Shattered Sky

With a hard shove, Sleekwhisker thrust Violetpaw through the screen of ferns and into Darktail’s den. It took a couple of heartbeats for Violetpaw’s vision to clear in the dim light—but when it did, she felt as if terror had turned her whole body into a block of ice. Darktail and the rest of his close Kin were all there, and every one of them was awake. Their eyes gleamed in the darkness, their baleful gazes fixed on her.

Before Violetpaw could speak, Roach and Raven grabbed her neck fur with one forepaw each. Violetpaw cringed as their claws sank deep into her pelt. The two rogues dragged her forward until she was standing in front of the leader.

“Get off me!” she yowled, trying to dig her claws into the earth floor of the den. “What’s gotten into you?”

Darktail gazed down at her, quite calm, his eyes filled with a dreadful gentleness. “Do you have anything you’d like to tell me?” he asked.

“Like what?” Violetpaw tried to sound innocent, desperately wondering if there was any plan that would save her now.

Darktail reached behind him into the shadows and drew out a leaf; on it were the poppy seeds, sticky now from prey juices. “Like what your plan was, exactly, with this little trick,” he responded as he pushed the leaf in front of Violetpaw.

Violetpaw felt her blood turn icier still. “I’m—I’m not sure what those are,” she stammered.

“Oh, very funny,” Darktail meowed. “I wasn’t sure, either, so I asked Puddleshine. He was so helpful. He explained that these are poppy seeds, and powerful enough to put a cat to sleep.” He paused, examining the claws on one forepaw. “Which makes it interesting that several of them were found in the pieces of prey you brought for me and my closest Kin.”

Violetpaw shook her head, still trying to cling to innocence. “I’m not sure… I didn’t…”

Darktail suddenly shook off his calm demeanor. “Don’t waste our time pretending you didn’t do it,” he snapped. “Sleek-whisker saw you doing something suspicious to the prey, and she was smart enough to warn us before we could eat it. You know,” he went on, a menacing rumble in his throat, “it’s almost impressive, how good you are at this: lying, pretending to be a friend when in fact you’re an enemy. I suppose it’s all the time you spent among those useless Clan cats. I thought you were like me—”

“I am—really!” Violetpaw protested, her voice squeaking as if she were a frightened kit.

Darktail ignored her. “No,” he continued. “I don’t believe that anymore. In fact, I’m beginning to wonder: Is it possible that you had something to do with those former ShadowClan elders and queens who have gone missing? Don’t think I haven’t noticed. I notice everything that happens among my Kin.”

Now Violetpaw couldn’t stop herself from shaking. She had known that she was taking a risk by agreeing to put the poppy seeds into Darktail’s food, but she had never imagined a moment like this, and what it would actually feel like to be caught.

So this is it, she thought. He’s going to kill me. She realized that if Twigpaw ever did return to her Clan, she wouldn’t be there to greet her. She would never have the chance to say that she was sorry and be reconciled with her sister. Or perhaps Twigpaw is already in StarClan, and I’ll see her there. The thought made a violent shudder pass through her from ears to tail-tip.

“Oh, I’m not going to kill you,” Darktail mewed, as if he could read her thoughts. “Killing you wouldn’t be enough punishment for the traitorous act you tried to perform tonight—the act you almost pulled off.”

Before Violetpaw could ask what he meant, Darktail stalked past her out of the den, flicking his tail at Roach and Raven, “Bring her,” he snarled.

The two rogues grabbed Violetpaw again and dragged her out after Darktail, with Sleekwhisker padding behind. To her horror, Violetpaw realized that the white tom was heading toward the prisoners’ den.

Is he going to throw me inside? she wondered, her legs almost giving way out of fear. She had seen how Needletail and the RiverClan prisoners had been starved and intimidated; she shivered at the thought of having to go through that herself.

Outside the den, Zelda and Nettle were on guard, straightening up and looking alert as Darktail approached. The white tom said nothing to them, simply growling, “Wait here,” to Roach and Raven before pushing his way through the brambles and into the den.

Violetpaw was aware of Zelda’s scared gaze fixed on her, but she dared not speak to, or even look at, her kittypet friend.

A moment later, scuffling sounds came from among the brambles, and Darktail reappeared, thrusting Needletail in front of him. From behind, yowls of dismay came from the other prisoners.

“What are you doing?”

“What’s happening?”