Free Wicked Whispers by Nina Bangs

her.
    The gray cat leaped onto the counter to rub his head against Sparkle’s arm. “Calm down, sugarhoney. You know that you do things you regret when you lose your temper.”
    Sparkle turned her outraged gaze on the cat. “She told Isis where to find Holgarth. He was devastated. Not just a bitch, but a traitorous bitch.”
    Ivy stood staring. She didn’t understand any of this. It seemed that everyone here had shared histories. She’d always be on the outside looking in. And for the few weeks she’d be here, that’s exactly where she wanted to stay.
    “I want her out of my castle.” Sparkle’s long red hair was starting to lift from her shoulders as though blown by a phantom breeze, and her eyes were glowing amber.
    “Will the drama never end?” Asima suddenly appeared next to Ivy. She sat and curled her tail around herself.
    Ivy gasped. Where had Asima come from? Not that it really mattered. From the look in Sparkle’s eyes, it might be wise to move away from her target of choice. Ivy backed toward the door, only to make contact with a hard body.
    “This is just the distraction I needed.”
    Ivy didn’t have any problem identifying the husky voice so close to her ear. Murmur. She hadn’t heard him come into the store. He put his hand on her shoulder and leaned close.
    “You can’t leave now. This is entertainment at its best.”
    Ivy was torn between her need to escape whatever was about to happen and her desire to turn around and punch Murmur in his perfect face. She tried to ignore the warmth from his hand. She didn’t want any part of him touching her.
    She wasn’t sure what she would have said to him, because Sparkle interrupted.
    “Get her out of my castle. Now .” Sparkle stared at Ganymede. “I’d do it myself, but then she’d say something snotty and I’d have to tear her head off.”
    Ganymede’s fuzzy face wore a hunted expression as he glanced at Murmur. “Do something, demon. Let’s hear some music. I don’t give a damn what it is as long as it calms my sweetie. Even ‘Dirge for a Dead Donut’ would sound great right now.”
    “Sorry, but I don’t interfere in private disagreements.” Murmur didn’t look sorry.
    Asima yawned, showing every one of her sharp little teeth. “You can’t order me out of your castle, slut queen. You and Ganymede said I could stay here.” Her elegant cat face wore a smug expression. “Perhaps it was after I convinced Bast to save you, or it might have been any number of times I came to the rescue of you and your tubby sidekick.”
    “Tubby sidekick?” Ganymede was doing a lot of mental sputtering.
    Not only was Sparkle’s hair now floating in an invisible breeze, but she was levitating off her stool. “I take back my permission. Now get your ass out of here.”
    Undaunted, Asima lifted one paw, licked it, and calmly washed her face. “I’m afraid that would be impossible. Cats take promises seriously. Once you give a cat permission to stay somewhere, it’s binding. Tell her, Ganymede.”
    Ganymede hissed at Asima before leaping from the counter and joining Ivy and Murmur by the door. “Hate to say this, cupcake, but I’m afraid she’s right. Cats honor their promises to other cats.”
    “I guess it’s lucky then that I’m not a cat.” Sparkle actually growled. “Honor this, bitch.” And she leaped over the counter at Asima.
    Murmur grabbed Ivy’s hand and pulled her from the store. Ganymede rammed into the back of her legs in his need to escape. Murmur slammed the door shut behind them.
    “Run.” Ganymede bounded away, his ears pinned flat against his head and his tail puffed up to twice its size.
    Murmur dragged Ivy along with him as he hurried her back to the castle. Ganymede had already disappeared from sight. As she ran, she heard the sounds of shrieks, feline howls, and things breaking. The whole store shook.
    “Shouldn’t we try to stop them?” Please say no. All Ivy wanted to do was run to her room and bury her head