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Virgil said, "Don’t stay out too late – Footnote orry"

Rue gestured for Miss Sekhmet to accoside, for the sake of appearances The aforeot one whiff of the werelioness and puffed his tail hugely, sidestepped on his toes, and took off back to the library Miss Sekhh

In her rooown for a loose robe and nothing else She eed and turned to the werecat

Miss Sekhmet looked impassive, but Rue suspected the werecat was nervous

"Very well, then" Rue looked at Prim "Ready?"

Prim nodded

"Miss Sekhmet?"

The werecat nodded And before she could think to change her mind, Rue stepped in and touched her bare hand

It was as painful as ever In that matter, werelioness was no different fro all at once

Her bones re-formed into those of a fleet four-footed creature Her hair beca tail Her fingernails becaated Her sense of the world shifted Colours faded and became less important

All that was sis were different Sounds were clearer and more minute The balance of her muscles was altered This for tail could balance back, her claws could flex and extend

Rue sniffed The sense of sood as wolf but still infinitely superior to human There was Prim, all flowery powders and soaps, and a faint sheen of sweat she would beclose, srasslands There was the hint of kipper still on her breath, mixed with re Truly a You lift cat away from "

Prim said sympathetically, "Do you feel abandoned?"

"By my own immortality? No more than when a preternatural touches me And before you ask – yes, I have met a soulless But it is re is the tether?"

Prim was always circumspect with other people’s secrets, especially when they were right there listening She said only, "That is a conversation for you and Rue to have when she can speak again"

"Indeed, indeed Forgive my curiosity – a curse I was born to Believe it or not"

Prim said, "I fully understand Now, I assume you have ridden a lioness before?"

Miss Sekhmet nodded Her face, o But, yes"

Well done, Primrose, noe know there are more of them Or once were