Prince of Cats - Tasha Black

1

Piper

Piper Lee looked over at her best friend and laughed.

Allie, usually so serious, was dancing to a Christina Aguilera throwback song, after joyously proclaiming it to be a “real banger.” A glass of white wine sloshed in her hand as Allie gave it everything she had, swinging her hips, one arm waving over her head.

“Come on, Piper,” Allie yelled to her. “You only live once. Get over here and dance with me.”

Piper smiled and shook her head.

“Our lives are about to change,” Allie whined. “We might never have another chance.”

That was a bit melodramatic.

But Piper surrendered and shimmied over to join her friend. The party at the old Rosethorn Valley mansion was packed. Piper wasn’t usually one to dance while anyone was looking, but the ballroom was too crowded for anyone to be paying attention to her.

“That’s right,” Allie said approvingly, slinging an arm over Piper’s shoulder. “You have to let loose and have some fun once in a while.”

“Ladies, what are you drinking?” a guy asked, looking straight at Piper’s chest.

“Nothing,” Piper said a little too loudly.

He shook his head and slouched along.

“Piper,” Allie chided, giving her a little shove.

“I’m not here to get hit on,” Piper said lightly. “I thought this was our last chance to hang out for ever and ever?”

She arched an eyebrow at Allie, earning her a hearty laugh.

“Aren’t you even a little freaked out?” Allie asked.

Piper knew she should be. She’d spent her whole life dreaming of qualifying for the Olympic archery team. But now that it had actually happened, it mostly felt surreal. The victory at the World Championships had seemed to unfold in slow motion.

She was officially on her way to being an Olympian. And she had a full year to prepare.

Which meant that Allie was right in a way, she wasn’t going to be hanging out as much, with Allie, or anyone. She would barely have time to come up for air over the next year. And she could kiss what passed for her social life goodbye.

But she wasn’t the only one with a reason to celebrate.

“You know I’ve planned for this for a long time. I’m happy but I’m not freaked out,” Piper said, wishing it was completely true. “But this party is about you. You’re the one who just finished nursing school. And now you’re going to be the best NICU nurse ever.”

“That’s right,” Allie said, eyes shining. “It’s going to be hard work, but I’ll be holding babies for a living.”

“Not a bad gig,” Piper agreed.

Another guy approached them.

“No thank you,” Piper said before he could even open his mouth. “We’re kind of having a moment here.”

“Sheesh, Piper,” Allie said. “You ever think I might like to get hit on tonight?”

“No,” Piper said. “If you wanted that, you wouldn’t be dancing with me.”

Allie rolled her eyes. But when another favorite song came on, she squealed with delight and they danced on. Piper wondered if her friend had any songs that weren’t her favorite.

Piper looked around the mansion as they moved to the beat.

When Allie had suggested renting it for the party, Piper had thought she was crazy. Who decided to have a big house party at a stuffy old mansion?

But the ballroom was well suited to the crowd. The black and white marble floors and the huge mirror were so ancient they felt almost ironic against the backdrop of jeans-clad dancers. She felt like she was in a music video.

The weather was perfect, and dozens of people had moved outside through the open doors, crowding the patio surrounding the koi pond. The party even spilled out into the rose garden below.

A flash of movement in the mirror caught her eye and she tried to focus on it, but it was gone.

Piper shook her head.

Of course there’s movement in the mirror, she told herself. There are like fifty people dancing in front of it.

But that was just it. Whatever she’d seen, it had caught her eye because it hadn’t moved like a human at all.

She chalked it up to just being tired. It had been a long day already after getting up to practice at dawn. And she was going to be up early to practice again tomorrow.

Hang out for a little longer, she told herself. Allie will be sad if you don’t celebrate with her.

But then she spotted the movement in the mirror again, and actually got a decent look at it this time.

It looked like a cat, but it was huge, with glowing, yellow eyes.

As she watched, its