Akasha: Cats of Catarau, #2

By Sandra Cox

Akasha is a pretty little calico who, along with two of her kittens, has drowned and passed on to Catarau. Now she must journey back to earth to save the kitten left behind.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandra Cox
• Release date: Jan 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201877170

Sandra Cox

Multi-published author Sandra Cox writes YA Fantasy, Paranormal and Historical Romance, and Metaphysical Nonfiction. She lives in sunny North Carolina with her husband, a brood of critters, and an occasional foster cat. Although shopping is high on the list, her greatest pleasure is sitting on her screened-in porch, listening to the birds, sipping coffee and enjoying a good book. She’s a vegetarian and a Muay Thai enthusiast. Readers can find Sandra at sandracox.blogspot.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SandraCox.Author, or at twitter.com@Sandra_Cox.

Book preview

Book 2: Cats of Catarau Series

by

Sandra Cox

Copyright © 2011 Sandra Cox

Names, characters, incidents, locales, events, organizations and places in Akasha are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental. All rights reserved by the author.

Copyright @2011 Sandra Cox

Glossary of terms

Catarau : Where cats go when they pass on to their next life, a wonderful place where no cats are ever sick, where the sun always shines, the sky is always blue and the mountains are made of kibble.

Bast: The great cat goddess

Old soul: A cat who has journeyed back to earth and on his journey has learned wisdom, kindness and gained great power

Shardai: A legendary figure in the cat world. A formidable large white male cat returned to earth as a yellow tabby female.

The Council of Nine: The cats that rule Catarau, representatives of a cat’s nine lives. These include:

Ramses: The Abyssinian elder

Nefret: The Mau

Morris: The orange domestic short hair

Brandy: The silver Persian

Lolita: The petite silver tabby

Frodo: The snowshoe

Creek: The Siamese mix

Luna: The tuxedo

Tadji: The gray Persian

Little gray tabby: Shardai’s mother and Ramses mate. Ramses calls her Great Mother

Akasha: Heroine of this story. A pretty little calico

Cairo: Akasha’s calico daughter

Cubbie: Akasha’s little black son

Cosmo: Akasha’s little black and white son

Bo Jangles: Red tomcat, old soul

Miss Kitty: White and yellow-spotted shorthair

Chapter One

Akasha raised her pretty calico head and sniffed the air. Something about the brooding stillness didn’t feel right. There was too much electricity in the heavy atmosphere. The cat peeped out the cubby hole in the boathouse, where she made her home, and looked at a sky turned black with storm clouds. The waves of the lake lifted and hit against the shore with a sharp slap that made her flinch. Thunder rumbled. In the distance, a bolt of lightning cut through the dark and hurled a sizzling blaze of light to the ground.

Mamma, I’m scared. A tiny replica of herself, down to the gold spot on her chin and black splotch on her right shoulder, peeped at her from the top of an old wooden fishing boat that rested upright on a flat webbing rack supported by eye-hooks.

Don’t worry, Cairo. Mamma’s here. Mamma will take care of you. Akasha purred. Her first litter and she was so proud. She’d never known kittens that were as smart or as cute as her little five-week old darlings. She’d had no idea how it would feel to be a mom. That nothing in the world would ever matter as much as these three balls of fluff. She would lay down her life to keep them safe.

Cairo’s head disappeared, followed by a hollow thump as she fell to the bottom of the boat. I’m okay, Mamma, Cairo’s muffled voice sang out from the bowels of the boat. Oh look, I found a leaf.

That’s nice, dear. Akasha lay on an old towel deep in the shadows of the boathouse, Cubbie and Cosmo, her two boys, drowsed beside her.

A crack of thunder sounded close by and a streak of lightning landed almost on top of the building. The sound of splintering wood followed a great whoosh and the maple next to the boathouse crashed to the ground.

The wind picked up at a frightening rate.

The two boys woke with a start and burrowed against her. What was that, Mamma? Cubbie raised his little black head to look around.

Gusts howled. The heavens opened. Rain battered the building and pinged off the steel roof like the rat-a-tat-tat of bullets.

Mamma. Cosmo tried to burrow under her.

Mamma, I’m scared, Cairo called out.

A whistle like an approaching train sounded in the distance and got closer and closer at an alarming rate of speed.

Akasha tensed and laid back her ears as the noise rose to a piercing shriek that hurt her eardrums. She sensed danger, terrible danger.

Flatten yourself in the bottom of the boat, my darling Cairo, under one of the seats, instinct made her call out above the driving winds. Boys, get under me.

I want to come to you, Mamma, Cairo wailed.

It’s too late, baby. Do as Mamma says. Akasha flattened herself over Cosmo and Cubbie. She stretched her paws out in four different directions and put her head down.

The shrieking noise escalated. The building collapsed around them like so much kindling and left the cats inside a gray funnel that picked them up, held them suspended in air for several heartbeats then like a giant fist opened and dropped them in the water. The boat landed with a splash several yards away and teetered madly on the waves.

As Akasha and the two male kittens hit the water an icy swell washed over them. Akasha pushed hard to the surface. She looked around frantically. Cosmo, Cubbie, where are you? she howled. Fear beat at her like the relentless waves.

Mamma, Cairo called out several yards away.

Hang on, baby, Akasha mewed. She swallowed a mouthful of water as a second wave crested over her. Again she fought her way to the surface. The pounding rain mixed with her tears as she called frantically, Cosmo. Cubbie. Where are you, babies?

She tread water and turned in frenetic circles trying to look through the towering dark waves but the rain streamed down in liquid sheets blinding her. Everywhere, nothing but water as the boat bobbed farther and farther away. Cairo’s voice grew weaker. Mamma, save me. Save me, Mamma.

I’m coming, baby, I’m coming. Pushing herself, she stretched one paw in front of another. She was so tired and the icy water froze her muscles making movement an impossible effort as the rain pelted her.

A huge gray wave crashed over her. She sank in the freezing water, her drenched coat of fur weighing her down. With the rest of her remaining strength she pushed to the surface only to be hit with another angry wave. She tried to fight her way back to the top but this time her legs refused to move and the water sucked her under. My babies. She closed her eyes and drifted down. I’m dying and I can’t save them, was her last conscious thought as she sank deeper and deeper into the watery darkness.

WARMTH AND A BRIGHT, beckoning light surrounded her. A human with wings dressed in white held Cubbie and Cosmo in one arm and scooped her up with the other.

Akasha stretched out her paws and her babies tumbled into them.

The human with wings never spoke but Akasha could hear her thoughts. You don’t need to be afraid, Akasha. It’s time to go home.

Home? she asked the human with wings, though she made no sound. But my home is gone.

They had left the water and floated upward toward fluffy white clouds in a pristine blue sky. She was dry, no longer wet and cold.

You are going home to Catarau.

Catarau! Akasha’s eyes widened, her pupils large and black. I thought Catarau was just a legend.

No, Catarau is real.

She looked around. Where’s Cairo? Unease crept over her and she fought back panic. Where’s my baby?

It’s not her time.

She began to struggle. She can’t survive out there by herself.

Goodbye, Akasha.

Akasha looked around. The winged-human was gone and she and the babies were standing on a bridge made of rainbows.

HERE THEY COME. MORRIS’S long orange tail swished.

Chapter Two

Bewildered, Akasha blinked, her babies pressed tight against her. The bridge they stood on was made of beautiful colors and light as air. At the bottom, it forked in two different directions. One road was paved with gold and led to pearly gates, the other led to a green flower-filled meadow. She lifted her head and sniffed the field’s sweet scents. The tantalizing tang of cat mint added spice to the air.

A man with a kindly face and a flowing white beard as pristine as his robes stood in front of the gates and pointed toward the meadows.

In a daze, Akasha moved toward the lush green field, dotted with purple and yellow pansy-like flowers, while butterflies danced and circled overhead. But Akasha gave no thought to the beauty around her. I must get my babies situated then find Cairo.

Nine cats ringed the bottom of the bridge waiting for her. Behind them sat a little gray tabby. All watched her approach with identical expressions of welcome.

As she approached, a beautiful Abyssinian stood, his rich-textured reddish-brown tail pointed straight in the air. Welcome to Catarau, Akasha. He swept a paw around the circle, This is the council of nine, and I am Ramses the elder. His authoritative voice softened, as he pointed to the little gray tabby, And this is Great Mother, the parent of Shardai. Perhaps you’ve heard of him.

Akasha nodded her head. Oh, yes, I was weaned on stories of the fearless white-cat Shardai, but I thought he was a legend.

The dignified cat gave a Cheshire cat smile. He is a legend, a legend in his own time. He turned to Great Mother. Right, my dear?

Oh, yes, she purred in response and looked ready to burst with pride.

She loves her son, Akasha thought.

Another little tabby that looked like Great Mother but more coquettish smirked.

Akasha’s ears twitched. As does this one, but in a different manner entirely.

Cubbie’s tiny face butted against her shoulder. She took a swipe at it with her tongue then raised her head and cleared her throat. Though Ramses was kind, he wore authority like a cloak clothing a king. He intimidated her a bit. Where is Cairo? she asked.

His whiskers twitched and compassion shone out of his ageless amber eyes. She is still mortal.

Akasha took a step toward him. How do you know? Her green eyes stared into his gold ones. Fear for her child overcame her intimidation of the great cat. When he did not respond she asked again, How do you know?

He looked at her, assessing.

She returned his look without blinking.

With a sigh, he swept out his paw. As one, the council turned their heads to look into the mist. Akasha stared through the clouds below to see her poor baby sitting on a tackle box, the water inside the boat rising. Mamma, Mamma, Mamma, Cairo called.

For one brief moment Akasha thought she would die all over again. Her heart pounded against her breast and that surprised her. There was so much pain in it surely it had shattered into tiny pieces too small to beat. Resolute, she shoved back the grievous ache. She had no time for it. Her baby needed her. Somehow she must get to her kit.

She forced herself to breathe and pushed