Page 263 of Lethal King

Willow always came when she was called.

I still don’t think we just saw Roz’s old cat, but maybe a descendant of hers will have a similar reaction?

“Willow?” I call out into the darkness.

At first, it feels foolish, but then I remember why I’m doing this, and it becomes the most important thing in the world.

Love.

I’m doing this for love.

“Willow!” I call out again, louder this time.

Far in the distance, I can just barely make out Rozalia calling out too.

I start to hope that she’s right.

Willow could still be alive, right?

“Willow,” I repeat, at various volumes, over and over again as I venture deeper into the woods.

The longer I go without getting a response, the less hopeful I get. Soon, I can’t even hear Roz in the distance. There’s only a deafening silence. I puncture it with Willow’s name.

But soon, the darkness begins to eat up my words, too.

And then I hear something that stops my heart.

A meow.

I whip around, pointing my flashlight where I think I heard the sound come from.

A pair of yellow eyes greet me.

“… Willow?”

Immediately, I know it’s not the old cat. It looks far too young. But when I call the name out again, it ventures closer towards me.

Crouching down, I reach out my hand and let it sniff my finger.

“Do you have a mom anywhere nearby?” I ask. “Maybe a grandmother? Or great-grandmother?”

Shit. How many generations of cats could there be after sixteen years?

I feel the vibrations of a purr as the cat softly brushes against my finger. But when I try to pet it, the creature slinks from my touch.

When it turns away, I take out my phone and call Roz.

“Anything?” she quickly answers.

“I found a black cat,” I tell her. “It’s too young to be Willow, though.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m locking onto your location. See you in a sec.”

Roz hangs up. The cat looks back at me. When our eyes lock, it almost seems to nod.

Then it turns around again and starts to strut away. There’s no time to wait for Roz, I have no choice but to follow it.

“What the hell am I doing?” I grumble to myself.