Love At First Death

Elysia woke to an incessant scratching sound. For a brief, blissful moment, she forgot where she was. Then the events of the past few days came crashing down on her like a particularly heavy anvil.

"Ugh, not again," she muttered, sitting up in bed.

The scratching noise grew louder, more insistent. It was coming from the door– or what remained of it.

"Damien?" she called out, half-hoping it was him and half-hoping it wasn't.

No answer.

She tiptoed to the door, peeking through the splintered crack. The hallway was empty, dimly lit by flickering sconces. But the scratching sound hadn't stopped.

With a deep breath, she pulled the door open slightly, just enough to peer out.

And there it was.

A cat.

But not just any cat. This one was pure black, with eyes that glowed an eerie shade of green. It sat there, scratching lazily at the base of her door like it owned the place.

"Oh, great," Elysia muttered. "Just what I needed– a haunted cat."

The cat looked up at her, tilting its head in what could only be described as a condescending manner. Then, without warning, it strolled right past her and into the room, its tail swishing like it had been invited.

"Excuse me?" she said, closing the door and turning to face it. "Who said you could come in?"

The cat jumped onto the bed, circling a few times before settling down like it had lived there its whole life.

"I don't have time for this," Elysia grumbled, walking over to shoo it off. "Out you go– "

Before she could touch it, the cat let out a low, rumbling growl that made her freeze. Its glowing eyes narrowed, and for a split second, she could've sworn she saw the shadow of a wraith flicker across its fur.

"Okay, nope," she said, backing away. "You can stay. Make yourself comfortable. Mi casa, su casa."

The cat blinked at her, its expression smug.

Just then, the door creaked open again. Damien walked in, his gaze immediately landing on the cat.

"Oh, for the love of– " he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You know this cat?" Elysia asked, crossing her arms.

"It's not a cat," he said flatly.

She raised an eyebrow. "Looks like a cat. Scratches like a cat. Purrs like a cat."

"It's not a cat," he repeated, his tone laced with irritation.

The cat let out a meow, almost as if mocking him.

"Then what is it?" she pressed.

Damien sighed, leaning against the wall. "A nuisance."

"Hey!" she said, glaring at him. "Don't be mean. It hasn't done anything... yet."

The cat shot Damien a smug look, its glowing eyes practically twinkling.

"It's a familiar," he explained reluctantly. "Bound to serve me. Though it seems to take pleasure in doing the exact opposite."

Elysia blinked. "You have a magical cat servant?"

"It's not a cat," Damien snapped.

"Right," she said, biting back a grin. "Not a cat. Got it."

The cat stretched lazily, its claws digging into the sheets.

"I didn't summon you," Damien said, his voice colder now. "Leave."

The cat yawned in response, clearly unbothered.

Elysia smirked. "Seems like your 'not-cat' doesn't take orders very well."

Damien shot her a withering glare. "Don't encourage it."

She held up her hands in mock surrender. "I'm just saying, maybe if you were nicer– "

The cat suddenly jumped off the bed and padded over to Damien, rubbing against his leg. He stared down at it, his expression a mix of annoyance and resignation.

"Traitor," he muttered.

Elysia snickered, unable to help herself. "You're bad at this whole dark and mysterious thing when you're being cuddled by a not-cat."

Damien shot her a look that could've frozen fire. "Go to sleep, Elysia."

"Not until you admit it's cute," she teased.

He sighed heavily, picking up the cat by the scruff of its neck. It dangled there, looking entirely unimpressed.

"Happy?" he said, holding it up like an offering.

"Very," she replied with a grin.

Damien rolled his eyes and turned toward the door, muttering something under his breath as he left with the cat in tow.

Elysia flopped back onto the bed, a satisfied smile on her face. For all his coldness, Damien wasn't as unshakable as he liked to pretend.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.