and I burrowed into the blanket. “She loves you even after only half a day of knowing you, but me? Me she hates. Take it outside, Alona.”

  “My lady, please reconsider. It’s only a wee thing. Surely he’ll die if left in the cold.” Alona inched herself closer to me.

  “Why should I care? Every sunset, I turn into this horrid ogress and no one utters a word of concern for me. Why should this scrap of fur get love and affection when I am denied them? Frass that.”

  “Perhaps, he could love you.” Alona lifted me from my cushion, and I dug deeper until only my nose stuck out from the blanket.

  The scent of my lady Rainne had changed. No longer sweet like honeysuckle, she now smelled of something I didn’t recognize, but there was a rawness to her odor—as if she were about to burst from the inside out and could hardly contain the monster.

  I’m ashamed to admit it, but I trembled violently as Alona handed me to the green beast. Her forest-green lips curled to reveal white teeth with pointed ends. If she ate me, it would hurt and I wasn’t yet ready to die.

  I hissed and spat and swiped my paw at her face. Thin strips of red bloomed and she growled at my impertinence.

  “You vicious little imp.” Her hand swiped at her lips, smearing blood across her cheek. “If you keep that up, I just might find myself loving you as well.”

  Wait, what? She liked me hurting her?

  I peeked my head from the blanket and mewed.

  “I can’t respect weak things.” Her lashes fluttered and she grimaced. “Like that perfect frassing little twit Lady Delarainne. Blech. But you, my devious, defiant little friend, are not as adorable as you’d like others to believe. You’ve earned one night of life. I might kill you in the morning, but for now, let’s see what else you have.” She nuzzled her nose on my head and chuckled. “Now Duir Castle has two monsters to contend with.”

  A monster? Me? I stretched my paws forward and purred. If it kept me alive, I didn’t care what she called me.

  She didn’t kill me. Not because I did anything wicked or interesting. In fact, I’m not sure why she kept me alive because I mostly slept while she paced the halls. Every so often, she would pick up a book or stroke a portrait and grumble about Rainne’s perfection. The only thing of the elven lady’s that the ogress approved of was her shining silver hairbrush. The ogress was quite vain about her glorious locks.

  In the morning, I awoke beside elven Rainne, who was soft and smelled like honeysuckle. I stretched and purred and kneaded the skin of her belly until she woke up. After a breakfast of fresh milk, she took me through the castle, showing me many of the things the ogress had touched and telling me the history of Duir. I confess, I napped through much of her tour, but she didn’t seem to mind. She was quite proud of her home and rightly so.

  We arrived at a closed door and my lady’s breathing deepened. Her heart, which was close to where I snuggled, beat with such rapidity that I was concerned she might faint.

  Inside the room, a sleeping woman lay on an elaborate bed. The drapes had been opened, but still there wasn’t much light in the musty quarters.

  “This is my mother, Fleur Madeline Rosette Dequette, Duchess of Duir. She suffered a great fall from her horse and has yet to waken.” Rainne fussed with a crimson curl. “It was after her fall that Finnick cursed me to become an ogress each sunset. It’s why I hate him.”

  I looked from my lady to the duchess with a heaviness I couldn’t explain. Both women suffering, both locked in their own hell. How could I, a small kitten, help? I didn’t have an answer, but I knew I would do whatever I could to bring them both peace, even if that meant all I could do was offer a cuddle and purr.

  We stayed with the duchess for quite a while, with Rainne telling her mother about everything that had happened in the past day. I curled into the crook of the duchess’s arm and listened, content with my new lot in life. After our visit, Rainne decided it was time I had a name.

  She searched through books and scribbled on paper, each time muttering the name to see how it sounded. Most of the suggestions were crossed off with only one enunciation, but a few remained on the paper for quite some time.

  Rainne’s maid Alona came to help Rainne with her transition and glanced at the small list. “Did you know Pora means thunder in one of our lost languages?”

  “It does?” Rainne made a mark beside the name. “How do you know that?”

  “You have an extensive library at Duir. It’s a shame to waste it.” Alona’s cheeky little grin made Rainne giggle, and I adored the sound.

  “What do you think? Do you like the name Pora?” Rainne and Alona looked at me, and I lifted my head to purr as loudly as I could. I did like the name—very much so.

  Rainne and thunder. Together, we were the storm.

  “Excellent. Now, what will she like? Edgar? Brutus? Octavius? Herald? If we don’t think to include her, she might give you an altogether inappropriate name we wouldn’t like.”

  As Rainne said each name, I mewed for the ones that I preferred. From that list, she scratched and scribbled until she stood and announced, “Pora Edgar Octavius.”

  I sat upright and mewed. For the first time ever, I felt rather proud of myself and my new names. Pora Edgar Octavius. That was the cognomen of a cat who would do remarkable things.

  Unlike the elven Rainne, ogress Rainne never visited the duchess. She spent her nights stalking the halls of the castle, restless and angry. I can’t say that I liked one version of Rainne better than the other, but the difference in their personalities made life interesting. Most days, all Rainne did was read. Quite unlike her ogress counterpart, who rarely touched a book.

  My elven lady lavished love on me during the day while the ogress challenged and tempted me at night, always with a threat that I might not live to see morning. She wasn’t as vile as she led everyone to believe, but I wasn’t going to spoil her fun. Trapped in the castle from sunset to sunup, with little in the way of physical exertion, she concocted little tricks to play on her servants. They all knew to expect something from the adolescent ogress, but they pretended surprise and discontent just to keep her happy.

  Of Finnick, we saw very little, either during the day or at night. Rainne avoided him, and when she was forced to be in his company, I saw the sadness her anger caused him. The longer I stayed at the castle, the more I questioned why he would curse Rainne to turn her from elven to ogress. From what I saw, he loved his stepdaughter and her transition was equally as hard on him as it was on her.

  For my part, I went along with the nighttime shenanigans for the sheer enjoyment of seeing Rainne’s dark jade lips lift in a smile. Hearing her laughter became my driving force, both during the day and all those long hours at night.

  I grew taller and stronger at the castle. A regular diet and exercise kept me fit, despite Cook’s attempts to fatten me up. To show my thanks, I would catch mice and drop them at her feet, to which she was never as appreciative
as she ought to have been.

  When I was feeling especially grateful, I would eat their little heads before presenting her with my gift. Silly woman would shriek like a child and scamper off, shouting curses in my direction. Elven Rainne would scold me in front of the kitchen staff, but praise me in private. Ogress Rainne laughed and laughed while holding her belly. Perhaps she was a bit of a monster after all. And perhaps I was, too.

  It was a fine spring day when our lives changed forever. I’d been at the castle for a little more than three moonturns and was strong enough to accompany Rainne to the healer Egritte’s house. She needed more medicine for the transition and with Alona being busy, my lady thought she’d run the errand herself. It was the first time either of us had been off the castle grounds since I’d arrived, and I was terribly excited for the journey.

  We skipped and raced over the cobblestone path, pretending to hide from each other behind hedges. Rainne ducked between two tall shrubs and shrieked. I immediately followed and was plucked from the ground by a strong hand. I hissed and spat at the foul beast who snatched me, but he only laughed, his rank breath curling around my whiskers.

  “What do we have here, eh? If it isn’t haughty Lady Delarainne Dequette. What brings you all this way from home?” A round-faced male with pimples and greasy hair sneered at Rainne.

  He held her by the arm so tightly I feared he might break her in two.

  “Let me go this instant. Since you know my name, you know you will be punished for touching me.” Rainne held herself tall, but the slight wobble to her words gave away her fright.

  The lad dropped me and grabbed Rainne around the throat. “Well, if I’m going to be punished, I might as well get my money’s worth, eh, lassie?”

  He shoved her toward an empty cart and she screamed so loud my ears ached. Her legs kicked out and her free arm swung at him, but she was nothing against his strength. The sound of him slapping her broke something in me, and I roared my rage.