Prince of Cats (5 page)

Madu sobered beside him, “You dreamt of your mate again last night?”

Bray’s lips drew tight into a grim line, his eyes giving no hint of emotion as he simply nodded.

“How long since she’s crossed over?”

Bray shrugged.  He didn’t like to keep track of the days since his mate was taken from him.  Doing so meant that more time was passing and with that time her memory was expected to fade as well.  He didn’t want it to. 

“The Honoring of Osiris Festival is nearly upon us,” Madu exclaimed with too much zeal.  “Perhaps this year you will find a
new
mate.”

“I do not want a new mate.  I want the one I had!”  Even as he spoke the words, Bray knew they were an impossibility.  His mate had been killed in their bed while he’d been guarding the temple.  All these years and he was still unable to forgive himself for not being there to protect her.

“
Maybe the slave girl…” Madu began but didn’t get to finish before Bray cut him off.

“Maybe not.”
  He didn’t want to think of Neomee
it somehow felt disloyal to Sanura’s memory.

“
Are you looking for a challenger?”

Bray turned at the voice behind him.  He knew it would be Hondo. 

Sanura’s brother was a mountain of a man, large and imposing.  The men, both guardian Cats, had once been as close as brothers but the death of Sanura had ruined not only both men’s lives but the relationship they’d shared with each other as well. 

Bray couldn’t help the flash of
regret
that shot through him.  He and Hondo
used to
spen
d
hours casting the marked sticks and predicting the outcome
with the loser forfeiting possessions
.  The
Priest considered the
game
an affront and it was highly
frowned upon
. 
The Priest
called it man’s attempt to seek knowledge of the future and the intention of the Gods.  The Cats enjoyed the game in secrecy to avoid forced labor in the quarries, and none of the Cats had engaged in the diversion more frequently than
Hondo
and Bray had.

“I am
always
looking for a challenge Hondo.” Bray’s eyes darkened. 

Hondo’s resentment of him was the result of Bray’s inability to keep Sanura from her untimely death.  Bray didn’t need Hondo’s hatred, he hated himself enough for both men.

Hondo removed his knife from where it was strapped at his hip.  Flicking his wrist, the blade lodged into the
sand of the training
arena with a loud
thunk
.  He smiled at Bray, delighted to battle his most hated enemy.

“This is a bad idea,” Madu whisper
ed in
Bray’s ear.

“For him,” Bray smiled devilishly and began circling Hondo as his hands curled into anticipatory claws.

The men circle
d each other as the group of Cats
who’d been training began to form a half-crescent around them.  All guardian Cats of Thebes knew of the hi
story and animosity that festered
between Hondo and Bray.  The Cats jostled excitedly as they jockeyed for the best viewing area.

A roar went up when Hondo lunged for Bray and Bray quickly sidestepped and slapped his hands
on the back of his fellow Cats.  S
hoving hard
,
he sent Hondo sprawling face first into the sand.

Hondo’s head snapped up and he sneered at Bray as he spit sand from his mouth.  Bray smiled condescendingly and held up his hands that were now covered in black oil-paint.  Hondo quickly looked over his shoulder and growled when he discovered that Bray had smeared the painted on spots that adorned the shoulders and back of each guardian Cat of Thebes.  It was an insult to allow your markings to be marred.

Quickly, Hondo grabbed a fistful of sand and threw it toward an advancing Bray.  Blinded momentarily, Bray halted his advance and didn’t see Hondo’s assault coming as Hondo launched himself full force into the Prince of Cats, thrusting his shoulder painfully into Bray’s midsection.

Bray caught Hondo even as the duo stumbled back and fell to the ground.  Still unable to fully se
e, Bray rolled effortlessly and
had Hondo pinned underneath him as he jerked back his arm and curled his hand into a tight fist.  His punch didn’t get the chance to connect as a horn sounded from the temple wall summoning the Cats to the temple.  Training was finished for the day.

Bray dropped his hand as the Cats around them slowly disbursed.  Wiping sand from his eyes, he stood over Hondo and extended an arm offering to help his fellow Cat. 

Hondo growled and slapped Bray’s hand away.  “I do not need your help!”  Hondo stood and retrieved his knife
before stopping to frown at his enemy
, “And we aren’t finished.”

Bray uncurled his fists and frowned darkly at Hondo.  “No, I don’t expect that we are.”  He turned and stalked to the temple with Madu fast on his heels.

“Will he never get over his hatred?”

Bray shook his head as he swiped the paint from his hands onto his leather kilt.  Knowing that to sport the paint
of
another Cat attained while in battle was a great coup.  “How can I expect him to be over it when I’m not.”

Madu shook his head, “It has been many years my friend.  You and Hondo both need to lay Sanura’s memory to rest and get on with your lives.
  The blue-eyed slave would be a good place to start.
”

Bray’s footsteps slowed and he considered punching Madu in the face for his affront to the memory of Sanura.  Instead, Bray sighed resignedly.  Madu was right, the problem was Bray couldn’t convince his heart to let go of
Sanura’s
memory
even while the vision of Neomee haunted him
.

Ch
apter 5

Neomee’s
hopes of steering clear of the Pr
ince Cat were never fulfilled and s
he didn’t know what to do.  She couldn’t see anything she’d done to encourage his attention, but still
he’d grabbed her at the morning meal.  Luckily he’d been noticeably absent from the mid-day meal, as had all Cats
.
  It didn’t happen often, but when it did, it was always followed by a dining hall packed for the evening meal with Cats in the foulest of moods.  Neomee cringed at the prospect of approaching an angry Prince Cat.
 

Halfway to the dining hall, Neomee turned in the corridor and pleaded with a group of fellow slaves.  “
Akila trade me tables
?”  She folded her hands together in a gesture of entreaty.

Dark brows shot up over Akila’s almond eyes.  “No.”

Neomee
shifted her gaze to the slightly shorter slave at Akila’s side, “Kesi?  Please?  I’ll give you half my evening meal for the next
two moon cycles.
”

Kesi rolled her dark eyes and shook her head.

“Bast?”
 
Neom
ee’s
eyes sought out the woman partially hidden by Akila’s plump frame.

“You know where I stand Neomee.  Don’t ask me again.”

Shoulders slumped in dejection, Neomee was about to admit defeat when a willowy slave
a mere two years older than Neomee approached.
  “Two moon cycles you say?”

Hope sprang to life, “Yes!” Neomee couldn’t control the excitement that seeped into her voice.  When the thin beautiful slave simply pursed her lips
Neomee forged on, “Oh please Sabah?”

Sabah’s eyes narrowed on Neomee as she crossed slender arms in front of her chest
and looked down her nose at the shorter slave.  “Make it four moon cycles and you’ve got a deal.”

“Done!” Neomee didn’t even bother thinking about how she’d survive on half rations
until she made her escape
, but she was too excited to care.
 
If all goes well, I’ll be long gone before the next moon cycle.

Sabah shrugged a slender shoulder negligently, “I don’t know what your problem is.  The Prince Cat has not claimed a woman and would make an ideal mate. 
I can’t believe your giving up your chance
and
half y
our rations.”  Sabah strode past
with her nose in the air, “You’re a fool.  I’ll take
your food and your Cat.”

“He is not
my
Cat
,
” Neom
ee hissed defensively.
 
Amon, I don’t need this.  I’m practically finished stocking my supplies.  All this attention isn’t going to help me any.

“Not anymore,” Sabah winked with a cocky grin.

The group of women entered the great hall
and the atmosphere was charged
.  The typically somber Cats were unruly and argumentative.  Neomee had to flatten herself against the wall to avoid injury when two Cats began fighting mere feet from her.

Sabah reached back and gripped Neomee’s arm, pulling her forward, “
Keep moving!  Gods be with us it’s going to be one of those days.”

The chorus of voices in the hall was nearly deafening but if afforded Neomee the opportunity to whisper, “They’ve never been this bad before.”

A smile split Sabah’s features as she lowered her head to whisper near Neomee’s ear, “One of the Cats grabbed me from our quarters just before we convened for the evening meal. 
While he was mounting me, he complained that the Prince of Cats had overworked them during training.”

Neomee could only gape at the taller woman, “You let one of them mount you?”

Sabah’s face screwed tight in an
noyance
, “Do you honestly believe that any of us can stop them from taking what they want?”

Guilt over her words was quickly followed by pit
y
for Sabah.

“Oh don’t look at me like that,” Sabah chastised, “I received enjoyment out of it as well.”

Full of questions, Neomee was just about to speak when another pair of Cats began pummeling each other near-by.  This time, the fight was short lived.

“CLAIM YOUR SEATS!”  The command was growled with authority and Neomee allowed her eyes to shoot up to the source, locking on Bray as he dropped into his seat with a dark scowl.

The Cats
followed suit and the noise quieted down. 

Worry gnawed at Neomee as she rethought her and Sabah’s agreement. 
He’s not in the best of moods today, perhaps I should
see if Sabah wants to begin our trade tomorrow. 
She turned her head to speak to Sabah, but it was too late.  The willowy slave was already headed
for the kitchen area. 
As the line in front of her bega
n to move, Neomee quickened her pace in hopes of catching Sabah before she
had a chance to exit the kitchen.

Inside the kitchen Sabah had moved too far ahead in the line for Neomee to catch her attention. 
Amon!
  Her belly knotted in fear as she watched Sabah grab a carafe of wine and exit the kitchen with the other slaves assigned to Neomee’s table.
 

Simply going through the motions of shuffling through
the
line and snatching up a pitcher of wine seemed to last an eternity. 
He has to have noticed by now.  How will he react?
She was nearly to the doorway when she got her answer.

A
loud
roar sounded in the dining hall
followed by a shrill scream. 
The
ferocity of
the roar
caused
Neomee’s
heart to stutter and her feet to stall
.
 

A snarl drew her attention and her eyes locked on Bray’s furious gaze.  His large hand was clamped around Sabah’s throat as he pulled the other slave along with him
through the doorway that led to the kitchen
. 

Without a word he stomped toward Neomee and released Sabah
, tossing her to the ground
.  The other slave dropped to her knees, coughing and clutching at her throat.

Neomee opened her mouth to speak but Bray was too quick.  He gripped both
her
arms and jerked her into him, his voice loud enough for the remaining slaves to hear as they stood transfixed on the scene.

Br
ay bent so his nose touched Neom
ee’s, “The next slave that takes your place at my table will die at my table!”  He didn’t wait for a response, simply released Neomee and stalked from the kitchen.

“You stupid fool!” Sabah
hissed
as she struggled to her feet.  “You nearly got me killed!”

“Sabah, I’m so…”