Chapter 39: The White Panther

"No, Cassian. Now go away."

Karina didn’t even break her stride as she delivered the dismissal.

Behind her, Valen tugged gently on her hand, peeking around her skirts to glare at the white-haired Sovereign.

It had been a long, exhausting twenty-four hours. Just yesterday afternoon, Karina had subjected herself to a grueling, completely useless meeting with the royal healers of Shadow’s Edge. They had bowed and scraped, presented a dozen dusty tomes, and ultimately admitted they had absolutely no idea what was causing the feral sickness. No poison, no curse, no magical residue. Just panthers losing their minds and turning into rabid monsters.

Frustrated and nursing a headache, she had retreated, only to be met by a beaming Valen who had happily thanked her for letting him play with Nia and Silas. That small, precious moment of gratitude had been the only bright spot in an otherwise miserable day.

Now, it was the next morning, and Karina was fully prepared to escape the suffocating, drama-filled walls of the palace. She was about to leave the castle in a reinforced carriage, flanked by a dozen heavily armed royal guards, because she was the Empress of Zyleria, after all, and she wasn’t about to risk another zombie-cat ambush. Valen had asked to see the city, to see his father’s kingdom, and she was determined to give him that.

Sophie and Aldric were notably absent. Karina had ordered them to take the day off, citing that Sophie needed to rest from the journey and Aldric needed to stop glaring at Leonidas long enough to lower his blood pressure. In truth, she just wanted a day to focus entirely on her son without her general’s overprotective hovering.

But of course, the universe hated her.

Because just as the carriage doors were being opened, a certain white-haired menace decided to make an appearance.

"Going somewhere, Your Imperial Majesty?" Cassian purred, resting against the stone archway of the courtyard gate.

Count to three, Karina. Breathe.

One.

Two.

Three.

"Lord Cassian," she said. "I thought I made myself perfectly clear yesterday. You are not welcome in my presence unless you have something notable to discuss with me."

Cassian pushed off the archway. "Oh, but I was just passing by! And I couldn’t help but notice you and the little prince are heading out. Shadow’s Edge is a vast, sprawling kingdom. I could give both of you a ride around the castle grounds and the lower city before you depart in that stuffy wooden box."

Karina crossed her arms, her red eyes narrowing. "I would rather walk through a den of rabid beasts than accept a favor from you. And frankly, there are people in this courtyard more than willing to put your pretty face on a spike if you keep annoying me."

Cassian paused.

Oh?

He took a step closer, ignoring the way the royal guards instantly tensed.

"You think I’m pretty?" he said with a twinkle in his eyes, narrowing his eyes.

A sudden, traitorous heat rushed to Karina’s cheeks. She glared at him, refusing to back down. "Figure of speech," she snapped. "A very unfortunate one, at that."

Ding!

Mew he he he! Target’s heart rate is elevating! Host, you called him pretty! The ice queen has a blush! This is peak romantic comedy progression! Cheshire’s robotic cackle echoed in her skull.

Ugh. I hate you.

Karina shifted her gaze past Cassian’s ridiculous shoulder. Standing a few paces behind him, looking like she hadn’t slept in a decade, was the fierce panther beastwoman from yesterday. Her posture screamed of a woman who was one minor inconvenience away from committing murder.

Karina tilted her head. "And who is this? Your long-suffering jailer?"

The woman blinked, clearly caught off guard by the Empress addressing her directly. She immediately stepped forward and executed a respectful bow. "My name is Nalani, Your Imperial Majesty. Second-in-Command of the Glacier’s Crown vanguard."

Karina looked from Nalani’s exhausted, dark-circled eyes back to Cassian’s smug, flawless profile. "Tell me, Nalani," Karina said, her tone genuinely curious. "How do you manage him? Is there a specific chant? Or do you just hit him with a heavy object when he acts up?"

Cassian placed a hand over his heart, feigning deep offense. "You wound me, Empress. I am a delight to be around."

"You are a menace," Nalani muttered under her breath, though she quickly cleared her throat and stood at attention.

Karina smirked. "You will need to be careful, Nalani. Prolonged exposure to his ego might cause permanent damage to your sanity."

Cassian ignored them both, his eyes dropping to the small boy hiding slightly behind Karina’s leg. Valen was staring up at the white-haired Sovereign. He looked wary, but there was an undeniable spark of curiosity in his gaze. He had never seen a panther beastman with white hair before.

Cassian crouched down, suddenly looking harmless. "Hello, little one," he said softly. "A carriage is boring. But my beast form? Much faster. Much more fun. And I’ll be very careful."

He looked back up at Karina. "Let me give you a ride, Empress. My beast form is perfectly safe. I promise I won’t drop you."

Karina looked down at Valen. The six-year-old was biting his lower lip, his eyes darting between Karina and Cassian.

Hmm. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. He hadn’t even ridden on a panther before.

Valen looked at the massive courtyard, then at the towering, smirking Sovereign. His little tail gave a tiny, involuntary wag.

"I... I’d like it," Valen mumbled.

Karina sighed, a fond smile touching her lips. "Alright. But if he does anything weird, we bite him. Understand?"

Valen nodded. "Yes!"

Cassian chuckled. "A wise policy, Your Majesty."

He stepped back, giving them a generous amount of space. He closed his eyes, and the air around him suddenly cooled.

Karina watched, her breath catching in her throat, as the Sovereign’s body began to shift. Bones cracked and realigned with a series of sickening, yet mesmerizing pops. Thick white fur sprouted across his skin, rippling like snow over a mountain peak. His frame expanded, muscles bulging and shifting until he was no longer a man, but a beast.

When the shifting stopped, standing in the courtyard was a massive, breathtakingly beautiful white panther.

He was huge, about the size of a small horse, with a luxurious coat that shimmered like fresh snowfall in the morning sun. His tail was long and tipped with dark fur, and his paws were massive, equipped with retractable claws that clicked softly against the stone.

He retained those striking, mismatched eyes, one glacial blue, one deep purple, and his expression was undeniably, infuriatingly handsome.

Oh wow, Karina thought, her brain short-circuiting for a fraction of a second. He’s so pretty.

She realized her jaw had gone slack.

Your mouth is open, host, Cheshire’s voice buzzed smugly in the back of her mind.

Shut up, Karina snapped internally, quickly closing her mouth and clearing her throat.

The white panther lowered his huge head, his fluffy ears twitching as he looked down at her.

Get on.