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As a cat there are few pleasures I relish more than napping in a patch of sunlight. I relaxed on the kitchen floor and enjoyed the warmth while a pretty blond woman of middle years prepared the evening meal. I’d seen her perform this mundane task hundreds of times, but watching her never ceased to amaze me -- for unlike most people, she did it without the benefit of eyesight. Her spotless kitchen was arranged so that she could reach any utensil or ingredient without taking more than a handful of steps. Her stove, a gift from my true mistress, was artfully constructed to contain the cook fire and evenly distribute its heat across the cooktop. A magical stove would have been better, but the blind woman refused to use one. She accomplished all of her household tasks using nothing but skill and determination, and because of that I’d quickly come to admire her when I’d first been assigned as her guardian. I didn’t even mind being regarded as a pet. Being a pet to such a woman was an honor.
My charge, Carol, had seasoned the meat -- which my keen nose told me was rabbit, harvested from her snares just this morning and butchered by her own expert hand -- and set it to slow roast in the oven. A pot of vegetables and potatoes boiled on the stove top, and this morning she had prepared a heroic quantity of dinner rolls. It was a much larger and more elaborate meal than usual, and since it wasn’t a feast day I could only conclude that Carol was expecting company. That could mean one or both of her daughters coming home for a visit, but it could also mean my mistress was coming to see about us. If that was the case it was time for a perimeter check. I got up, stretched, and jumped onto the counter to avail myself of an open window. Carol couldn’t see me, and with my soft cat steps she shouldn’t have been able to hear me, yet somehow she sensed my movements. “Don’t be long, Cleo,” she said. “Dinner is almost ready.” I meowed an acknowledgement and hopped out the window onto the grass below. Assuming there wasn’t any trouble I would be back long before dinner was served.
I circled the house in an ever-expanding spiral, taking my time to look and listen and smell for trouble. It was a familiar route through fields not grown so tall as to conceal a woman-sized body, but there was plenty of cover for a cat. As I neared the road that passed by Carol’s house I caught an unfamiliar scent -- a mamono, young, some type of succubus but without the sharp ozone tang of a trained magic user. I focused my ears in the direction from which the scent was strongest and heard a faint, slow heartbeat. I padded off to meet this stealthy lurker. I had no idea who she was, but I had a feeling I knew who had sent her.
As I approached a small copse of trees I heard the call of the Southeastern Red-winged Sparrow. A pretty bird with a distinctive song, and definitely not native to these parts. That confirmed my suspicion about the visitor’s purpose for being here. I trotted up to the largest of the trees, the one that offered the most cover, and said, “Greetings, fellow traveler. Have your journeyed far?”
A young kunoichi, barely out of girlhood, peeked from the cover of leaves. “The road has been long, but there is comfort to be found at its end.” With sign and countersign given we had confirmed each other’s identities. I leaped into the tree and settled on a branch across from her. “Well met, custodian,” said the kunoichi. “Our mistress sends her regards.”
“Greetings to you, messenger,” I replied. “Is the lady on her way? I received no notice.”
“She is… attending to other matters.” The ninja shifted uncomfortably, which told me that one, there was something she didn’t wish to say and two, that she was too young and inexperienced to conceal that from me. I didn’t embarrass her by calling her out on it; no doubt her instructors were already working on that. Instead I focused on learning the reason for Carol’s dinner preparations.
“Are you aware that my charge is expecting company tonight, and if so do you know who it might be?”
I saw relief in the kunoichi’s eyes at this change of subject. She really needed to work on her… what was that human phrase? Ah yes, poker face. “Yes, indeed. Miss Carol’s daughters will be visiting for a few days. One of the lady’s agents was present when the eldest engaged a mind mage to send a whisper-gram four days ago.”
“I see.” I shot the ninja a reproving glare which was no doubt blunted somewhat by my currently being a cute cat. “It would have been nice to have received some warning of that before the day of.”
The young woman had the good grace to look apologetic. “Unfortunately the lady’s attention has been occupied of late. There has been another incident involving the type of magic that led to your charge’s condition. The lady is looking into it.”
That earned a gasp of alarm from me. “Another incident? Do we know who is responsible? Is Carol in danger?”
“Calm yourself, custodian,” said the kunoichi. “The perpetrator’s identity has not been confirmed, but we have a suspect. As far as we have been able to determine she is not aware of Miss Carol. I am here to warn you to be extra vigilant during the coming days. We also have a nekomata placing wards on the house and grounds.” She leaned closer to me and added, “It is your custom to accompany Miss Carol whenever she goes into town, but until further notice the lady instructs that you go with her whenever she leaves the house for any reason. It is doubtful that there is a rogue mage out there looking to reclaim former test subjects, but it is not impossible. The lady bids you continue your excellent service in keeping Miss Carol safe.”
“The lady speaks, and I obey,” I intoned. “To that end I must return to the house immediately. Good day to you, messenger.”
“Walk in shadow, custodian,” the ninja responded. She jumped to the ground and crouched to hide herself in the tall grass. Within moments she disappeared as if she’d never been there -- I couldn’t even hear her heartbeat or smell her scent anymore. She might need work on concealing her emotions, but her stealth skills were exceptional. I leaped down from the tree and trotted back to the house.
When I neared the cottage I spied another cat, a gray tabby, circling the grounds. A less attentive observer might have missed the fact that she had two tails thanks to the clever ruse of her having twined them together. The nekomata completed her circuit, and I felt a flash of mana as the ward activated. She nodded a greeting to me and bounded off into the field. I reached out with the senses of a trained mystic to test the ward, nodded in approval, and reentered the house through the window that Carol had left open for me.
I found her sitting in the living room practically vibrating with anticipation as she awaited her daughters’ arrival. “There you are, Cleo,” she said. “Come sit with me for a bit. Bridget and Renee will be home soon.” I meowed and jumped into her lap. Carol’s figure was well-rounded, as she had never completely lost the weight she’d put on during pregnancy, but she was appealingly plush rather than obese. I settled onto her lap and nuzzled her soft belly. She obliged by stroking my head. “I know it’s silly to fuss over them so -- they’re grown women -- but I see so little of them these days that I go a little crazy with the cooking whenever they visit. But that just means more treats for you, my lovely girl!” She scritched my chin, and I purred like I always did. Blind Carol might have been, but she knew exactly how to pet me.
We sat there for nearly an hour, Carol napping on the couch and I on her lap, before the door opened and a voice rang out, “Mom, we’re here!” I leaped to the floor before I got dumped there by Carol jumping up to greet her children. They babbled excitedly amid kisses and hugs while I wound around and between their legs -- I knew my part well, and I was good at it.
The younger daughter, a phoenix named Renee, only had eyes for her mother, but the oldest, the balrog Bridget, looked down and gave me a knowing smile. “Hello, Cleo. Have you been taking good care of Mother for me?” My answering meow got chuckles from Carol and Renee while Bridget merely nodded. “Dinner smells great, Mom.”
“Good,” said Carol, “Now let’s eat it before it gets cold.” The trio retreated to the dining room with me trailing behind. Now came the hard part. Carol was an excellent cook, and she loved to feed me treats under the table, but it wasn’t the sort of food that my kind needed. I was playing the part of a cat, so I had to spend the evening pretending to crave table food, but what I actually craved… well, the lady had strongly implied that I shouldn’t indulge myself in that. That didn’t stop me from watching Carol’s luscious backside and licking my lips. I obeyed my lady in all things, but a girl can dream.
***
Another nice thing about being a cat is that no one expects you to help clean up. Carol and her daughters spent the entire meal and its aftermath catching up -- most of that being Renee gushing about her romantic prospects and Bridget claiming to have none -- while Carol listened. By the time the dishes were washed my charge was stretching and yawning. “Well, girls, I’m about to turn into a pumpkin. You can stay up if you want, but your old mother is going to bed.”
Bridget hugged her mother and said, “Sleep well, Mom.” Carol returned the hug with interest and spared another for Renee before padding off to bed. The balrog turned to her sister and said, “I see you stifling those yawns, Renee. Go on to bed. I’ll finish putting the leftovers away.”
“Okay. G’night, sis.” Renee paused on the way to her room to give me a scratch between the ears. “G’night, Cleo.” I meowed in response as she too left.
Bridget started packing up the remaining dinner rolls. Once Renee was out of earshot she softly said, “All right, ‘cat,’ it’s just us now. It’s time we talked.”
I suppose, as Daddy would say, the jig is up, I thought. I concentrated for a moment to return to my two-legged form. I didn’t need to do that to talk to Bridget, but I was betting she didn’t know that. “Very well, let’s talk.” I was proud of myself for maintaining a casual tone, though it would’ve been nice to have been wearing more than just a collar.
Bridget finished what she was doing and turned to face me. “First off, I want to thank you for taking such good care of my mother. I know how stubborn and independent she is, and she mostly can take care of herself, but I also know that it would be harder on her if you weren’t here.”
I shook my head. “It is no burden. I truly care for Miss Carol, and I count myself fortunate to be part of her life.”
“But not as big a part as you’d like, hmm?” I started to protest, but Bridget interrupted me. “Oh, come on, Cleo. I’m a mamono. I know a cat in heat when I smell one.” She crossed to me and laid a hand on my shoulder. “So, how long were you her cat before you figured out you were in love with her?”
“I’m not… I would never… my orders…” I stammered. My cheeks flared with enough heat to make me thankful for balrogs’ immunity to fire. I had worked hard to keep my desires in check, but Bridget had seen through me with seemingly no effort, and the shame of being called out so easily was almost more than I could bear. Bridget watched in silence as I struggled to regain my composure. Judging by her knowing smirk it must have been quite a sight to behold. When I had returned to something like equilibrium I whispered, “How did you know?”
“I guessed,” said Bridget. “I didn’t know until just now.” She placed her hands on my cheeks and gazed deeply into my eyes. “You love her, probably have for some time, and I know what this world is like. Almost no men. In such a world a woman should be glad for whatever love comes her way… even if it’s with another woman. I’m sure that she loves you, too.” The balrog pulled me into an embrace and laid her forehead against mine, and her lips parted in a salacious smile. “And I understand my mother’s condition enough to know that she can give you what you crave.”
I sighed and hung my head in despair. “Of course she loves me… as a pet. But she only knows me as a cat. How could I be sure that she would love me like this?”
Bridget broke the embrace and spun me around to nudge me toward Carol’s bedroom. “Cleo, I figured out your secret six months ago, and I’m only here a few days a month. You’ve been with my mother for years. She might not know exactly what you are, but I guarantee you she knows you’re not just a cat.” We stopped before Carol’s door, and Bridget leaned over my shoulder and whispered in my ear. “Go to her. Come clean, and apologize for deceiving her all this time. I’m sure you were under orders from Mom’s generous benefactor. She’ll understand.” She kissed my cheek and patted my shoulder. “At least tell her the truth so she can decide where to go from here.”
“I… I will. Not until morning, but I will. Thank you, Bridget.” The balrog flashed a smile and laid a gentle kiss between my ears before heading for her room. I took a deep breath as I faced the door and sighed it out slowly. The door was ajar; Carol always left it open a crack for me to come in and join her in bed, but before I had always done so on four legs. Opening that creaky door wide enough to admit my human form without waking Carol was no small feat, but I managed. With that done I padded silently over to the bed and looked down at the woman I loved.
I must admit, the sight of her tested my resolve. Her expression, innocent as a child’s, was tempting enough. Her long, graceful neck, so ripe for biting, made my fangs throb in anticipation of the taste of her blood. Her usual sleeping attire -- that is, nothing at all -- would’ve been far less distracting if she hadn’t kicked off the bedclothes as she so often did. But what almost undid me, now as on other occasions, was the most visible effect of the magical experiments that had been performed on her. Carol’s pseudophallus, a clitoris enlarged to the size of a male member, stood proudly in the night air inviting me to kiss it or mount it. I swallowed as the throbbing in my fangs traveled lower. Not yet, I reminded myself, Not until I’ve told her everything. I carefully climbed into bed and settled in next to my charge. I stroked her hair and murmured, “Good night, Carol.”
Carol rolled over without coming fully awake and hugged me. “Good night, Cleo,” she mumbled. “Love you.”
The heat of those words struck me in the chest and flowed down to my toes. I squeezed my eyes shut to hold in the joyous tears and clutched Carol as if she were a lifeline in a storm-tossed sea. Bridget was right; I had to tell her everything, and in the morning I would. “I love you, too,” I whispered. Safe within my beloved’s arms I let years of frustration drain away and drifted down into sleep.