When he opened his eyes, Jay was sitting on his chest.

"Are you crazy?" Jamie gasped, shoving Jay away. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Jay let out a startled hiss, his tail swishing back and forth. "Hey! You touched me?" he blurted, voice edged with disbelief.

Jamie blinked in confusion. "Touched you? I just woke up. I don't even know what's going on."

"You pushed me," Jay repeated, claws lightly scraping the covers. "That's... never happened before. Did I do something? Is something wrong?"

Before Jamie could answer, a series of knocks sounded at the bedroom door. "Everything all right in there?" came Bertram's concerned voice.

Jamie cleared his throat, heart still hammering. "Yes! I'm fine. Just had a bit of a scare," he called back. Satisfied, Bertram's footsteps retreated, leaving the two alone.

Slumping against his pillows, Jamie released a shaky breath. "Where were you? I lost track of you the moment we came into this mansion," he whispered.

Jay's ears flattened against his skull as he perched himself near Jamie's pillow. "I don't know," he murmured. "I was right beside you, but somehow our connection broke the minute we stepped through those doors. And after you left that place, I felt you again, but I couldn't come back. It was like... I was healing. I've never felt anything like it."

A thousand questions raced through Jamie's mind. What did Jay mean by "healing"? What sort of power bound them together? Yet the weight of the day pressed on him, and all he could do was let his heavy eyelids fall shut.

Soft darkness crept around him, enfolding him in a dreamless slumber.

--

CRASH!

A sharp sound of shattering glass tore through the silent night, jolting Jamie upright in bed. In one swift motion, he jerked the covers aside and sprang to his feet, daggers already in his hands. Shadows flickered across the walls as he scanned for intruders, heart pounding.

"Who's there?" he shouted into the darkness, tension gripping his every muscle. His mind churned with frustration. 'I never seemed to get some peace'

"I did it! I actually did it!" The shout rang with an odd triumph.

His gaze fell on a broken clay vase in the middle of the room, shards scattered on the floor. Perched atop the nearby table was Jay. The cat's tail lashed with excitement.

"I touched the vase!" Jay declared, puffing out his chest in pride.

"Touched?" Jamie echoed, glaring at the remains. "I heard the crash, you freaking idiot! I was sleeping!"

"Oh, come on," Jay said, flicking an ear dismissively. "You never even liked that vase."

"That's not the point!" Jamie hissed, running a hand over his face. Exhaustion weighed on him, and the cat's excitement only fed his irritation. "I want some rest!"

In a surge of pent-up frustration, Jamie lunged forward, grabbed Jay by the fur, and hauled him to the doorway. He flung open the door and tossed the cat outside before pausing to catch his breath.

Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one in the corridor. Standing beyond the threshold was Aldwin, arm raised to knock. "Ja—!"

He never finished. Jay landed squarely against Aldwin's face, prompting a startled scream. In a mad scramble of fur, the cat dug his claws into Aldwin's tunic.

With daggers still clutched in his hands, Jamie stared wide-eyed, with a mixture of guilt and amusement.

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"What in the world is this? And where did this fat cat come from?" Aldwin yelped, darting left and right as he tried in vain to pry Jay's claws from his tunic.

"Fat cat?" Jay spat in indignation, his tail bristling. "I am not fat! You were my favorite until now, but you've blown it!"

The ruckus was impossible to ignore. Eliza and Bertram came hurrying up the staircase to see what was happening. They almost stumbled to a stop when they saw Aldwin flailing and Jay hissing. The two were locked in a bizarre dance of grappling limbs and thrashing claws.

With a curious tilt of her head, Eliza turned to Jamie. "You had a cat in your room?"

"Wait, you can see him?" Jamie asked, incredulous.

Eliza raised an eyebrow. "Yes, of course I can. Are you all right?"

Jamie almost laughed but caught himself, remembering his odd position. "I'm fine, I- listen, can you hear him?"

"Sure. Of course." Eliza answered.

Bertram's gaze flicked from Jamie's tense face to the cat still clinging to Aldwin's tunic.

Meanwhile, Jay, hearing Eliza's words, hopped down and strutted to her feet, whiskers twitching in defiance. "You can?"

Jamie stood rooted to the spot, watching in bewilderment. "What did he say?" he asked, half-hoping Eliza had understood every word.

She responded only with a perplexed stare. "Meow," she repeated, as though that explained everything.

"I think you'd better go back to sleep." Eliza suggested worried.

"Yeah. I do." Jamie nodded, choosing to hold on to the last scraps of his image before it deteriorated even further.

"I'll fetch something for him to eat," she added, speaking as though Jay were any ordinary cat.

"Food? Finally!" Jay purred with satisfaction, walking after her.

Jamie hesitated, staring after them. 'Wasn't he limited to being in the same room?'

"Did he stop being my guardian?" he murmured under his breath. "Or did the magic wear off somehow?"

No one was there to answer. Resigned, Jamie slipped back into his bedroom. Daggers set aside, he crawled beneath the covers. He hoped that—as impossible as it seemed—sleep might bring some rest.

--

Jamie couldn't tell how long he'd slept. It felt like he'd been out for days. A thick, groggy haze clung to his mind, and every slight motion set off a dull ache in his temples. Even his cheeks were sore, though he couldn't recall why. With a groan, he pushed aside the blankets and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

"I need to check on the wall," he muttered under his breath, recalling that he needed to oversee the projects' results. Even any movement made his head throb, but he forced himself to stand and make his way out of the room.

The corridor beyond was lit by an early morning glow. Outside was still peaceful. He glimpsed the empty streets. Yet, down the stairs, the main hall hummed with activity.

He reached the stairs and paused. There was almost all members of the company gathered in the spacious common area. Thyra knelt by a large golden cat that sprawled lazily on its back.

"My gods, he's so calm and cute," she cooed, scratching its furry belly.

"Yes, that's it," Jay purred, stretching luxuriously. "A little more to the left." Although Jamie was the only one who understood the cat's words, the others simply heard a series of happy meows.

Jamie sighed, stepping into the room. However, none of the gave much importance since their attention had was on their new "mascot."

"Any news?" he asked, eyeing Jay with exasperation.

Eliza rose from a chair near the entrance. "You've been asleep for almost two full days," she said. "You must've needed the rest."

Aldwin, adjusting his leather bracers, chimed in. "They've set the date for the prisoners' transfer. Their trial is set for tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow, huh?" Jamie pressed a palm against his temple, as though it might ease the lingering headache. "Thanks for letting me know. I'm heading out to see Emyr and Knall. I need to check on the weapon we've been working on."

Eliza nodded. "Other than Holz, everyone's been training in your absence."

"How's Holz?" Jamie asked quietly.

Eliza's face fell. "His wife is still unconscious. The clerics have done all they can, but she won't wake. They say the emotional shock was too much."

Jamie exhaled a slow breath. "Understood. Thank you." He turned toward the doors that led to the street, then heard an indignant yowl behind him.

"Hey! Wait for me. I can't fly!" Jay cried, leaping gracefully off the table and scampering after him.

Tilting her head, Eliza watched the cat running with a faint smile. "He seems quite attached to you."

Jamie paused, one hand on the door handle. "He loves me," he said, his sarcasm plain.

"Oh, don't tell them that," Jay hissed in embarrassment, though he made no effort to conceal the grin in his huge golden eyes.

With a resigned shake of his head, Jamie pushed open the door.

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