A Pride of Werecats

Chapter 40

Sarika's POV

They reminded her of herself. Fierce determination had shone in their eyes to save their friend. They had a chance, Sarika didn't and was lucky to get away. Only just fast enough to get away. How could she have said no? Guilt had consumed her for so long and she could spare them from that. She with knowledge of the building got them in.

And there she was. A scared little puma.

"Alkira," the goth whispered.

The puma's head turned towards us and her eyes lit up though there was a horror that she had seen that didn't allow her to smile. Her hair was a rusty brown and completely pulled free of whatever style it had been it, grass and clumps of dirt now decorated it. Her tanned skin also showed similar smudges of soil with bruises flowering. 

"How?" she merely whispered her eyes taking them all in and coming to rest on Sarika. 

Sarika held her gaze, she wished that it could have been her pride she was rescued but their existence proved it couldn't be so. Pushing away the darkness that loomed at the edges of her mind she whispered, "we need to get her out now."

Looking to the door they could see it was a fingerprint scanner.

"How in the hell?" the goth hissed.

"We're just going to have to get a finger," muttered the lioness.

They all looked back at her, Sarika had noted that the lioness had said almost nothing in the short time she had known her. A strange first impression for a strange situation. 

The lion looked to Sarika, "wouldn't happen to know where you could find a ...... a finger?"

Sarika bit her lip and pressed on her memories trying to recall the path. It was difficult but she was the best they had so she darted off beckoning the others to follow.

The goth lingered at the cell, "we will be back soon don't worry."

The puma only replied with a sad look in watery eyes. Sarika could smell a demon coming so she hissed at the goth to follow. She quickly scuttled toward Sarika. They all held their breath as the demon looked down the hall, pausing for a few moments, even taking a sniff. And they collectively breathed a sigh of relief when he continued on his patrol.

Sarika, keeping her senses on extremely high alert led them swiftly down the hall to where she remembered seeing some kind of an office. Demons could never be quite so organised the way humans were but it seemed a place to sit for a supervisor was pretty universal. But in order to get that finger, they would either have drag the demon with them which could be disastrous or take the finger themselves. Which would mean killing the demon. Quietly too somehow. Sarika didn't like either of those options. 

Though killing could be done quietly depending on the demon. 

As they came up to the final bend, Sarika brought her finger to her lips and signalled them to stop. She looked around the bend and saw a human-aspect demon slumped lazily in the chair. She lifted her head to the gods and silently thanked them before turning back to the Pride. 

"So we are going to have to kill a demon," Sarika whispered to them

"And take his finger?" the goth asked.

"Exactly, can you and blondie come with me. Blondie please cover his mouth and goth hold him down for me. I'm going to have to bite off his finger," Sarika whispered, grimacing. 

They all cringed at that for a moment but didn't have anything else to say. 

The goth looked back at the other two, "You guys keep watch."

They both nodded.

Sarika looked at the goth and the blonde and whispered to them, leaning in close, "I'm going to run in, you follow me and don't let him grab you."

They both nodded and Sarika took a deep breath.

She would have to do this perfectly or the past would repeat itself. She steeled her nerves and prepared her legs, harnessing the spirit and the speed of her cheetah. She leapt forward and shot across the hall and into the office in the blink of an eye. She had her hand clamped around the mouth of the demon before he had even seen her. Alarm shone in his eyes as she pinned his body down into the seat. She had flown in as graceful as a swallow but landed like bricks on him. He squirmed and tested his strength against her. But suddenly another pair of hands gripped his arms, he flinched at them. Sarika looked up into the eyes of the blonde, his hand was ready to cover the mouth of the demon. As soon as she removed her's he covered it. 

"Lion, break his neck," Sarika whispered.

The lion's eyes grew in horror his grip almost loosening on the demon, "What?"

"Ugh fine let's just hope biting his finger off will put him in shock then," she hissed and grabbed his arm and before he had time to react she savagely bit into one of his fingers, crunching through the bone.

The demon writhed in agony, the lion and the goth cringed away from the sight.

Blood poured down Sarika's throat as she pulled the finger away from the hand. It was definitely one of the grossest things she had ever done. Blood was all over her face, neck and chest. She spat the finger out, at least it was successful for how gross it was. The other two were still reeling from how gross it was. 

Sarika sighed, pocketing the finger she jumped up and brought her leg down on the demon's throat with a sickening snap he stopped all his struggles and the two let him go.

"Oh my god," the goth's eyes were huge.

"Come on there's no time for this," Sarika led them back down the halls they had come through. 

She knew how important time was, the demons were impatient creatures, it was a surprise they had cells at all. But now they had the finger they could break the puma out even though it was completely disgusting. 

Sarika followed by the Pride walked down the corridor of cells to the one that held the puma only to find it completely empty.

First published - 7/1/2020