Because of some stupid legend?" Sora shook her head firmly, frightened but still stubborn. What if this was all superstition? "I don't believe a word of it. This necklace isn't going to kill me."
"Don't be a fool! If the races exist, then so do the Cat's Eyes," Dorian growled. His voice became surprisingly wolf-like, low and deep in his throat. "I'm not talking about silly stories, girl. The necklace is real. It has been bonding with you since you first put it on. How long have you worn it?"
Sora thought back, remembering her birthday, counting the hours. "A full day at least," she murmured.
"Then it's too late. Leave it."
"But...." her voice faded to silence. She had nothing left to say. She didn't know if Dorian's words were true, but she had seen the effects of the necklace only a few minutes ago. She had felt its burst of power, fiercer than a thunderstorm.
And worse than that, she had sensed in her mind a psychic bond with the necklace. She turned to Crash suddenly, all of the pieces falling into place, realization dawning. "That's why you kidnapped me," she said, stunned. "That's why you won't let me go. You knew I had this necklace."
The assassin shrugged, meeting her eyes coldly. "I thought that's what it might be, but I wasn't sure," he murmured. "I had to see for myself."
Sora sat back, her thoughts still buzzing. She was sore and worn out, but she had to know the truth, the full story. She had heard a name pass between them twice now, a name that had stayed in her mind, hanging sharply like an icicle. "Who is Volcrian? Does he want the necklace?"
The assassin remained silent. Slowly, his brow furrowed.
Sora whirled around to look at Dorian. She was certain that she was onto something. She leaned forward, her words rushed. "Is he the one who hired you? Who wanted Lord Fallcrest dead?"
But Dorian was already shaking his head, his ears slightly drooping. He had ripped a piece of cloth from his shirt and was pressing it tightly against his wound, grimacing in pain. "No, no, not at all," he muttered through bared fangs. "He is a Wolfy mage, very skilled at magic, very practiced. He has been hunting Crash for years, killing anyone who comes near him. Now he's hunting both of us. And you, too, I expect."
"A Wolfy mage?" Sora murmured. Her eyes turned to the small corpse of the fox, which had once been a raging, ferocious demon-beast. "He...he made that?"
"Yes," Dorian said.
"With magic?"
"Yes."
"And he's...hunting you?"
"Again, yes."
"And my necklace...my necklace...." Sora's eyes opened wide. It all made sense. Crash and Dorian had a sorcerer on their trail, and her necklace could protect them. No wonder they wouldn't let her go. No wonder Crash had thrown her in front of the monster. He had wanted to test the necklace—to see if his suspicions were right. And perhaps he had known she would be protected.
Hatred burst in her chest. Crash hadn't cared about her safety in the least. There had to be other ways to test a Cat's Eye. Ways that didn't risk her life.
Sora shook her head, her headache growing worse. She had a lot to digest. A day ago, all of this magic business would have seemed impossible. But there was no other explanation for what she had just experienced. She suddenly wondered if she was awake and conscious, or if she had entered some strange delusion brought on by the valerian root.
No, no, the necklace was real, she knew it had to be true. She had felt odd pulls and nudges at her thoughts, intuitions that she couldn't quite explain, and now the sound of sleighbells. Communication? Warning bells? From a rock? A rock!? Not just a rock... she corrected herself, remembering Dorian's words. A semi-living thing.
Dear Goddess, what if the stone was conscious? What if it could hear her very thoughts? Share them? Influence them? She shuddered. I will not scare myself! No, it was just a dumb story. She had never heard of such a thing as a psychic bond, or a necklace that fed on magic, that lived
"Don't be a fool! If the races exist, then so do the Cat's Eyes," Dorian growled. His voice became surprisingly wolf-like, low and deep in his throat. "I'm not talking about silly stories, girl. The necklace is real. It has been bonding with you since you first put it on. How long have you worn it?"
Sora thought back, remembering her birthday, counting the hours. "A full day at least," she murmured.
"Then it's too late. Leave it."
"But...." her voice faded to silence. She had nothing left to say. She didn't know if Dorian's words were true, but she had seen the effects of the necklace only a few minutes ago. She had felt its burst of power, fiercer than a thunderstorm.
And worse than that, she had sensed in her mind a psychic bond with the necklace. She turned to Crash suddenly, all of the pieces falling into place, realization dawning. "That's why you kidnapped me," she said, stunned. "That's why you won't let me go. You knew I had this necklace."
The assassin shrugged, meeting her eyes coldly. "I thought that's what it might be, but I wasn't sure," he murmured. "I had to see for myself."
Sora sat back, her thoughts still buzzing. She was sore and worn out, but she had to know the truth, the full story. She had heard a name pass between them twice now, a name that had stayed in her mind, hanging sharply like an icicle. "Who is Volcrian? Does he want the necklace?"
The assassin remained silent. Slowly, his brow furrowed.
Sora whirled around to look at Dorian. She was certain that she was onto something. She leaned forward, her words rushed. "Is he the one who hired you? Who wanted Lord Fallcrest dead?"
But Dorian was already shaking his head, his ears slightly drooping. He had ripped a piece of cloth from his shirt and was pressing it tightly against his wound, grimacing in pain. "No, no, not at all," he muttered through bared fangs. "He is a Wolfy mage, very skilled at magic, very practiced. He has been hunting Crash for years, killing anyone who comes near him. Now he's hunting both of us. And you, too, I expect."
"A Wolfy mage?" Sora murmured. Her eyes turned to the small corpse of the fox, which had once been a raging, ferocious demon-beast. "He...he made that?"
"Yes," Dorian said.
"With magic?"
"Yes."
"And he's...hunting you?"
"Again, yes."
"And my necklace...my necklace...." Sora's eyes opened wide. It all made sense. Crash and Dorian had a sorcerer on their trail, and her necklace could protect them. No wonder they wouldn't let her go. No wonder Crash had thrown her in front of the monster. He had wanted to test the necklace—to see if his suspicions were right. And perhaps he had known she would be protected.
Hatred burst in her chest. Crash hadn't cared about her safety in the least. There had to be other ways to test a Cat's Eye. Ways that didn't risk her life.
Sora shook her head, her headache growing worse. She had a lot to digest. A day ago, all of this magic business would have seemed impossible. But there was no other explanation for what she had just experienced. She suddenly wondered if she was awake and conscious, or if she had entered some strange delusion brought on by the valerian root.
No, no, the necklace was real, she knew it had to be true. She had felt odd pulls and nudges at her thoughts, intuitions that she couldn't quite explain, and now the sound of sleighbells. Communication? Warning bells? From a rock? A rock!? Not just a rock... she corrected herself, remembering Dorian's words. A semi-living thing.
Dear Goddess, what if the stone was conscious? What if it could hear her very thoughts? Share them? Influence them? She shuddered. I will not scare myself! No, it was just a dumb story. She had never heard of such a thing as a psychic bond, or a necklace that fed on magic, that lived
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