Page 84 of Cats Never Fly

Mygaze darted wildly over everything again until it landed on the short parapet wall.

AndthenIknew whatIhad to do.

Iwas a cat shifter, which meantIcould do things cats did and that included surviving falls from great heights.Thekey to survival was to ensure the height wasn’t too high and to stay in my cat form.Iknew this.Ofcourse,Icould still die, butIhad better odds of surviving than most, particularly sinceIstill had all nine lives.

Isent out a short thank you toClivefor being an idiot and trying to leap like a flying squirrel when we were kids.AndtoMamafor teaching us whatClivedid wrong that day.

Thiswould take one of my nine lives.

Ihoped it’d just be the one.

No,Mamawouldn’t lie, not about something like this.

I’deven written that stupid paper about it.

Butthis was so much different.Thiswas real.

Pukeshot up to the back of my mouth, and my heart felt like it’d jumped into my throat right behind it.Itrembled.Iwas seconds away from hyperventilating and passing out.

ButMamawouldn’t lie.Ihad to trust that.Ihad to believe it.Ihad to?—

Thebear lunged at me.

Ijumped.

Rightover the short brick wall and into nothing.

Iwas flying.

LikeOgden.

Except…Ireally, really wasn’t.Iwas hurtling throughthe air.Fast.Rightdown to the ground a bazillion miles below me.WhathadIdone?

Iscreeched in fear.Thepouch, whichI’dforgotten was in my mouth, dropped out of my mouth to free-fall with me.AllIcould do now was pray to theEternalMagicthatI’dsurvive.

Catsalways land on their feet.Catsalways land on their feet…

Asthe gravel alleyway got closer and closer,Iforgot how to breathe.Iforgot how to do anything at all.Thiswas going to hurt.Realbad.Andlosing one of my nine?That’dhurt worse.

Iwanted to close my eyes, butIcouldn’t.Iwanted to cry for my mama, but my tongue wouldn’t work.Iwanted to shout out toOgdenthatI…I…HolyMotherofMagic,Iloved him.

IlovedOgden.

Thatwas my last thought beforeIhit.Theneverything disappeared under a wave of pain and darkness.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

SIMON

Igroaned.

Myhead ached.Mybody ached.Everythingached.

ButIwas alive.

Howlong wasIout?Wasthe bear still stalking me?WasOgdenalready lost to me?

Ilifted my head and tried to push up on my paws.Theworld tilted as my legs gave way under my weight.Nauseachurned through me.Ittook everythingIhad to open my eyes and try again.