Episode 116: Onyx (Zero)

The early hours of the morning had escaped him, and Zero was left with a mid morning swim if he was going to at all. At least he didn’t have to change. Once he was in the warm waters of the Big Cat Pool, designed for Jinx, he removed his pants and shifted into the tail he had grown to love. It was, Indigo and her family aside, his favorite part of the mythical land. While others fawned over dragons he had the pool, his Jinx, and no need to come up for breaths. Years ago, he discovered he did have to pick, air or water, for the session. A mix of the two left him unable to breathe, until he sunk to the bottom and water fully filled his chest.

Today, he chose air.

He began moving through the water, around the winding turns, lap after lap. He felt the day settle into him: connecting with Rhyss, Konrad’s inability to die, and the danger Spence was in every moment of his life.

He swam just past five laps when he noticed the change in the water. He was submerged before he could respond.

Giant snowy white paws flecked with grey pushed him down.

He was much larger than Jinx. There was a high chance he was one of Naomi’s experiments.

Zero didn’t want to hedge his life on the chance that this cat, in the Dells, was friendly.

He let fluid fill his lungs while he focused. He braced one hand on the basin of the pool and another he used to push himself back, further beneath the cat but where his fin was free. His heart raced as he planned his next move, but before he could the cat fell to his side and rolled in the water. Zero waited a moment then surfaced.

“That was worth the wait,” the cat said through loud chuffs.

Zero wiped the water from his face. “Who are you?”

“Onyx. I’m here for Kyori, and Indigo.”

“Indigo?”

Had he said Naomi, Zero would not have been surprised. There was no reason for the cat to know Indigo. Kyori was the name of the cat Naomi had made, the first, the one he knew about.

He pulled on his pants and sat on the edge of the water. “What do you want with Indigo?”

“Her former husband, Gramm, says hi. He’s home.”

The leopard licked his paws. Zero knew him, of him at least. Naomi had gloated about her projects. Her plans.

Gramm – the name hit him with a new wave of energy. “Where did you meet Gramm?”

“I have been living with him for most of two decades. He just completed his trial, but he is otherwise entangled at the moment. He sent me to see you.”

With the way his morning was going, Zero forced his curiosity into submission. He began leading Onyx toward the palace, to see Indigo. He made sure Jinx and her kittens were home, along with Cora. If something went wrong, which it should have already, he would be prepared.

Onyx commented on the palace the entire walk. He didn’t like the tiles because they hurt his claws, he didn’t like the painting of a horse because the grass was the wrong shade, he didn’t like the lighting because they were too wide and bright.

When he did see things he liked, he made a small chuff and kept walking.

After too long, they found the apartment. Zero let him inside and Jinx padded over to sniff him. Cora joined her, while the three kittens lounged on the couch and their bed.

Onyx and Jinx moved in circles.

Before he felt the need to interrupt them and get to the point, Indigo opened the door and walked in. Her squirrel bristled its fur beside her. She raised her eyes at the site of Onyx.

“Hey,” Indy said.

“Hey. How did your morning go?”

She had planned to intercept Aadya during some morning duties to ask her about the new guy she had spent her night glowing across the dance floor with, and breakfast fixated on.

“This is your wife?” Onyx asked. So, he did know Naomi.

Onyx sniffed her then sat back and lifted his paw into the air. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Indy glanced between them then shook his paw. “You too.”

“You don’t remember me,” Onyx confirmed. “Interesting.” He walked around her, rubbing his body against her legs and nudging her waist with his snout.

He let Indigo field his behavior, which she allowed.

“This is Onyx,” he said.

“He’s the boy?”

“Apparently,” Zero replied. He had told Indigo about Naomi’s experiments after Kyori arrived. Days ago, she had learned the extent of what drove his divorce, and why Spence had been conceived before Rhyss died, which they had not shared outside of the marriage. Naomi’s obsession with death, leading up to Rhyss’s, had bled into her mom’s obsession with familiars. Onyx and Kyori were a mated set of wiccans set into the bodies of cats.

“He’s been living with a man – a fairy – named Gramm,” Zero added.

Indigo’s eyes exploded open, “What? Gramm who?”

“King Gramm Linnaeus,” Onyx supplied. “Can you rub my shoulders?”

Indigo dropped her hand to the space between his blades and massaged him. Zero tried not to laugh at the combination of her confusion, shock, worry, and intrigue. Onyx purred. It was almost threatening.

“King? Of what anthill?” Indigo asked.

“The Upper Dell,” Onyx stated, with some sort of pride. He paused and moved away from her, “Nowhere, since it doesn’t exist. He has a wife. He was wondering about you, though.”

“He doesn’t know me.”

“He knows you failed the trial. The selkies told him.” His eyes scanned her. “But not about this body. Where is Naomi?”

It was almost threatening feeling, and part of Zero wanted to throw him off her, but he was just a cat.

Being a cat wasn’t an excuse though.

“Gone,” Zero replied. He moved to Indy’s side and let his hand fall to her waist.

As he moved, Onyx did. He jumped onto the couch and flopped onto his belly, one of his paws hanging off. “Good. Now where’s me girl cat? My Kyori.”

Zero wasn’t sure he wanted Onyx to meet Kyori, wherever she was. “That’s all you have to say?”
“Was I supposed to have more to say?”

“Why…” Indigo said, trying to form words. “How do you know who I am?”

One of the kittens began sniffing Onyx. She used her paws to draw him closer. Onyx obliged her.

After a moment, as if he had woken to realize he was still in the room, Onyx raised his head. “The selkies said you were married. He said you were Indigo. I’m a wiccan. Also, I’d like to think I retained some of my intelligence when you created me. The other you, that is.”

Indy’s eyes glanced up to Zero. “Don’t tell him anything, he’s with Gramm.”

Zero swallowed his laugh. “Can I get you a bowl of water?” he asked Onyx.

“Not yet,” Onyx replied. He rested his paws at the top of the couch. “What’s wrong with Gramm?”

“Is there something right with Gramm?”

Onyx’s chest grumbled with a low, withheld, growl. “You dislike him? What did he do to you?”

“I see it was only some of your intelligence,” Indigo countered.

“I see you’re as one-minded as ever.” Onyx hopped from the couch and strode toward the door.

“You don’t know me. Out. Tell Gramm I’m dead,” Indigo yelled, an almost cry. He pulled her against him and kissed her head.

Onyx brushed against her as he left, and she pushed herself more into Zero’s body.

“I miss you hair,” Onyx goaded.

“That wasn’t me.”

Onyx stopped, and Zero almost moved to open the door for him. He would send Nell to corral Onyx in, and potentially bridge the gap with Indigo or resolve the Gramm issue.

Onyx turned toward the table near the door and stood up, his paws pressed against the table. He took two travel packs in his mouth. “I need these.”

“She said out,” Zero demanded. He opened the door and held it in place. “What do you need travel packs for?”

“My human. She’s still missing.”

Indy, in her ball of fury, spoke up in a desperate voice he had forgotten existed. “If we help you find her will you tell Gramm I’m dead?”

“If you help me find him, too.” Onyx replied.

“You don’t know where Gramm is?” Zero asked.

“He’s on his way to somewhere called the Senât Gile… And he’s telling your mother you’re dead. despite his lack of belief. He has a wife you know.”

“Good. She can put up with him.”

“Oh, she does,” Onyx snipped. “Let’s get my human.”

Zero stood there and waited for them to get out the door before he moved. He suspected, somehow, Indy felt much more fond of Gramm than Onyx. If anything, he was blown away by the passion she had expressed. Prior to now, he hadn’t realized how deeply she cared for Gramm.

He followed them toward the conference room, and hoped no one else would have an emergency until after Rhyss’ lunch with Talise and their twins.

It was an odd day, and he still hadn’t gotten all of his swim in, but it didn’t matter anymore. Now, he wanted to be with Indy, alone, without the world to complicate their lives.

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