The skin of Callisto’s nose scrunched up gently as they settled into short lived silence. He would have to find Finn tomorrow, when he wasn’t being his usual dramatic self and ask him how he had found out Xevon’s call sign. He was pondering on that exact topic and he heard the same muffled voice, his neck swivelled and he stared at the space where the door was nestled.

His sudden anxiety was only solidified by Xevon’s similar reaction as he rose to his feet alongside him, the hair on his arms standing on end. Callisto kept behind Xevon, there wasn’t much room in the doorway to fit more than one person. It was a struggle to peer into the cottage past the wings, but he managed to squeeze himself into a position where he could see a vague form beside the sink. He had to grip onto the door frame in order to not topple over.

At the sound of Xevon’s voice, his fingers tightened their grip on the wood, making the splinters give a small groaning sound as he bent them. He made no move to enter the home any further, no move to approach who he had assumed was Alma. Instead, Callisto remained close to Xevon’s side with skin that prickled with nerves that could soon transform into a shift if the moment demanded it.

Unlike Lily, he had years to master this skill. It no longer hurt his bones to reshape them, his bones didn’t break, they bent into position. Rather unfortunately for Lily, he doubted she would ever manage her skill without pain being involved. He never experienced the shattering agony of breaking his bones during his shifts.

Callisto slunk into the room after Xevon, hearing the heavy clunk of the door as it closed behind him. He was scanning his eyes over the woman, it was certainly Alma but she looked different. He had been around her enough these past few days that he knew what she looked like rather well, but this..she looked younger, to keep it short and simple.

He was preparing to pipe up with his own question when Xevon had all but flung himself across the room towards her and Callisto’s face split into one of panic as he staggered forwards. His teeth grimacing as he tried to follow the flow of Xevon’s body before it was trapped beneath her foot.

Callisto halted in his advance and looked in a fluttery sort of panic between Xevon and Alma. She wasn’t acting any differently, but he was not used to seeing her throw a fully grown man to the floor. Not to mention the wings and strength of this particular man.

“Alma!” He hissed through gritted teeth, eyes wide as he gestured frantically to Xevon. “What are you doing?” Callisto kept a decent space between them, fearful for himself but he had a feeling this wasn’t going to end in a bloody mess. At least, if he could manage to keep Xevon from losing it.

“Why do you look like that? We thought you were someone else!” He spat out quickly before looking back down to Xevon where he was pressed against the floor. “Good lord! Would you let him go?” Callisto took one look over to where he could hear the other two breathing. There was a mild disturbance and Lily adjusted her sleeping position before settling back into sleep.

Finntello never mentioned that his pseudo-mother was some sort of age-defying witch-woman-creature-thing. Did he even know? Was he going to wake up just as confused as they were?

“What is going on?” Callisto pressed, keeping the urge to let claws slide out in check as he returned his shaky pink gaze to the familiar one of Alma.

Callisto was left flailing for words as Xevon was allowed to get up, but remained on the floor before he was ordered up from the ground with a grumbled comment.

“Considering we are in the midst of danger, yes some warning would have been a magnificent idea Alma.” He shot her way, still keeping his voice hushed enough to not disturb the two sleeping people one room over. With short, sweeping steps he followed Xevon as he struggled his way to the couch under the command of Alma.

With a fleeting look over his shoulder at the younger Alma, fixing his expression when he returned his attention to Xevon. Flashing eyes with worry at the haggard look that was blazen across his dark features. At the look he was receiving back, Callisto knew what he was thinking. Immediately he flailed a hand in dismissal and aimed a point at Xevon, then the couch he was on.

“I will be fine, I can sleep on the floor. Worry about yourself.” Callisto walked up to him, giving one sneaky look to Alma to make sure she wasn’t snooping in on their business. Once he was satisfied that they weren’t being watched, Callisto lifted a hand, giving a small pause to allow Xevon to slip away if he wanted to. If he didn’t, he pressed his palm against Xevon’s jaw and cheek, delicate enough so it was almost not touching.

Callisto’s panicked gaze had softened upon locking eyes with Xevon, drawing his thumb lightly over the skin where it held his face.

“You forget, cats sleep next to fireplaces all the time.” He cracked a small smile at his offered comment before drawing his hand away carefully. “Just get some sleep.” Callisto bent in the midsection for a second, about to say something else before he thought better of it and turned away.

Within a moment he had slunk down to the floor, replaced by the tiny white cat. With a dramatic flare, he pressed his forepaws out and flexed the sharp claws into the rug, arching his back in a huge stretch. Accompanying the movement was a quiet huff of satisfaction as he rolled down onto his side, his spine facing the dying fire.

Callisto lifted his head from the floor to peer up at Xevon with big unblinking eyes before giving a small meow, just to entertain himself before flopping back into the rug and closing his eyes. It took a great deal of effort not to let the purr starting in his chest to grow audible as the warmth of the embers flooded his back.

Callisto hadn’t found it difficult to slide into sleep, he had always been good at sleeping. Maybe that was the feline part of him, maybe not. Since coming back to the land of the living, he had revelled in the fact he could sleep again. It was a blessing.

He didn’t stir until Xevon had begun poking at the fire, having to lean over him to reach the wood. His eyes blinked open slowly, bleary for a moment as he tried to figure out who was above him. Soon enough, the familiar smell of Xevon greeted him and his paws stretched out in front of him. The tip of his tail flicking sideways as he leaned up. At that moment, a feather drifted down towards him and instinctively his right paw raised to swat at it. For a brief moment, Callisto sprung and pinned the dark feather to the floor beneath his paws, tail raised up high behind him.

–

Lily had slept well, but it was interrupted by the soft sound of something. Her eyes snapped open, but she didn’t move until she heard the sound again and she frowned. It was a quiet noise, like the brush of leaves against a window or a breeze through the grass. Except it wasn’t rhythmic, more sporadic. She listened intently for a minute longer, but the sound didn’t come again. Perhaps she had been imagining it?

Her attention was then brought to the arm that was slung over her, still pinning her under the blanket like a sausage roll. A small grunt came from Lily as she wriggled an arm out of the blankets, fluffing the pillow and worming her head into the softness. A long sigh drawn out from her lips, closing her eyes in spite of the gentle dawn light that had begun to stream through the small window and onto the pair of them.