Tori Transmigrated

There was nothing she wanted from Alessa except peace and quiet, but she doubted the childhood love interest of Alessa’s would understand that. Tori stared Tom down as she spat out her words carefully. If he was still in the same headspace that Gideon, Dimitri, and Fabian had been, then no matter what Tori said, she’d be met with suspicion and resistance.

There was no point trying to convince Tom that she only came to help because Alessa asked her. He’d never believe her. She turned around and walked away from him before he could reply, leaving him standing there dumbfounded.

Part of her was annoyed, as while she understood why he’d be suspicious of her, she didn’t think she’d done anything wrong. She’d defended herself and refused to break rules, but she never would’ve troubled Alessa if Alessa hadn’t troubled her first.

The knights saw her approaching from within the cafe and had come out to meet her part way.

“My lady, was that man bothering you?” Sir Lloyd asked as he gave her a small bow of his head and looked past her, down the street.

Tori shook her head once. “He’s a childhood friend of Baroness Hart and suspected me. Nothing concerning.”

At once, the two knights frowned as she passed them to enter the cafe. “He dares?” Sir Dassler looked back at Tom in the distance. Tom was squinting in their direction, watching the knights surround her. Tori ignored him and gave a dismissing wave of her hand.

“You know that the Baroness and I had some conflict in the past.”

“But it was not the Countess’ fault. The Baroness had overstepped numerous times causing the Countess problems,” Sir Lloyd replied. They followed her inside and Tori went straight to the counter in the back to order a meal.

“He’s nothing to worry about. I can manage a teenage boy’s suspicion. Be at ease.” She ended her sentence in a firm voice and the two knights bowed their heads, accepting her answer. They returned to their table by the window as Tori ordered some fried potatoes and a soup.

She took a seat in the corner to wait for her food. Since Alessa admitted that she had asked her to come to the Golden Cow to help with the three families, she knew that Alessa was trying to take advantage of the fact that Tori had social influence. If she were being honest, she wasn’t mad at Alessa for doing so.

It was a bit interesting to know that Alessa felt she could come to Tori, though Tori wondered if it was because Alessa noticed Dimitri, and to a lesser extent, Gideon and Fabian, coming to her for help. If those three who obviously had conflict with her before could do so, why couldn’t Alessa?

In Lycée, Tori knew she had a good reputation, especially amongst younger students. It completely clashed with the reputation she had when she entered. Several years ago, she was an arrogant, spoiled, snob who barely made it into the school. Not to mention the suspicion that she bought her way in. Now, she was popular for her guidance, reliable nature, and admired for her rank while maintaining a busy life outside of school.

Alessa also had a clashing reputation from their first year, but in a negative sense. While Tori didn’t think the rumors surrounding Alessa were as bad as the rumors that had surrounded her, being known as the person who spread unfounded rumors against other students and essentially ‘cried wolf’ in order to gain favor from others wasn’t something to be proud of.

Perhaps that was another reason Alessa had approached her so much since school started that year. It was well known that Alessa had blamed Tori in the past. If it looked like they were on good terms, then it could be seen that Alessa had changed for the better.

After all, if Tori forgave her and was willing to help her, why should others hold Alessa’s past actions against her? Tori didn’t want to assume the worst, but appearing as friends would be beneficial to Alessa in more ways than one.

The corner of Tori’s lips almost curled up in a sneer. Now that Dimitri, Gideon, Fabian, and even Montan were avoiding Alessa, she was somewhat isolated. This would not do. The heroine can’t go through life without some deus ex machina supporting character aiding her when she needed it most.

Tori not only had the influence and money to be the said supporting character, but Tori now appeared to be getting along with other influential people, even people she didn’t previously like.

That must’ve been seen as an opening for Alessa.

Then again, if she and Alessa were on good terms, wouldn’t that come with some benefit for her as well? Alessa was annoying and Tori neither forgave her or trusted her, but having the favor of the protagonist wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, the good guys were children of luck, weren’t they? Their luck often carried to their allies.

Well, unless you’re in a position where you can be fridged so the protagonist can grow as a character. Tori’s lips pursed into a line. She didn’t think that despite the changes in the story, she had deviated from being the villainess, so even if Alessa was depending on her and approaching her with friendly intentions, Tori had to keep her guard up.

Was it disingenuous to do so? Of course.

But she didn’t want her or her family to die because they were opposite Alessa and somehow got in her way even if it was by accident. Tori reminded herself that while she was the villain, this made her loved ones cannon fodder.

“My lady, your meal.” Lukas Jaeger brought a small tray with her food and a drink and placed it in front of her.

“Thank you.” Tori gave him a small nod and picked up the utensils.

As she considered the pros and cons of positively associating with Alessa, the pros seemed to outweigh the cons. The closer she was to Alessa, the more Alessa could depend on Tori’s social influence and guidance, but Tori would get information because Alessa talked. And if she didn’t, then Tori could get information some other way without being suspicious, so long as Alessa had some level of trust in her.

Just like today, Alessa allowed her access to their sales records and purchase orders against the manager’s wishes.

Tori lifted some fried potato to her mouth and silently chewed.

The name of her spice supplier was the Southeast Spice Company and they delivered twice a month: on the fifteen day and on the last day of the month. And it was the same amount every time, as if their sources and trade weren’t affected by whatever was happening in Pargath.

And if Tori knew when they came, she could try to track them.

Of course, there were flaws in the plan. In the case where the supply wagons or horses were switched out, or the crystal she used to track them was discarded before they got to their destination, then it would be useless to try. The crystals she used weren’t expensive, but it would be a waste if they were lost.

In addition, the current tracking technology she had could only be tracked from about half a day's travel away based on the size crystal she considered using. It had to be small to remain unseen. The distance was far enough for those tracking not to be noticed, but any sudden changes and the trackers would be too far away to do anything about it. Still, she supposed it was worth a shot to find out how the goods were entering the empire.

“Chef, the grocers are here to pick up the empty crates from this morning’s produce delivery.”

Tori paused with her fork halfway up to her mouth. She looked up and saw Lukas going through the service door to get to the kitchen after one of the cooks called for him.

“How was the meeting at the Golden Cow?” Henrik’s voice spoke up above her and she snapped her head up. She blinked and furrowed her brows, her mind blanking for just a moment. Henrik put some folders on the table and pulled out a seat. “You’re not ranting, so I assume it wasn’t too bad.”

Tori tightened her lips and gave him a dull look. “It wasn’t bad at all. If anything, I think the three families who tried to overwhelm Hart regretted doing so when they realized I had come to the table.”

“You do have a reputation.”

“A good reputation.”

“Sure....”

Tori snorted and ate some potatoes. Henrik raised his arm to call for some coffee before opening one of the folders. “What’s that?”

“The guest surveys from last month,” Henrik said. “We’re getting a lot of good feedback. The third-tier imperial knights are having a day-long event where they bring their families. They want to know if they can have a custom-made escape room created on-site with a knight theme.”

Tori’s brows rose with interest. “That’s possible, but expensive.”

“The third-tier imperial knights only have this event every three years,” Henrik said. He slid over a piece of paper. “It’s not until after the new year and they are still looking for a venue.” For a moment, he looked pained. “It hurts me that the Lunar Pavilion will not be open at full capacity.”

“To be fair, the speed in which it’s being renovated is much faster than normal and aside from the inn portion and the official opening of the shopping areas on the ground floor, the rest of the Lunar Pavilion can host events,” Tori said. She looked over the paper she’d been given and drew her head back. “You weren’t kidding about the budget.”

“I was surprised, too. I had Ewan ask around and the other imperial knight tiers have picnics in the park once a year. Nothing too elaborate, but the third-tier imperial knights have a lot of officers. Most instructors at La Garda and cadet instructors are third tier.”

“So, not as high risk as the first and second, but at least a pay grade above average imperial knights,” Tori said. Many third-tiered knights also did security detail, so she knew a few. “Since they’re interested in the Lunar Pavilion, let’s see what we can do.”

Henrik grinned. “I thought you’d say that. Ilyana and I have started the hiring process for the pavilion’s restaurant and cafe.”

“About the restaurant’s winery in the lower level, The Cellar,” Tori said. “Sebby wanted to recommend a classmate who is a sommelier. He comes from a family that owns a winery, but he’s the youngest, so he’s been looking for a job outside the family winery.”

Henrik nodded. “Lord Sebastian would not recommend him if he was not a talented individual. Where is he now?”

“Sebby says he’s currently working at a winery near Mezzaluna. They have a restaurant, and he works as a sommelier there. Zephyr...Zehpora?

“Zephyrus?” Henrik sat up straight. “He works at Zephyrus?”

Tori nodded and made a little finger gun at Henrik. “That’s it. That’s what it's called.”

“Tori, that’s the most prestigious restaurant in Mezzaluna. Why would he want to leave?”

Tori pursed her lips. “His fiancée was the heiress of the winery, and she broke up their engagement.”

“What?”

“To marry his older brother.”

“What!”

Tori grimaced and nodded. “I know. Sebby said he was tired of having to listen to him crying about it, so he wants to throw him at us to take care of.”

Henrik looked at a loss for words. “I’m more than happy to hire the sommelier from Zephyrus, but....”

“His breakup is not going to negatively affect his job, I think,” Tori said. “It should be fine, right? He got the position of his own merit and Sebby spoke highly of him. Idunn said he personally selected all the wine for their wedding.”

Henrik furrowed his brows and nodded. “I have no issue with this. We don’t have any wine for him right now, though. The Cellar is still being renovated.”

“I told Sebby that and he suggested that we send him around Soleil and maybe to Nazaria to collect some wine for us,” Tori said. “What do you think?”

“That does save us some work of our own. We’ll need to budget the cost of sending him to work, but I don’t think it should be a problem,” Henrik said.

“Great, I’ll tell Sebby to send his friend here and arrange a meeting,” Tori said. “By the way, is it common for shipping materials, like crates and barrels to be returned to the vendor for reuse?”

Henrik nodded as he sipped on his drink. “Yes, there is often a discount applied if the materials are undamaged when returned. It saves the customer and the vendor some money, so almost every shop I know does it. Unless the shipping materials are damaged, there is no reason not to return them for a discount.”

Tori held back a smile. “That’s perfect.”

“Countess Guevera, may I speak to you for a moment?” Tori looked up with a piece of croissant still in her mouth. Alessa stood in the aisle, fiddling with her hands as she chewed on her bottom lip. She glanced at Gideon, who had unglamorously draped his upper body across the top of the desk, still exhausted after their first meeting with their new sword instructor.

Fabian was in better shape, but still winced as he raised his arm to eat his breakfast sandwich.

Tori swallowed her croissant and picked up a napkin to wipe any oil and crumbs off her fingers as she gave Alessa a nod and rose from her seat. She swallowed and motioned an arm towards the door.

“Let’s step outside.” Alessa gave her a nod and headed towards the back entrance. Tori followed behind her, stepping to the side to allow some classmates in before exiting. “We have a few minutes before class. Is there something I can help you with?” she asked as she stood to the side of the entrance.

Alessa took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She lowered her head. “I want to apologize for my friend, Tom. I went to put the records away and when I stepped back out, he had followed you outside. He said he didn’t say anything wrong, but Tom isn’t a noble and doesn’t know the protocols for addressing one. If he insulted you, I’m sorry.”

“If he insulted me, you don’t have to apologize on his behalf, though I appreciate the gesture,” Tori told her with a small wave of her hand, as if to say it was nothing. “And he didn’t insult me.” I’m sure he tried to.

A relieved look filled Alessa’s face, and she let out a small breath. Her shoulders relaxed and she smiled. “I’m glad! I was afraid he’d say something rude.”

“He expressed his concern that I was aiding you with a sort of ulterior motive,” Tori replied. She didn’t want to use the word ‘threaten’ so casually. “As your friend, I’m sure he is only worried about you.”

“Yes, ever since I left Chetterswickshire to come to school, he’s been worried that I’d get into trouble, be taken advantage of, or bullied because of my background.”

Tori crinkled her eyes. “You are a noblewoman.”

Alessa let out a light, musical laugh. “Yes, but an impoverished one.”

“That can always change.”

“I hope it does!” Alessa beamed. “Thank you for being so understanding, Countess. If there is anything I can do to repay your help this weekend, please let me know.”

Tori held back her spark of excitement as a small ‘ding’ went off in her head. She’d wondered how to get close to the spice supplier without suspicion and what better way than to use Alessa as a middleman.

Tori pretended to think for a moment, but kept a serious look on her face when she spoke. “I was wondering if it was possible to be introduced to your spice vendors. As you know, we plan to open some restaurants in the First District and are looking for suppliers. The group that supplies you appears very reliable, and I’d like to ask if they’re interested in working with us.”

Alessa’s eyes lit up. She brought her hands together with an energetic clap. “Then, are you free this weekend? They deliver twice a month and will be delivering this weekend, in the early morning.”

Tori furrowed her brows a bit. “How early?”

Alessa grimaced. She gave Tori an embarrassed smile. “Before dawn....” She took an eager step forward. “Lycée’s gates won’t be open then, but you can stay with me at the apartment above the store so I can introduce you the next morning.”

“I couldn’t impose,” Tori said. “Do they stay long?”

Alessa shook her head. “When I’ve seen them deliver in the past, it was very quick. The manager opens the door for them, and they carry in the barrels with the sacks of spices in them. They also pick up the empty ones for reuse.”

That was exactly what Tori wanted to hear. There was a higher chance of the containers used to ship spices to be brought to the source if they were reused. The horses could be exchanged to rest, and the wagon could break down, but one way or another, the containers needed to go back to be refilled.

She’d put her tracking crystals in the containers.

“I’m sure since they’ve been in the business for some time, they’re quite efficient. I will try to make it to the Golden Cow before dawn this weekend. Hopefully, I can catch them before they leave and see if they’re interested in working with me.”

“I will let them know that you’re coming and try to keep them a bit longer,” Alessa said. “Don’t worry, Countess. If you miss them, then I’ll try to schedule the delivery at another time.”

“Thank you, Baroness,” Tori said as she put on her business smile once more. “We should return to class. Instructor Rosemund will arrive soon.” She motioned towards the door and Alessa nodded and headed in.

Tori let her pleasant smile fall as she followed Alessa inside and returned to her seat. Ilyana leaned towards her with a frown. “Now what did she want?”

“She just apologized for her friend,” Tori told her.

Ilyana scowled. “The jerk who broke into our store?”

“He’s learned his lesson.”

“Has he, Tori? Has he?” Ilyana narrowed her eyes and Tori sighed.

“There is something I need to do this weekend, so go to Viclya without me,” Tori said.

Ilyana pouted. ‘What are you going to do?”

“I need to talk to Piers and see if I can stay at the palace the night before.” Tori’s mind filled with a list of things to do before she met with the suppliers. She didn’t plan to actually do business with them, though after dealing with so many business arrangements recently, she was sure faking interest would be second nature.

What concerned her was getting all the parts ready to track them. She needed crystals, then she had to program and charge those crystals; she needed manpower to track the crystals once she figured out how she’d put them in the barrels, and for that, she’d need Piers’ help.

The tracking crystals were small, but she didn’t want them to fall out if the barrels were cleaned before being refilled. She didn’t want them to move around and get attention. She’d need them to stick to the barrel, but in a very discreet way so as not to be noticed and removed.

Tori picked up her pencil and drew little barrels on the margins of her notebook paper. She could glue the crystal, but there was limited time to make sure it dried securely. Perhaps some sort of putty?

“I should go to Daybreak Garden....” Tori muttered under her breath. With so many master craftsmen there, she was sure someone could give her a clue on what would be a glue-like substance that did not take long to dry.

To remind herself, she wrote some notes on the margins just as Instructor Rosemund arrived. Tori’s fourth-year class days were shorter, as she did not take an elective. Before he left, Instructor Ignatius gave her permission to take a crystal test that would allow her to skip any additional classes. Master Ramos also included a letter informing Lycée that Tori was his formal pupil, thus waving her elective.

Tori went to Cafe Fortuna for an afternoon snack. Upon arriving, she let out a heavy breath. While she had JP let loose a rumor that the ‘Empress approved of her’ as a subtle way of saying that there were plans for her and Piers to marry without outrightly saying it, the number of Piers admirers did not dwindle as much as they’d hoped.

There were still a few young noblewomen who’d come to Cafe Fortuna with hopes running into its owner. When Tori arrived, she ignored the serious gazes sent in her direction and walked straight to the back counter to order food to be delivered upstairs.

A door had recently been installed in front of the stairwell and Tori had to use a new crystal fob to unlock it so she could go upstairs. It was a bit annoying, but it kept any wandering admirers away from where they shouldn’t be.

Tori went to the small room with the day bed since she was by herself. She could kick off her shoes and make calls from the daybed while waiting for her lunch. She unlocked the door with another newly installed crystal triggered lock.

As soon as she entered, her lips fell into a frown. “Why are you here?”

“Nyaow?” The fluffy gray cat looked up from where he was loafed on the bed.

“Alexander, where are the knights?” He was still wearing the cat harness she got him, but the knights who were supposed to be watching him weren’t in the room. “Did you run away from them again?”

“Nyaow....” He stretched out and rolled on to his side to expose his soft belly.

“Don’t try to be cute! You know they’re assigned to watch you, so you don’t get hurt. What if you got hit by a carriage, trampled by horses, or catnapped? Do you know how cute you are?”

She was weak to the inviting posture of the cat’s belly and almost subconsciously approached. She extended her hand to pet her cat when she heard a low rumble from the corner of the room. She turned her head and grabbed her satchel, preparing to throw it at the moving black cloud object in the corner.

It seemed to melt from the shadows: long with long, black fur. Its large paws hit the wooden floor and almost seemed to kick up dust. Its head with its tufted, pointed ears easily reached her thighs and Tori swallowed as two golden eyes looked at her, unblinking.

“Nyaow!” Alexander rolled over and hopped off the daybed.

“Alexander!” Tori tried to reach for him, but he trotted to the massive black cat that was almost double his size.

Her cat rubbed his head against the larger cat’s head and seemed to proudly stand beside it. “Nyaow! Nyaow!”

“Alexander, I don’t speak cat,” Tori almost wanted to cry out. “How did you two even get in?”

A knock came from the door. “My lady, your drink and snack are ready.”

Tori hesitantly put her satchel down and took a step back, keeping her eyes on the strange black cat in case it made any sudden aggressive movements. She walked backwards to the door and opened it.

“Thanks, Mama J.”

“Oh, no problem, my lady!” The plump woman happily walked in, holding the tray.

Tori gasped. “Wait, Mama J-”

The woman nearly slammed the tray on the table, her eyes wide. “Is that a Declyan temple cat?”

Tori snapped her head towards Alexander and the black cat. “Declyan...the death cat?”

Mama J chuckled. “Well, they are said to serve the god of death, but having one cross your path is a sign of good luck. Declyan temple cats are rare in Soleil. We don’t have any temples to the god of death either...a few shrines...ah, maybe this one is from the shrine a few blocks away.”

“Have you seen him before?”

“This one? No, but I did see the white one. There are always two: a white and a black cat. Did Master Alexander make a friend?” Mama J smiled fondly at Alexander, as if talking to a grandchild.

“Nyaow!” Alexander tapped his front paw on the ground.

“I will bring you something to eat and some bowls of water,” Mama J told them. She turned around. “My lady, I will return in a moment.” She happily went out the door and as it closed, Tori looked back at the two cats.

“Alexander...do you know this cat?”

“Nyaow!” His tail perked up.

“Is he from the god of death’s shrine?” She received a similar answer. “Your friend?” Alexander was quiet. Tori furrowed her brows. “Family member?”

“Nyaow!”

Tori’s eyes widened. “Alexander, is he your father?” Her cat let out a loud meow and rushed forward to circle her legs. Tori looked at the massive black cat. “Holy crap, you’re going to be huge....” She looked at Alexander. “You’re lucky we come from money, or else I don’t know how we’d afford to feed you when you get to be the size of a lynx.”

Her cat trotted back to his father and let out a distressed meow before swatting at the larger cat’s fluffy tail. Tori narrowed her eyes and could make out a matted clot of fur mixed with something orange-brown. She leaned closer and confirmed it wasn’t anything disgusting. It almost looked like thick paint.

“This isn’t blood is it?” Tori asked. She didn’t expect either cat to answer, but Alexander drew his ears down. “Okay, some sort of paint?” Her cat looked at the larger cat’s tail once more and meowed pitifully. “Do you want me to remove the matting?”

“Nyaow!” Alexander’s ears and tail shot up.

Tori sighed and looked at the larger cat. It hadn’t moved much. It seemed to have relaxed and sat on the floor, like a statue that protected a gate.

“I can see why you’re considered a holy cat,” she said to herself.

Mama J knocked and made herself known, but pushed the door open herself. She looked excited as she held another tray with two metal bowls. One was larger than the other, but both had identical shredded chicken with at least part of a steamed fish.

“He’s Alexander’s father,” Tori said as Mama J put the bowls on the ground.

“Is he really? Oh, then Master Alexander is going to get quite large,” Mama J replied. Alexander nudged her leg in thanks before crouching down beside his bowl. “If this isn’t enough, tell me and I will bring more.”

“Mama J, it’s more than enough,” Tori said with a slight chuckle. “He’s not that big yet.”

The old woman left the room and Tori knelt down on the floor. She loosened her dagger and put it on the floor before going through her satchel. Her spare gloves for sword were inside and she tugged them on.

“No offense, Alexander’s father, but I don’t want to risk getting scratched,” Tori said. “Stay still and I’ll cut the matting out. When we’re done, you can eat as much shredded chicken and steamed fish as you want.”

The large cat let out a low breath and stood up. He walked towards Tori and then elegantly turned to the side, sitting back down, and exposing his long, fluffy tail to her.

She was starting to wonder if perhaps the Declyan temple cats were extraordinarily intelligent. She carefully took her dagger and made short strokes in the fur, removing the matted clump. She then reached down and moved it aside gathering it in one gloved hand. It was still somewhat soft.

The brown, sticky clump appeared like mud at first glance, but it was tacky and stuck to her gloves. Tori pulled off one glove and touched it, still matted with long black fur. It had a clay-like consistency and looked to have been part of a larger piece.

Perhaps Alexander’s father had rubbed up against it.

Tori picked it up and lifted it against the window. Now that she got a better look at it, it was something sticky mixed with mud to make it that light brown color. She pinched it between her fingers; she’d felt this before. It was a dense, incredibly sticky material. She squinted; it shone a bit.

Her eyes widened and she brought it to her nose. She could still smell a sort of musky woody scent that filled her mind with childhood memories.

“It’s tree resin,” she said. In her original world, her grandparents’ house was surrounded by pine trees, and as curious little children, she and her cousin would play with tree sap. Then get scolded for getting it on them, as it was a mess to clean up. She looked down at the cats who were now both eating their shredded chicken. The massive black cat ate unbothered. “Is this a sign from the god of death to use tree resin?”

She was thinking too much about it, but it did come at a convenient time. She removed her gloves and wiped her hands on the warm, damp towel Mama J put on her tray. After she wiped her hands, she ate and dug out her comcry to call Sir Lloyd, who was often in charge of watching Alexander.

“My lady, good afternoon?” The man sounded a bit nervous, and Tori raised a brow.

“Good afternoon, Sir Lloyd. By any chance, do you know where Alexander is?”

There was a long, tense pause on the other side.

“My lady, forgive me! We have lost Master Alexander! I swear he was attached to his leash when I went into the store, but when I came out he was gone! I’m sorry! I am incompetent! Please give me another chance!” He gushed out the sentence as if he’d personally insulted her and wanted to live. Tori almost rolled her eyes.

“He’s in the small room above Cafe Fortuna. He’s eating with me and his father. Alexander, say ‘hi’ to Sir Lloyd.” She held out her comcry and Alexander lifted his head.

“Nyaow!”

“Master Alexander, what are you doing there?” Sir Lloyd sounded betrayed, and Tori cringed. “You said you would wait for me while I went to buy ink for His Highness!”

“Nyaow....”

“Stay where you are! I’ll be right over!” He ended the call and Tori looked at her cat.

“Do you see what you did? You made Sir Lloyd worry.” Tori put her comcry on the table next to her and finished her snack. The two cats also seemed finished. Alexander looked up at her and gently pushed his bowl towards her feet. “No, you’re going to have dinner later.” His ears bent back.

“Master Alexander!” a strained voice came from the hall and Tori stood up. She went to the door and pulled it open. Sir Lloyd stumbled on to the upper floor, sweat on his face as he looked as if he’d just escaped death. “My lady!”

“He’s in here,” Tori said. She stepped aside and Sir Lloyd and Sir Wagner bowed their heads to her before entering the room.

“Thank the gods! He’s safe.” Sir Wagner let out a breath of relief. He looked at Sir Lloyd with annoyance. “You said you could manage walking him.”

“He’s usually very good about-is that Declyan temple cat?” Sir Lloyd seemed to do a double take.

Alexander’s father had sat up once more and moved his tail behind him before lifting his front paw and licking it clean. Sir Wagner’s mouth dropped. “I heard they were big...but not this big.”

Sir Lloyd pressed his palms together and bowed at the cat. “This humble man accepts the blessing of the god of death.”

Tori wasn’t sure what was happening. The massive black cat seemed to respond to the phrase and stood up. He sauntered to Sir Lloyd and put his paw on the knight’s boot. Tori expected him to let out a low, grumbling purr, as if acknowledging Sir Lloyd’s greeting.

“Neow.”

She blinked. “What was that? Is that how you sound? Like Alexander when he’s hungry at night and begging for food?” Alexander’s father looked towards her, and she could swear he was looking into her soul. Tori lifted her hands and let out a nervous laugh. “Not that it’s bad. It’s very cute.”

“Grr....”

“Heroic. Dashing. Exactly what an esteemed temple cat should sound like,” she said as the large cat’s ears began to fold down. As he became satisfied, the large cat perked his ears and tail and turned towards the daybed. He jumped up and then on to the ledge of the open window. “So, that’s how you two got in.”

“Nyaow nyaow!” Alexander jumped on the bed after him and Sir Lloyd lunged forward.

“I’m sorry, Master Alexander, but I can’t let you go!”

“Wait,” Tori said as she took a step forward. “Do you know where the shrine to the god of death is?”

“Yes, it’s about six blocks from here, at the Rotunda Gardens,” Sir Wagner said. “Do you wish to go there?”

“Gardens....” Tori furrowed her brows. Maybe the trees that had sap were there. “Yes, I want to go. Let’s follow Alexander’s father.”

Sir Lloyd, who had his arms full of Alexander, jerked his head back. “That temple cat is Master Alexander’s father?”

“No wonder His Highness isn’t here....” Sir Wagner said in a quiet voice. He stood up straight. “If you wish to go to the shrine, we can escort you, my lady.”

Sir Lloyd put Alexander on the ground, the leash securely attached once more. “Wagner, call for an additional escort in case Master Alexander runs off again.”

Sir Wagner nodded and took his comcry. Tori reached for her satchel and slung it over her body. “I will meet you downstairs in the alley. I need to ask Mama J for a small container,” Tori told them. “There’s something I need to collect in that garden.”