Dark Queen (Jane Yellowrock #12)

“Gimme a minute. I’ll be right there.”

Beast made happy sound again. Stupid humans did not understand different chuffs but understood other sounds. Beast leaped to ground, paws stretching out and landing in deep sand, front paws first, then back paws. Padded through shadows to beach. Smelled salt. Dead fish. Salty water. Could see far up both sides from house. Beast liked beach. Sat and waited for Eli. Could see many small fish in edge of water, near small dock. Could see bird floating on water, sleeping. More birds under low trees onshore. Bigger fish in deeper water? Looked at house. Eli was racing down steps into night.

“Jane?”

Chuffed. Am Beast. Not Jane. Eli is stupid kit. But Eli was kit for Beast to take care of. Did not know if Eli could swim. Beast did not like water, but Beast could swim. Could catch fishes.

“Oh. Hey, cat. Water looks good and cold. I’m for a dip if you are.”

Beast chuffed. Yes. Cat. Beast. Not Jane. Eli pulled off outside clothes and raced into water, two legs splashing loud. Made sound like owl, like hoooo, at cold water. He dived. Started swimming with head in water. Looking for fishes! But scaring off fishes with arms in air, splashing down onto water. Beast padded into water that curled and rolled and curled again and went nowhere. Slid deep, spread paw pads and swam into water after Eli. Water was cold. Felt good on Beast coat.

Eli dove deep to catch fishes and missed. He came up out of water with many splashes. “That’s either freezing or refreshing,” he shouted.

Beast was close by. Eli did not need to shout. Fishes were all gone. Eli was noisy kit. Would not eat fish today. Beast snorted through nose and licked jaw and muzzle. Eli splashed water at Beast and laughed. Beast chuffed. Silly kit. Swam to Eli and put paw on shoulder. Pushed down. Eli went under. Made laughing noises under water and swam away. Came up on Beast’s other side. Splashed Beast again. Dove. Eli was playing with Beast!

Played for long time with Eli, splashing and ducking and dunking. Then swam to shore and shook water from pelt. Eli was cold. Left Beast lying onshore to put on human clothes. And to watch new helo-copter-bird that was landing. “I gotta take care of business, Beast. Talk to you later.” Eli went to nesting spot for metal bird.

Beast crept, belly to sand, pawpawpaw, to sleeping birds beneath trees. Gathered paws close. And leaped! Grabbed two birds in paws. Feathers flew. Birds squawked death sounds. Other birds flew, screaming warnings, “Danger! Danger! Beast is here!”

Beast bit through necks of birds. Carried dead birds to edge of water to eat. Beast was best ambush hunter.



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? ? ?

Sun had made sky brighter, and helo had flown away again, when Eli came back with clothes for Jane. Eli placed clothes under bushes, on soft sand. Beast wanted to make Jane wake up under bushes with spiky leaves. But Eli looked at Beast and said, “No playing games with Jane. She was hurting when she shifted.” Beast looked away. Eli was not cat. Eli was not good fish-hunter. Eli made splashes when he swam and scared off fishes. But Beast would do what Eli wanted. Sometimes Eli was kit. Sometimes Eli was littermate. Humans were confusing.

Beast stretched on sand and thought about Jane. Looked into snake at center of all Earth creatures. Jane’s snake was tangled like ball of yarn that housecats played with. Jane was sick from walking through time. Jane would die soon if Jane’s heart-snake did not heal. Beast would think on this. Beast closed eyes and let Jane become Jane.



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? ? ?

I came to facing the sun, lying on sand, a chilly breeze blowing in off the water. I shivered. Except for the cold, my waking place was, for once, comfy instead of on prickly pine needles or lying in mud or staring into the maw of a hungry alligator. Beast’s sense of humor was peculiar sometimes. I figured I hadn’t been Beast long, since I hadn’t been awake inside her body. Or Beast had been doing something catty and evil that she didn’t want me to know about, and so kept me asleep. It was a peculiar part of our relationship that she could keep me unaware of her activities when we were in cat form, but I had almost no control over her when in human form. I figured it was because of the decades we spent as cat, Beast in total charge of us, when I first accidentally did black magic and stole her body and soul. I shoved my hair out of the way in a sleek shush of sound, rolled to my knees, and brushed sand off me, checking out my arm and hand for bone placement. They looked okay, healed nicely. Pain all gone.

Someone had left a pile of neatly folded clothes on a towel. Thoughtful. Eli for sure. I dressed in sweatpants and shirt and slid my feet into flops, folded the towel, and slung my hair back. Trudged to the house. I passed yawning men and women, some carrying hard hats, some not, all looking tired, all carrying travel mugs and slurping down coffee as if it was the nectar of life. I smelled bacon and eggs and maple syrup and honey and grape jelly and I found myself racing up the stairs and into the house.

Eli held up a platter full of food and indicated a sofa with a low table in front of it. I hated to sit on the moldy sofa, but I wanted the food. I sat and dug in. And it was delicious. A platter of bacon, a dozen eggs, and a stack of pancakes later, I sat back and accepted a mug of tea from Eli. He was watching me with amused affection.

“What?”

“Beast and I went swimming last night.”

“Beast hates the water.”

“She played ‘dunk the human’ with me. She swims pretty good.”

“Hmmm.” A playful Beast was a rarity. Or maybe she was cat-spiteful only with me. “Okeydokey, then. Where is Alex?”

“Busy with his tablets, talking to Bodat on the mainland. They have communications, if only between the two of them.”

I nodded. “Update.”

“Painting will begin around ten on the third floor, soon as they can get the place tented to keep the overspray off the beams and rafters and floor. Second-level bathrooms are being tiled from floor to ceiling and the fixtures will go in this afternoon. Shower on the lower level will be ready by dark and the workers have drawn straws for the order of testing out all three showers.”

I leaned back on the smelly sofa and stretched out my legs, crossed my feet at the ankles. I’d eaten so much my belly looked like I’d hidden a soccer ball under my shirt. I patted it. And burped softly. “Who’s the cook?”

“Leo sent us Deon last night.”

“Deon? As in Katie’s Deon? As in wears spangles and glitter and way better makeup than I do?”

Eli’s lips twitched as he sat on a wooden rocker across from me. “He’s managed to proposition every other man on the job site. Some of them are uncomfortable, but since he’s feeding them they aren’t griping. Much.”

“Okay. But if any of them try to hurt Deon there’ll be hell to pay.”

“Noted and already passed along. The walls on the second level that are ready for paint will be sprayed this afternoon in an eggshell color. The ones that have to be redone later due to insufficient curing time for the joint compound will be sprayed in a medium charcoal shade to minimize obvious wet and to make them easy to find when the fighting is over.”

“Good thinking.”

“We have about half of the cameras in place. Alex and two hardware specialists are creating a satellite and Wi-Fi network across the island that will be linked to George’s boat. Or to a satellite. They’re arguing. Don’t ask me details. I didn’t understand one word in three.”

“Don’t worry. And spare me the technical stuff.”

“A barge with supplies and carrying furniture to replace the old shabby stuff is on the way. George’s boat will arrive this afternoon late and will be anchored offshore, with a johnboat ferry.”

I said nothing and Eli grinned. And waited. I scowled. “Fine. I’ll ask. Is Bruiser coming ashore then?”

“Yes, Bruiser is coming ashore then.”