“If you are a woman, raise your paw,” he instructed, and I eagerly lifted my paw up. I wanted back into my human state, and I would do anything to change. Including performing cat tricks.
“Snow White, are you a human?” Asher asked me, his chocolate-brown eyes probing, and I nodded, hoping he saw it as a nod and not a twitch.
Asher’s hand came up and his fingers twisted around.
Instantly I felt my body begin to tingle. Bones grew, and fur shed from my skin.
“Holy shit,” the girl cursed, grabbing the nearest blanket and tossing it over me.
I was afraid to look at myself, afraid to see I was still stuck as a cat. I glanced down and saw my normal human body. A sigh of relief came out of my lips.
“Come out, come out, Snow White.” Asher’s voice filled the space between the blanket covering me and my ears, taunting me to come out with his cat name for me.
His taunting worked. I gripped the material and pulled my head out while holding onto the sides, so I wouldn’t be naked in front of anyone more than I had been.
“My name isn’t Snow White. It’s Echo, and I’m not a damn pet,” I snapped at him and watched as his eyes danced with delight.
“I’m so confused right now. How’d she change back?” Rose was looking back and forth between Asher and me.
Whatever I was feeling against Asher disappeared with her words. I didn’t change myself back. I’d been trying constantly since I had the strength to do it and failing.
“I thought it would help us find out if my cat was indeed a person.” Asher leaned in, resting his forearms on his knees.
“Which we can all see she is,” he added, and my vision started to spin. Oh God, I didn’t feel good.
“Shit, she’s going to faint.” Phillip jumped up and managed to catch me as my eyes closed and my body slid toward the floor.
Chapter Three
Asher
Snow White was not a cat, but a human…a woman. A beautiful woman.
As she lay on my couch, her body adjusting to my magic having changed her back into her human form, my gaze roamed over her face.
Beautiful tanned skin, straight black hair, and full pink lips.
I wasn’t in shock that my cat turned out to be a person. Truthfully, I was more curious than anything.
Phillip and his sister talked to me about their Hero Society while Echo slept on the couch. I’d heard all about them from the news—hell, everyone in Seahill and the world was talking about them lately. I just hadn’t connected the dots until now.
“How did you change her?” Phillip asked. I was surprised he waited to ask the question that was obviously eating him up on the inside.
“It’s wild magic, unlike yours that comes as a gift of the gods. Wild magic comes from the energy of all things in this world. The living, the dead, the in between,” I answered them and waited for the inquisition to start.
“You know about how we got out powers?” Rose asked in shock. Her features were cute, but I could see the fiery spirit underneath the adorable exterior.
“Our magic has lived side by side for a very long time. Energy has always kept the world going, and certain families were blessed with the powers to wield. My family is one of them, but usually we stay away from your kind. In our history there hasn’t been much good happen from befriending one of you guys.” I shrugged and then gave them a smile to help lift the frowns from their face.
“But I was never good at following the rules, hence why I left and am living in Seahill, above my bar,” I added and hoped it made them feel better.
“I’m not sure if I should be offended or not by your use of you guys. We aren’t much different from you,” Rose snapped, her hands wringing themselves.
“I didn’t mean to offend. Trust me, I’ve heard it all before. Witch. Devil worshiper. You get me.”
Phillip’s eyes moved from my face to Echo’s.
“So, what’s your deal with her?” I was curious as to what they wanted with her, feeling slightly protective of her being. She’d been knocking on death’s door when I rescued her from the street. Someone had done something to her and it could have been these guys.
“We wanted to talk to her and see if she would like to join our team. Bad futures are coming, and she is a player in the game,” Phillip answered me and looked at me speculatively. Interesting. Lots of curiosity was flying around in the room.
“I haven’t seen you besides being with her.” He tilted his head, wondering how I haven’t shown up on his radar with powers.
“Might be my magic throwing off your magic.” That was my best guess.
Echo made a whimper, then shot up into a sitting position without the thought to keep herself covered.
I approved. Echo was sexy as hell. When her gaze clashed with mine, she realized what she forgot and jerked up the blanket.
“Okay. I need clothes, and answers. Then I’m walking out that door,” she demanded, and I found myself smiling at her harsh voice. I didn’t know the woman before, but I knew the cat version, and I bet their personalities were a lot alike. Snow White was kind of a bitch. Testy, and defiant. But at night she would still snuggle in close and showed infinite gratitude in her beautiful brown eyes when I’d helped her survive the first week I’d found her. Sour on the outside, sweet on the inside.
“I can help with the answers, and Asher here can get you the clothes.” Phillip spoke to her calmly, and then looked at me expectantly. Right, I was to get the clothes.
My apartment wasn’t very big—just a standard one-bedroom apartment with a balcony over the bar. So, when Phillip started the whole spiel he’d prepared, I heard every word.
I managed to grab Echo a thick, long-sleeved shirt, and some sweatpants and boots. The clouds have been dusting the ground with snow lately, so hopefully these would keep her warm.
“I’m already part of a team. I’m a detective for the city of Seahill. And as soon as I get out of here, I’m going to track down the people who took me and bring them to justice,” she said sternly as I rounded the corner.
“Just gotta find their island first.” Her low mutter was heard by everyone in the room, even though I didn’t think she meant it to be. Rose and Phillip looked at each other like they both had the same epiphany.
“You were on an island?” Rose asked in a rushed tone.
“Yeah. I escaped before they could kill me and hid on a boat that brought me back to the city.” She snatched the clothes out of my hand as soon as she saw me with them and stomped off to my bedroom to change.
“Emanuel had her. They probably did some experiments on her.” Rose was rambling on, and I hadn’t a clue what they were talking about.
“I’ve got to start opening up the bar soon. Lemons aren’t going to cut themselves,” I told the two sitting who were having a conversation without me involved.
“Right, we’ll get out of your hair. Give Echo this. Thanks for today, man.” Phillip looked a little frazzled as he ushered his sister out of the apartment.
“It was nice meeting you,” Rose called out as he all but pushed her out the door and closed it behind him. I looked down at the card he’d left on the coffee table. It simply said, Phillip Griffin, with a local number printed underneath. Ah, so I’d met the infamous Mr. Griffin, king of the city.
“I’ll bring your stuff back after I’ve gotten home,” Echo said, strolling out of the bedroom and looked around, her face slightly contorted in confusion from the lack of our guests.
“They left?” she asked, and I nodded, reaching for the card to give her while she snatched quickly.
“Here’s his number. I think they know more about the people who took you. Might wanna give them a call.” Our time together was coming to an end, and I could feel she was anxious to hunt for her kidnappers. She looked around, and then her sight settled on my face. There wasn’t anything here for her to grab; I’d found her with nothing but her fur, and even that was gone now.
“Thanks for saving me, and for changing me back. However you did it.” Her chin lifted, and she stood taller. This woman was a complex creature.