Chapter 11: Thaddea

I don't recall the remainder of the ride in the hansom, passing out from sheer weariness to the sound of Thad humming softly while she continued to stroke my fur. For the first time since my old life was taken from me, I felt secure enough to rest and woke, I wasn't sure how much later, from a deep and dreamless sleep.

My ears swiveled first as I came to myself, picking up subtle sounds below me, voices, laughter, as my eyes cracked open. A rapid examination of the room told me I was alone, but not abandoned. This bedchamber I found myself in was clearly occupied, dresses and accessories scattered about, though the bed I lay on, surrounded in a comforting cocoon of blankets, was carefully made.

Such richness I was accustomed to, though the style of the place was elaborate and felt old-fashioned to me, used as I was to the hard lines and extravagant stylings of my fellow demons. And yet, I felt at home under the arching canopy of tapestry above me, tethered to the four posters of carved hardwood, the hand-quilted spread covering the huge bed, artful wardrobe and dressers of the same style as the bed, the lacy curtains over leaded glass. Second floor, at least, from what I could ascertain, gaslight glowing from the street below, the odd hansom clopping by.

Time for some self-examination. Whatever healing power Thad possessed, she'd done a marvelous job restoring my body. My ribs felt fully repaired, though my bitten paw still ached somewhat. Fever gone and appetite returned. All in all, I felt like a new demon.

Cat.

I heard her approaching, meant to duck my head and pretend to be asleep, but I couldn't resist watching her as she flung the door wide and entered with a smile, a silver tray balanced on one hand. Thad's smile widened as she caught sight of me awake and somewhat aware. She flung herself over the end of the bed, setting the tray before me with flourish.

"Master Sassafras," she said. "You must be starving."

I meant to say thank you, but my mouth was full of fresh fish of some kind and the thickest cream I'd ever tasted, both so delicious I could barely stand it.

"Slowly," she laughed, pulling the tray away from me. I growled and snarled, one paw lashing out to hook the edge of the tray and pull it closer as my desperate body fought for sustenance, but Thad just giggled and let me have it back. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

I knew it was a terrible idea to gorge myself after days of nothing to eat, but I simply couldn't help myself. She took pity on me when I fell to one side, groaning, tummy upset, her magic soothing and allowing me to keep my meal inside my stomach.

"Thank you," I whispered, unused to being grateful for anything, but needing her to know I was, in fact.

"You, my dear friend, are very welcome." Thad's magic examined me and I found my little bit of power followed hers, restored thanks to her ministrations. "I'm just happy to know you're going to be all right. Was a bit touch and go, I must admit." The concern in her voice went away as quickly as it showed up. "Now that you're on the mend, we have some work to do."

"We do?" Who was this witch to care even a moment for me and my fate? Suspicion threaded through my heart, though the part growing in the light of her presence didn't give ground easily.

"We do." She left me, sweeping across the room, her wide skirt rustling as I fought off the worry of what was to come. At least I was warm and dry and healed. Perhaps I could hide here for a while with her before she grew bored of me and tossed me back into the street.

For what I knew of witches, which was little to none, once her curiosity about me was fulfilled, she would likely discard me the same as everyone else in my life.

Thad turned back toward me, a basin in her hands, a towel over one arm. "You really are in a dreadful state," she said. "Let's see if we can do something about that."

The bath was wretched, a clawing, spluttering, splashing half-hour as I wailed and fought her. Despite my need to be clean now she'd brought up how horrid my fur remained, my cat body rejected the water as though it burned like fire while my demon person wished to submerge in the hot liquid and soak for days. Thaddea was quite firm, her magic insistent and, thanks to her, by the time she was through, the last of the filth was gone from my body.

"No fleas, at least," she winked at me as I shuddered. "You were spared that atrocity."

Just the thought of any kind of infestation as the one her mind showed me made me want to claw the fur from my body. How I'd avoided the tiny pests, I had no idea. But I was grateful.

Bedraggled, soaked to my very pink skin, I forced myself to crouch and hold still as Thad went to work with a brush and comb, pulling out large mats and chunks of fur while softly muttering her apologies for the pain it must have been causing me. In all honesty, it felt wonderful and terrible all at the same time, especially when she dug out the clumps behind my ears and under my chin. By the time she was done, I lay upside down on the towel, legs in the air, tummy exposed to her ministrations while a deep, rumbling sound emerged from my throat.

It startled me so much I stopped immediately even as Thaddea giggled.

"He purrs," she said. "Don't stop on my account."

Like I could stop it if I wanted to. The moment my startlement went away, the sound began again and, I found, I could control it. So happy was I with what she'd done I purred as loudly as I was able, feeling the bed beneath me shake a little from the vibration.

Thaddea bent over me, hands sliding under my body, lifting me into her arms where she cuddled me close to her, cheek on my fur. I purred against her, my paws kneading gently against her shoulder, a feeling of total contentment washing over me, so profound I almost wept.

"Now then, my handsome fellow," Thad said, crossing the room to her dresser and depositing me on it. "Tell me how I did, would you?"

A mirror threw my reflection back at me and, for a moment, tears welled if for another reason. I was so small! Of course I knew it, spatially. But seeing myself, my little furred body standing before her where she sat behind me made me want to curl into a ball and hide again.

Weak, useless, pathetic. I was a cat, a lesser creature. Trapped like this forever.

"A silver Persian," Thad said, hands stroking my back. "You are a prince among cats, Sassafras."

"I was a lord among demons," I said with so much bitterness my throat burned with it.

Her hands paused, smile fading. "I'm so sorry," she said. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No." I failed to tell her she'd done what I needed, no longer in the mood for empathy. I left her, leaping down from the dresser, my wounded paw making me stumble. Thad reached for me as I ducked under the edge of the comforter and slid under the bed into the darkness.

A bit of light appeared as Thaddea lifted the blanket, face poking under. "Sassafras? Please come out."

"I will not," I said. "Go away and leave me alone."

She sighed as though contemplating an argument, but dropped the quilt and did as I said, her footsteps retreating to the door where she paused.

"You don't have to hide." Her voice came muffled through the blanket keeping her from view. "You're safe now. With me." The door thudded softly behind her as she left.

I couldn't control my weeping, the wrenching sobs escaping me, nor did I try. Wedged tightly into the back corner between the wall and one of the bed's feet, I whimpered my sorrow into the heavy woolen carpet.

I slept, heard footsteps, found a tray slid under the bed, more cream, more of the delicious fish. She let me eat in peace, took the tray when I nudged it back to her, left me to my darkness. I emerged in the night with the need to relieve myself and found a round ceramic pot with a wooden seat placed beside the door. A delicate sniffing told me what I needed to know, that this was just the thing for the job at hand and I silently thanked her for her thoughtfulness.

Finished, I used the small bowl of fresh water she'd left for me to wash my paws before turning and looking up at the bed. Moonlight poured in through the open curtains and over her sleeping face and I found myself captivated by her.

Demon girls never attracted me, not in that way, though I'd found many of them beautiful. There was an innocence to Thaddea, and a sense of spirit that delighted me. I have no idea how long I sat there, tail around my paws, watching her. But the moment her eyes opened and met mine, my happy observance went cold.

She didn't say anything as I crept like an unwelcome guest back under the bed, though I felt her fingers slide through my fur as I passed her on my way to my hidey-hole. She hummed softly in the dark, the same song from the hansom, and I took great comfort from her song until, unable to resist, I returned to sleep.

When I woke again, it was to laughter and the thumping of doors. The covers whipped up and Thaddea appeared on her hands and knees, beaming her smile at me as her magic circled me and tugged ever so gently.

"Enough sulking," she said. "We have a party to attend."

George appeared beside her, though it took the larger girl a moment to huff her way into position, large breasts almost spilling over the top of her tight gown. "Well, you cleaned up delightfully," she said. "We've told all of our friends about you, sir. The least you could do is put in an appearance so we aren't pinned as tellers of tales."

I wanted to protest, to continue hiding, but Thaddea wasn't going to let me say no. With a quick jerk of magic, she pulled me free from under the bed and had me in her arms, cradled to her chest before I could say a word.

Enough, Sassafras, her mind whispered to me. You've been through a great deal, from what I can glean. It's time to replace those memories with some new ones.

With her blue eyes pleading and her beautiful lips smiling, I couldn't bring myself to say no.

***