“When I touched her—the woman—it triggered images of my nightmare. The woman who dies in my arms.”
He lowers his gaze, brows pinched together in concern.
“Then, you have finally found her.”
My head jerks back in surprise. “Found who?”
“Your queen. The one you guarded in your past life.”
“My queen? My past life?” I blink down at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
Sitting up, he jerks his chin toward the stool by the counter.
“You may want to sit down.”
Chapter 5
Kyra
Morning light filters in through the curtains, casting a soft orange glow throughout the room. I sit up in bed, and my head spins a moment before settling. Astra is curled beside me, still sleeping. Without thinking, I reach out to pet her but stop just short when the memories of last night return. Softly, I shake my head. I had to have been dreaming. Cats don’t talk.
As if sensing my hesitation, Astra opens her eyes and turns to me.
“Good morning, Kyra,” she says, then stretches out her full length on the bed.
I still.
What. The. Hell.
“You’re not crazy,” she blinks up at me. “I swear.”
Her saying that doesn’t mean it’s not true. I stare at her a moment before delirious laughter bubbles up in my throat.
“This from the cat who I think is talking to me.”
She narrows her eyes. “I am talking to you.” Her expression turns sorrowful. “Do you not remember me at all?”
“What are you talking about?” Yet even as the words leave my mouth, flashes of images rush through my mind. I’m seated on a silver throne dressed in white while Astra sits on the floor beside me.
I reach up and place my palm on my forehead, checking for fever. “What is wrong with me? I don’t understand why this is happening.”
She places a paw on my forearm. “You are not crazy, Kyra. Your memories should have returned already to you, but it seems they will take time.”
“Memories of what?”
“Your past life,” she explains as if it’s such a simple matter. “In the Otherworld—Lunaria.”
“But, I—”
“Please,” she begs as she stands and gestures to the door. “Take me back to the café. Together we will speak with Cael. He holds the key to all of this.”
I shake my head. “I don’t understand. What does he have to do with all of this?”
“Trust me.” She places a paw on my knee. “Soon, you will know everything.”
Still not sure if I’m crazy or dreaming, I figure I may as well go along with this. But as we walk to the café, I’m not sure why I’m listening to a talking cat. Maybe I’m in shock. Or maybe I’ve really lost it. Claire is always pressuring me to get out more, to make friends, and even find someone. Instead, I preferred to keep to myself, spend every day in a café, typing away so I can get all the stories in my head out into the world.
My mind keeps circling back to all my stress about this current book. Yes, that has to be it. I’m simply stressed and this is my overactive imagination bubbling over and making me see and hear things. That’s got to be it. I hope.
As soon as I enter the café, Cael’s eyes meet mine from behind the counter. It’s early, so I’m the first customer here. I don’t see Aris, but I hear sounds coming from the back and assume he must be in the kitchen, preparing the pastries for the early morning rush.
“Hey, Kyra!” Cael greets me with a handsome smile. “You’re here early.”
I give him a nervous grin in return. “Yeah, there’s uh…” I’m about to tell him there’s something I want to talk to him about, but I lose my nerve. Instead, I move to the counter, meaning to place an order, but his warm teal eyes distract me.
A slow grin curves his mouth. “You want me to surprise you again?”
My cheeks heat under his intense gaze. “Yeah,” I reply a bit breathlessly, then clear my throat as I come back to myself. “That would be great.”
His gaze drops to Astra, her head and front two paws sticking out of my bag. “I see you brought your new companion today.”
I glance down at her, astonished when the corners of her mouth quirk up in a smile, and she greets him.
“Hi, Cael.”
My jaw drops.
“Hi, back. Would you like a bowl of milk?” he asks as if it’s perfectly normal that a cat would be talking to him.
I lift my gaze to his and find him staring at me with a knowing look. My eyes roll up into the back of my head, and I fall away into darkness.
Chapter 6
Kyra
My mind slowly comes back to awareness as the smell of bacon fills the air. A sizzling sound tells me it’s cooking on a stove somewhere. My eyes snap open to an unfamiliar room. Covered by a thick green fluffy comforter, I’m surrounded by a masculine scent, a cross somewhere between fresh rain and forest. Oddly appealing, I breathe it in deep.
I realize it’s coming from the bedding. I dart a quick glance around the room. The walls are a pale, calming green, with several paintings of nature scenes. I’m in a four-poster bed with intricate carvings of vines and flowers etched into the rich, red colored wood.
Panic fills me. Where am I?
I lift the comforter and breathe a deep sigh of relief when I find I’m still completely clothed—a good sign. I hope it means I didn’t do anything crazy like sleep with a stranger. I drop my head onto the pillow, struggling to remember how I got here. What the hell is going on?
“Are you all right?” Astra stares down at me, along with a fluffy white fox.
I blink and shoot up in the bed, grabbing Astra in my arms and holding her tight to my chest.
“Get back!” I yell at the strange white fox.
Its blue eyes stare at me with an almost puzzled look.
“It’s all right, Astra,” I tell her. “I won’t let him eat you.”
The fox purses his lips, appearing offended by my statement. “Why would I eat a cat when I’m about to have bacon?” He rolls his eyes, then turns, jumps off the bed, and saunters into the hallway as he glances over his shoulder. “Really, you humans are so strange.”
I blink several times as I stare in shock at the far wall. Astra wriggles out of my grasp and places a paw on my hand, drawing my attention back to her.
“I know you think this is all some kind of dream, Kyra, and I’m sorry you’re being introduced to all of this so… quickly.”
I swallow nervously, then swing my legs over the bed.
“Where are we?” I ask, figuring if I’m still dreaming, I might as well ask questions so I can figure out how to wake up that much sooner. “Please tell me I didn’t do anything embarrassing.”
“We’re at Cael’s apartment,” she replies. “He brought you here after you passed out at the café.”
“All right.” I drop my head into my hands and run my fingers roughly through my hair. “I remember going to the café, and…” I level an accusing glare at Astra. “You started talking to Cael, and I passed out.”