The feline in the center took another step forward, keeping the dagger low but ready. Her tail moved slowly from side to side while her violet eyes didn’t leave Kai for even a second.

  “Katherine,” the catgirl repeated, tilting her head as she spun the dagger between her fingers in a careless motion.

  Katherine didn’t respond. Kai felt her fingers tighten slightly on his shirt behind him.

  “We thought you were dead,” another of the catgirls said as she took half a step to the side, showing just a hint of her fangs.

  Ivark stepped forward, pcing his spear diagonally between them and the three felines.

  “Who are you?” Ivark asked, tightening his jaw as he shifted his left foot back slightly to steady himself.

  The leader looked him up and down. Her expression didn’t change, but her tail stopped for an instant before moving again.

  “An orc,” she said, raising an eyebrow. Then she looked at Kai. “And a human.”

  Kai took half a step forward. It wasn’t aggressive. Just enough to stand between Katherine and them.

  “Yes,” Kai replied, resting his weight on his right leg. “And now he works with me.”

  The catgirl to the side let out a short ugh.

  “Works?” she said, tilting her head toward Katherine.

  Another gestured toward her with her chin.

  “You had to bring a human and an orc just to come back?”

  Kai felt the tension behind him. Katherine still hadn’t let go of his shirt.

  “We didn’t come here to talk about that,” Kai said, keeping his shoulders rexed.

  The one in the center smiled. It wasn’t mockery. It was something tighter.

  “Then don’t talk,” she replied as she lowered her center of gravity and slightly bent her knees.

  Kai saw the shift before the attack. The weight on the balls of her feet. The firm wrist. The rigid tail.

  The one on the left lunged first, low and fast, aiming for Kai’s side with her cws extended. At the same time, the third moved in an arc to circle around Katherine.

  Ivark reacted before Kai could turn. He lowered the spear and shoved with the shaft toward the one trying to fnk.

  “Back!”

  The blow was stronger than he intended. The wood struck her temple full on when the catgirl turned to dodge. The sound was dry, hollow. She fell without bracing, her body hitting the ground with a dead weight that didn’t try to rise.

  Ivark froze for a second.

  Kai saw him from the corner of his eye.

  She wasn’t breathing.

  Shit.

  The third hesitated for barely an instant at the sight of the body on the ground. The leader didn’t hesitate at all.

  She lunged straight for Katherine.

  Kai took two long steps and intercepted her. His hand closed around the leader’s wrist before her cws could reach Katherine. He felt the tension in her arm, the real strength behind the movement.

  The girl smiled inches from his face.

  “So it’s you,” she murmured, her eyes locked onto his.

  Kai twisted her wrist violently.

  Crack.

  The dagger fell to the ground.

  She tried to use her other hand to reach Katherine’s neck. Kai drove a kick straight into her abdomen. The impact forced her back two steps, but she didn’t fall. She stayed on her feet, breathing hard, never taking her eyes off him.

  The third lunged now, trying to take advantage of the exchange. Kai turned his torso and deflected her cw with his forearm. Then he stepped forward and drove his elbow into her jaw. He felt it crack under the impact. The catgirl staggered back.

  Ivark reacted and grabbed her from behind, locking her arms against her torso.

  “Master—”

  “Alive,” Kai said without looking at him.

  The leader attacked again. This time it wasn’t clean. It was direct, impulsive. She tried to throw herself at Katherine, ignoring Kai completely.

  Too emotional.

  Kai stepped inside her guard. He grabbed her by the hair with one hand and drew his sword with the other. The bde slid upward beneath her ribs before she could react.

  It went in deep.

  The leader’s body tensed.

  She didn’t scream.

  Her hands clutched Kai’s shirt, her fingers tightening.

  “If not with me…,” she whispered with a weak smile, “…then with no one.”

  Kai pushed the bde in a little further.

  The air left her lungs in a short gasp.

  Her eyes lost their shine.

  The weight fell forward.

  Kai held her for a second before letting the body colpse to the ground.

  Silence.

  Only the third remained, restrained by Ivark. She struggled for another moment, but when she saw her leader’s body unmoving, the strength left her arms.

  Kai walked toward her slowly. There was no hurry now.

  He evaluated her.

  Younger than the leader.

  White hair and ears.

  Very blue eyes.

  More nervous.

  Her breathing was quick, her pupils dited. She didn’t seem to be thinking about attacking.

  She’ll be useful.

  Ivark held her firmly, but without hurting her.

  Katherine remained behind Kai, her hand still gripping his clothes, though now with less force.

  Kai lowered his gaze toward the captive. Then he turned his head slightly toward Katherine without taking his eyes off the st catgirl.

  “What’s her name?” Kai asked, turning his head just slightly toward Katherine without taking his eyes off the st catgirl.