The next morning, Luna found herself wandering the streets of Calamor, the dawn's soft glow doing little to lift the weight on her heart. The scent of baking bread couldn't chase away the bitter taste of regret from the night before. She had seen the pain in Mona's eyes, and it had cut deep. Despite her loyalty to Fioré, she wondered if they were fighting for the right cause. The city she had once called home now felt like a cage.
As she approached the docks, the murmur of the crowd grew into a cacophony of whispers and gasps. The smell of brine and rotting fish mixed with a coppery tang that could only be blood. A toxic cocktail of curiosity and fear compelled her forward. She slipped through the throng, her eyes searching for any sign of Valen or Mona.
To her surprise, she saw Lord Aldric and a battered Captain Cassian standing atop a wooden podium, silhouetted against the morning sun. The crowd was hushed, hanging on their every word.
"Citizens of Calamor," Lord Aldric's voice boomed. "It is with a profound sense of sorrow that I stand before you today." His gaze swept over the gathered townsfolk. "Our esteemed Captain Cassian was found last night in a most despicable condition. Betrayed by one some of you may have known as a 'hero'." He spat the word like a foul taste. "Our beloved Captain was viciously attacked, and an innocent life was claimed." He gestured dramatically to a large, blanket-shrouded form. "Behold, the handiwork of this so-called 'champion'."
With a flourish, Aldric motioned for the guards to pull back the blanket. The morning light revealed a lifeless form, fur matted with blood.
"This," Aldric spat, his voice thick with contempt, "is the work of your 'hero', Valen. He speaks of justice, yet he slaughters in the night like a common thug." His eyes narrowed. "You have been deceived. This man is nothing but a beast in human skin, seeking to destabilize the peace we've worked so hard to achieve."
As Luna pushed her way closer, the smell of blood grew stronger. When she finally saw the podium, her eyes widened with horror. The body laid out was unmistakably beastfolk. Then, she saw it—the silver fur, the tail just like hers.
It was her sister, Millie.
A raw, primal scream tore from her throat, a sound that seemed to echo through the very core of her being. Her world spun out of control. Millie, the sister she had lost months ago, had been found only to be cruelly taken again. Tears streamed down her face as she stumbled back, her legs giving way. The world was a blur of furious faces, but all she heard was the roar of betrayal in her ears.
She had to tell Fioré.
Luna turned and ran, her heart a stone of loss, her sobs echoing in the crowded streets.
---
She burst into the Crescent Moon, her eyes wild with grief. She stumbled through the dim hallways, the air thick with incense and the lingering aroma of the night's debauchery. Call girls looked up, startled.
"Lila!" Luna gasped, her voice hoarse. The vixen rushed to her side. "Get Fioré. Now!"
Luna's legs gave out, and she crumpled to the floor, her body wracked with sobs. Lila's eyes grew wide, and she nodded, disappearing to fetch the madame.
Fioré emerged from her chamber, her composure dissolving at the sight of Luna's distraught figure. "Luna," she said softly, kneeling. "What is it? What has happened?"
"He killed her," Luna sobbed, her voice barely audible. "He killed my sister."
The words sucked the air from the room. Fioré's breath hitched. "Who?" she demanded, her voice low and dangerous.
"Valen," Luna choked out. "It was Valen."
Fioré's face, usually a mask of control, paled to a sickly shade. "Valen? But he... he wouldn't..." The protest was automatic, the ghost of the trust she herself had shattered. Then the implications crashed down. Her letter. Her information.
Luna continued. "Lord Aldric and Captain Cassian... at the docks. They had her body, Fioré. They said he did it."
The pieces clicked into place with the force of a hammer blow. The deal she made with Cassian to protect her own had delivered Luna's sister straight to the slaughter.
Her hand flew to her mouth. "This... this wasn't the deal," she whispered, a useless, hollow protest against the monstrous outcome.
"Fioré?" Luna's voice was small, searching the madame's shocked face for an answer.
The weight of her decision crushed Fioré's shoulders. She had sent Valen into a trap, thinking she was choosing the lesser evil. But as she watched Luna's world crumble, she saw she had simply traded one monster for another, and her own hands were now stained.
"Luna, this... this isn't what was supposed to happen," she whispered, the words a hollow plea.
Luna's sobbing slowly waned, leaving a hollow silence. Her eyes searched Fioré's, finding the guilt reflected there. The anger she felt at Valen began to give way to a colder, more confusing dread.
"Maybe," she whispered, her voice hoarse, "but even if he didn't do it, he brought this to us. You said it yourself. If he hadn't, Millie would still be alive."
"We need the truth," Fioré murmured, her voice strained, as much to herself as to Luna. The old pragmatism fought with a new, rising horror. "Cassian... he promised no one would get hurt." This realization—that her "partner" in the deal was a liar who used her—is the pivot. "If Valen is the culprit, we will bring him to justice. But if he's been framed..." If he's been framed, then I am the monster here. "...we must stand by him."
Luna's eyes met Fioré's, the depth of her pain clear. "But if he did it, what does that say about us? About what we're fighting for?" She took a deep breath, her tail swishing restlessly. "Accident or not… If he's a killer, then we can't trust him. And if he's a threat to us, then he's a threat to Mona." She paused, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I will not let that happen to her." Her eyes flashed with a fierce protectiveness born in the crucible of her grief.
. . .
A day later, after their hasty retreat, Valen stirred in his bed at the Golden Petal Inn, midday light spearing through the curtains. He groaned as he sat up, his arm throbbing. The magic from the night before had taken its toll. He'd slept a full day, his body not keeping up like it used to.
He glanced down. The skin on his forearm had grown paler, almost translucent. The veins beneath were a spiderweb of ink, pulsing with each painful heartbeat. His stomach twisted. He'd hoped leaving his past behind would end this, but fate had other plans.
He looked over at the small bed beside him. Mona lay there, her features etched with tension even in slumber. Her fur was ruffled, her tail twitching. Concern creased his brow. He gently brushed a lock of her short, blond hair from her face. The gesture felt surprisingly natural.
As the light strengthened, so did the weight in his mind. Their mission—to expose the slave trade—had seemed so clear. Now, with Fioré's betrayal and the target on Mona's back, the lines were blurred. Yet, watching the catgirl's soft breathing steady him in the quiet room, he knew he couldn't turn back. The heartache was a price he had to pay. Perhaps it was even worth it.
With a sigh, he slipped from bed and moved to the window. Dawn was breaking over Grinter's cobblestone streets, casting long shadows. He threw on his cloak and stepped into the chill. The town was a serene contrast to Calamor; the smell of baking bread was the only siren's call.
He wandered, his boots clicking on the cool stone, each step taking him further from the inn's safety. His thoughts swirled like the morning mist. "Where do we even go from here?" he murmured. The question hung in the air. Calamor was lost to him, the noose of suspicion drawn tight. "How long will we have to run?" The weight of his past dragged at his heels. His hand tightened on his whip, the magic within it a familiar, dangerous pulse. Yet, the fear remained, a gnawing whisper: "Can I even protect her?" Her trusting eyes filled his thoughts.
A tavern door swung open with a groan. Valen's eyes scanned the dim room, his hand hovering near his whip. The scent of ale and sweat filled the air.
His gaze fell on the bounty board. Among the usual notices, his own name stared back. The words 'Murder' and 'Cruelty to Beastfolk' were etched in crimson ink.
The room turned cold. He took a step back, his heart hammering. He had been their champion. Now, he was their enemy.
He pictured Captain Cassian. "I spare him, and he brands me a demon," Valen muttered, his grip on the whip tightening. "Maybe I should have been one." The thought echoed. If he had ended it on the docks, could he have prevented this?
"He's playing us all," he murmured. "Misleading everyone." He slammed his fist on a table. The sound echoed. Patrons' eyes darted to him, then away, their whispers swelling.
---
The tavern door shut behind him, the cold wind biting his cheeks. Twilight had fallen. Valen wandered for hours, his thoughts a storm, the chill seeping into his bones. Finally, his gaze found the warm glow of the Golden Petal Inn.
He climbed the stairs to their room. When he opened the door, a peculiar sight greeted him. Mona, usually so aware of him, was hunched over a small table, her yellow eyes intent on a piece of parchment. Her tail flicked as she scribbled with a quill.
"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice soft.
Mona's ears shot up. She flipped the parchment over, a mix of guilt and surprise on her face. "Oh! Valen, you're back," she exclaimed, her voice squeaky. She sat up straight, eyes darting.
His eyebrow arched as he stepped inside, the room's warmth wrapping around him. He felt a twinge of amusement at the sight. "You're working on your writing? Now?" He took off his cloak, his eyes never leaving hers.
Mona nodded fervently. "Yes," she whispered. "It's... important." She held out a crumpled page, her tail swishing. "I've been practicin'. I want to leave a message for someone." She looked down at the scattered parchment. "But I can't get it right. Can you help me?"
Valen took the page. His eyes scanned the poorly scribbled letters. He saw his name, and Mona's. "It looks good to me," he said, confused. "What are you trying to add?" He watched her take a fresh piece of parchment, her expression determined. "What is this for, Mona?"
With a mischievous twinkle, she leaned closer, her voice dropping. "It's a secret. But if it works, it could change everythin'." She dipped the quill, her hand shaking slightly. She wrote their names again, the letters clearer this time. She blew on the ink and slid the parchment to him. Once he'd glanced at it, she took it back. "Now, could you close your eyes?"
Valen chuckled. "Alright," he said, closing his eyes. "I trust you." He heard her scribble, then felt a light touch on his fingers. "You can look now."
He opened his eyes. He expected a doodle. Instead, he saw small, carefully drawn letters spelling "love." A sudden warmth bloomed in his chest. "You did well, Mona," he said, his voice gentle. "Do you know what that word means?"
Mona's cheeks flushed. She nodded, eyes downcast. "It's what Luna taught me. It's when someone cares for you more than anyone else. When they want to keep you safe and happy, no matter what." Her tail swished slowly. "It's what I feel for you, Valen." She looked up, her eyes earnest and hopeful. She knew he was suffering, and she wanted to make him smile.
Valen's heart skipped a beat. The weight of his past love, the guilt of his failure, hit him like a physical blow. "Mona," he began, his voice thick. "Love is complex. It's more than just caring." He sat beside her. "There was another catgirl, in my past. An adventurer. I... I cared for her deeply. But I failed her." He looked back at her, the gravity of his words filling the space between them. "I don't want to fail you, too."
Mona's tail swished anxiously. She leaned closer. "But Valen," she whispered. "Luna said she loves her family. That's why she left to find her sister. And I realized... You're my family now. The only one I have. And I wanted to tell you I love you." She nudged his arm with her nose, her eyes pleading. "You make me feel safe, and happy. Like how Luna talked about her family."
A lump formed in Valen's throat. Her words were a balm on his weary soul. He placed a hand on her head, his thumb gently stroking her fur. "Mona," he said, his voice gruff. "You're more than a responsibility to me. You're... you're like a daughter I never knew I needed." The realization knocked down walls inside him. "And I promise, I'll do everything I can to keep you safe. To give you the life you deserve."
He took a deep breath, her affection warming the cold, empty spaces in his chest. "I'm honored to be part of this odd little family with you. Thank you for believing in me, even when I don't." His eyes searched hers, and for the first time, he let himself feel something other than guilt. "I love you too, Mona," he said, the words a quiet revelation.
Mona's eyes widened. She let out a squeak of joy and launched herself at him, her arms wrapping around his neck, her tail swishing wildly. She buried her face in his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat. Her eyes squeezed shut. "Thank you," she mumbled into his shirt. "For savin' me. For teachin' me. For... for everything."
Valen's arms tightened around her. She purred, clinging to a feeling she'd never known—the warmth of belonging, of being wanted. She pulled back slightly, eyes glistening. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."
A weight lifted from her chest. She was family. "I used to think I was just a stray," she confessed, tail swishing with excitement. "That nobody would want me. But now... it's all I could ever dream of." She pulled away to look at him. "But Valen, what about the other catfolk? If you loved her, she must be special."
His gaze grew distant. "Ah, Elana," he sighed. "We found her chained in a slaver's wagon. Her spirit was unbroken. She was fierce. Independent." His voice softened with admiration. "We traveled for years, fighting for her kind. Somewhere along the way... it became more." He paused, thumb tracing the scar on his arm. "But my dark magic... it grew stronger. It began to consume me."
He looked into the candle flame. "We had a disagreement. She didn't understand the cost. When a young catgirl we saved wanted to train, I agreed. I had to pass the torch. Elana saw it as abandonment." His voice dropped. "But that girl had a fire in her eyes. A hope I hadn't seen in a long time."
"But what happened to her?" Mona asked.
"Last I heard, she's alive. On the other side of Elysia. It's been years."
"Do you miss her?"
"Elana was... everything to me, once. But we grew apart. She wanted direct action. I was... consumed." He met her eyes, his filled with regret. "She's moved on. Found a new pupil. She's doing what she believes is right. I don't hold it against her."
Mona searched his face. She nuzzled closer, her tail wrapping around his arm. "You can still do good, Valen. Teaching me. Helping me learn. Saving me... Those things make you a hero in my eyes."
He looked down at her, the weight of his past heavy upon him. "I appreciate that, Mona. But the truth is, I've made a lot of mistakes." He paused. "But maybe," he whispered, "helping you find your place is my way of redeeming myself." He took a shaky breath, holding her tighter. "You give me purpose again. A reason to fight. And for that, I'll always be grateful."