Free A Cat's Chance in Hell by Sharon Hannaford Page B

hear your impressions of the Wraith and its unusual abilities,” Athena spoke up for the first time. Her voice was calm and businesslike. If she was really concerned for Gabi’s well being, she wasn’t letting it show in her voice.
    Well, at least she wasn’t acting the distraught best friend, Gabi thought as she looked over at the fuzzy, cream coloured shape that was Athena. She didn’t need to see the slim, fair-haired woman to picture her clearly. Athena was close to Gabi in both true age and apparent age; they both were heading towards thirty, but appeared closer to twenty. That was where the similarities ended; in both looks and attitude they were polar opposites. Athena was the liaison between the Magi council and the SMV council, facilitating the flow of information and supervising the use of Magi within the SMV organisation. She was one of the Head Councillors of Magi High Council, and was, by far, the youngest person to ever hold one of the coveted positions. Only those who had passed the top level of proficiency in Magi training could put themselves forward for one of the five positions, and then they still needed to be voted in by the majority of the Secondary Council. Athena was more than proficient in many aspects of Magic, but she was exceptional at counter-magic; the talent that allowed a Magi to counteract the effects of another’s spell or power. It was a rare and valuable gift, and the reason that she’d been consulted about Gabi’s loss of eyesight. It was a pity she seemed to have such an intense dislike of anyone not Magus-born.
    Gabi hadn’t managed to get Athena to squirm even once during the long seconds of staring at her, so she gave up and turned to Byron to give him an account of the previous night. With Kyle’s occasional input she clarified the events up to, and including, the shocking encounter with the Wraith, and ended by explaining how her vision was still clouded, but apparently improving, she didn’t think she would need to bother Ian. Athena asked a few polite but probing questions about the Wraith and the effects of its power on Gabi, and Gabi answered equally politely, getting to the bottom of the Wraith’s power was more important than her dislike of Athena.
    Sometime during the discussion Razor had wandered in, Gabi had automatically pushed away from the table to allow him to climb on her lap, though he was far too big to sit there comfortably. He was just trying to get comfortable when he noticed Athena across the table. He went dead still for a quarter of a second, and then lunged onto the table directly towards Athena. Gabi made a wild grab for him, missing completely, and Kyle’s face took on a horrified expression. But Razor stopped dead a few millimetres from Athena’s shocked face, sat down and stared into her eyes with baleful malevolence.
    Athena sat back very cautiously, as though confronted by a wild tiger, and asked out the corner of her mouth, “What. Is. That? And is it going to eat me?”
    It was the first time any of them had ever heard Athena sound anything except controlled and businesslike. She actually sounded terrified.
    “ Razor!” Gabi called sharply, “Don’t torment strangers, its not polite.” She was careful not to use the word guest, as that would exclude Razor from tormenting Kyle.
    “ Meet Gabi’s cat, Razor,” Kyle said sardonically. “Though we use the term ‘cat’ loosely around here. He may take a chunk out of you, but I don’t think he’d actually eat you.”
    “ I doubt he would enjoy the taste of witch anyway,” Gabi muttered under her breath.
    “ In that case, I don’t think he likes me very much,” Athena said stiffly; ignoring her comment, and drawing in a deep, steadying breath as Razor disdainfully made his way back across the table to Gabi. He gave her a loving head butt, before hopping to the floor with a grace that belied his incredible size, and exiting the room with an arrogant swish of his tail.
    “ Don’t