'Good Afternoon, Lilly,' he said, closing the book most of the way.

'It doesn't look too good with that frown of yours. What's troubling you?'

'The cat. What did you do to it?'

'I did nothing. The cat put its life force into me to help me heal. It was given willingly and I...' Tears filled her eyes. 'I couldn't stop the transfer.'

'But you touched it before it died.'

'Life can only be created and given willingly. It is because of this that the cat gave his life for me and why Korah...could not have what he desired of me.'

Shakily, she got to her hands and knees. Then she stood enough to sit on the edge of the couch. James left the chair he was sitting in and knelt in front of her, but wouldn't touch her. Her hands were still shaking as she held the cat's remains. After a moment, James tentatively touched her hands and they opened. He picked up the stone, but Lilly took it back and bowed her head. His hand touched her shoulder and she inhaled sharply. The stone fell from her hands and she looked at James. Then her hands came up and she felt across the back of her neck and shoulders.

'No!' she gasped. Then she grabbed the stone and ran out.

'Lilly!' James called and followed after her.

'No...No!' she cried.

James caught up to her and stopped her.

'James let me go, please!'

'What's going on?'

She shoved him away and took off again.

'Lilly! Wait!'

He followed her for quite a while, before she dropped to her knees in the center of a tight circle of trees. She dug a semi deep hole and gently set the rock at the bottom. James watched as the fabric covering her shoulders smoked and burned away, only leaving a small strip above and the rest of the garment untouched below. Weeping, Lilly slowly filled the hole to cover the stone. James stood behind her and saw the odd coloration that now covered her shoulders. Intrigued at the spotted pattern, he lightly traced the lines across her shoulders.

Her skin felt warm, but not warm in the sense that she had been burned by whatever had burned the fabric. As he continued to trace, her shaking stopped. She finished burying the rock as James fingers traced the lines up her neck. Lilly bowed her head and her hair parted so he could trace the lines all the way up. He drew his hand away. Lilly stood slowly. He bowed his head wondering what Korah's request would have done to her if this is what happened after the cat willingly gave his life for her.

Lilly stepped away. Another large cat knocked her to the ground. This one was snarling and seemed to be crus.h.i.+ng her chest. James reached for his knife and the cat turned toward him. Lilly's hands came up and touched the cat's face before rolling onto her own face. The cat turned from James and pressed its nose against several spots in the coloring before pulling Lilly's head up by her hair. Lilly backed up until she could place the cat's paw over the spot where she had buried the other. The cat cried, releasing Lilly's hair and dropping her to the ground. James took a step forward.

'No, James. Be still,' Lilly said.

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'But Lilly....'

'Just wait a moment.'

The cat cried more then turned back to Lilly. The cat set both front paws on her shoulders. She spread her toes slightly, allowing her claws to dig into Lilly's shoulders. James watched her face twist in pain. The cat purred before the claws retracted and Lilly's shoulders started to bleed. The cat licked the blood away then left. James knelt beside Lilly. Two b.l.o.o.d.y paw prints now stained the cat pattern.

'Lilly?' James asked.

'She approves,' she mentally groaned.

James raised his hand to tear a sleeve off, but her soft touch stopped him. 'I'm not bleeding anymore.'

His hand moved across the closest paw print. It didn't smear or leave blood on his hand, though it looked fresh. 'I don't understand.'

'Think of it as paint.' Then she grimaced and curled into a ball. 'One of yours comes.'

James turned and saw the stable hand running toward them.

He left to meet him.

"Sire, are you alright?" the man asked. "I saw the cat and…."

"We're fine. The cat was companion to the one that came to visit Lilly. She… needed to know where her companion was."

"But the two of you are unharmed?"

"…We are."

The stable hand looked at him dubiously, but nodded slowly. "Torta has started to get a little restless. I didn't know if it would be safe to let him roam in the fields a bit with the wild cats coming around."

"I don't think we'll have anymore unexpected visitors, so go ahead a let him roam. If he doesn't want to, don't try to force him."

The stable hand nodded.

Prince James started to turn again for the trees to get Lilly then turned back once more. "And don't try to brush him. He's nearly bitten off a hand or two when someone other than me does it."

"Yes, Sire."

The man turned away and started to run back toward the summer home. James watched him go before he turned back for the trees. He took his time, not sure if Lilly would want to stay out here where it was quieter or if she was okay to come back. He stepped into the clearing and found Lilly lying on the ground. Her flesh was pale and she was muttering. Her breathing shallow. Her eyes fluttered, but never opened.

'Lilly?… Lilly.'

She continued to mutter. Her arms started to shake. She s.h.i.+vered and rolled to her side as she started to curl. James picked her up. He needed to get her back to the summer home. He carefully eased his way out of the trees as Lilly continued to s.h.i.+ver in his arms. Lilly's head tipped back. Her body jerked and twitched. James had to drop to one knee and s.h.i.+ft his hold just to keep himself from dropping her. Lilly s.h.i.+vered more, but took a deeper breath. He held her on his legs for several deeper breaths, making sure he had a better hold on her in case she jerked or twitched again.

James stood and headed for the summer home once more. He didn't understand. She was fine. Or at least better when he left. So what had happened to cause this reaction? Was this part of integrating the cats' work? Or had something else happened in the short time that he was gone? He wished the authors who had written about Adremedians had more helpful information information when it came to Adremdian illnesses and what things aided their recovery. He quickened his steps. Kicked the wall to get one of the maiden's attention as he entered the summer home. He motioned for her to come before he lay Lilly back on the couch.

When she stepped into the room, James motioned for her to take a look at Lilly. She checked several things before turning hesitant at the sight of Lilly's shoulders. The young woman turned to him.

"Her shoulders are fine," he whispered. "It's the rest that has me concerned."

She nodded then turned back to Lilly once more. She pressed the back of her hand against Lilly's forehead. Her brow furrowed deeply before she shook her head. She tucked several blankets over Lilly and added a couple logs to the fire to increase the temperature in the room. Then she stepped into the hall with Prince James.

"I cannot tell you what is wrong, My Prince," she whispered. "She s.h.i.+vers like she has a fever, but does not. Her breathing sounds normal, so I don't believe there is any illness in her lungs. I don't know what else to do, but keep her warm and let her sleep."

James turned to look at Lilly. Her s.h.i.+vering had slowed, but not yet stopped. "Alright," he whispered back. "Thank you."

The young woman curtsied to him then returned to her duties.

James entered the sitting room once more, sliding the door panel closed to help keep the heat in the room. He sat with her. Going through everything he knew about Adremedians and comparing it to what he knew of his own people. Of their illnesses. He scoured the book he had with him without much help. He even returned to the library to see if there was any other books with information about Adremedians. He found a few more, but couldn't get his mind to focus on the words. Taking the books with him, James returned to the sitting room.

Lilly had rolled to face the back of the couch, the blankets in a pile beside the couch. He covered her with the blankets once more before laying on the couch on the other side of the room.