9.

“No!!” Macavity cried when he witnessed the shadows swallow Admetus. The rescuers just broke down the door of the basement, only to see they were too late.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Asille cried. “It worked!” Causiously she went over to Admetus; the shadows either faded away or dissipated. She undid the shackles around his wrists and stepped back as he fell to the floor, still. “Dersoun,” Asille said shakily, “is he supposed to be like this?”

“No he’s not,” growled Munkustrap. “What did you do to him?”

“Patience. All will be revealed.” Slowly Dersoun turned back to her book. “You wouldn’t dare harm a queen. It’s untomly.”

“There aren’t any rules about a queen attacking a queen now, is there?” Tantomile asked before leaping for the elderly witch. Fortunately for Dersoun, Asille intercepted the blow. Coricopat went to help his sister while Munkustrap, Alonzo, and Macavity went over to Admetus.

“Wake up, Metus, wake up,” Munkustrap said.

“Come on, open your eyes,” Alonzo pleaded.

“It’s no use,” Dersoun cackled. She found her place in the book and screeched: “Rise, Kyppomardis, return to us! Overthrow the weak and resume your rightful place as ruler of all evil!”

Admetus began glowing and his eyes shot open, now completely black. “I’m back,” he whispered in a voice that was not his.

Munkustrap, Alonzo, and Macavity stepped back. “You bitch,” Macavity whispered. He spun around to Dersoun and let loose a low growl. “You killed Alastair, and now you’ve killed Admetus! And now I’ll kill you.” He lunged for the queen.

“You can’t kill me, you insolent fool!” she said. “Admetus was the tom we looked for. Alastair… yes, I remember him. Looked like you, with those pale green eyes. He wasn’t the one. Admetus is. And,” she added the clincher, “you can’t kill me unless you kill Admetus.”

“No,” Munkustrap whispered.

“Kyppomardis, kill them for me, will you” Dersoun ordered.

“My pleasure,” Admetus answered. He lunged upon the tom nearest to him, Alonzo, and fought furiously. Alonzo was caught off guard, giving Admetus the upper hand.

“At midnight, Admetus will be no more,” Dersoun explained to Macavity. “Once that happens, there’s no stopping him.”

“You killed my son, and many before and after him. Now you’ve killed Admetus. Tonight you will die,” Macavity said.

Munkustrap screamed, “No, Macavity! You’ll have to kill Admetus.” He then turned, with several degrees of difficulty for he was aiding Alonzo, to the twins and asked, “Tanta, Cori, can you reverse this spell?”

“Why does everyone always assume we can reverse every spell?” Cori asked his sister.

“No, Munkustrap,” Tantomile said, ducking a blow from Asille, “we can’t reverse this spell. You have to.”

“I can’t,” Munkustrap said. Admetus glared and threw him against the wall, stunning the gray tabby.

Macavity towered over the witch cat and stared into her cold brown eyes. “Whatever you did to Admetus, undo it,” he demanded.

“You dolt,” she spat. “What I have done cannot be undone. You were too late for Alastair, and you’re too late for Admetus!” she ended in a final cry of victory.

“Aaaaayaa!” Alonzo yelled as he threw Admetus off him. The fall dazed Kyppomardis, allowing Admetus to speak freely.

“Alonzo, Munku, please help-“ he begged, but was cut off by the evil spirit.

“Shut up,” the spirit muttered through Admetus. “I will destroy everyone of you, beginning with-“

“Leave my friends alone!” Admetus shouted out. His face twisted in pain, fear, and exhaustion from the inner struggle, Admeuts tore a dagger from the nearby table and held it to Munkustrap. “Do it,” he whispered.

“No…” Munkustrap said. “I can’t kill you.”

“Damn it, Munku, I’m dead as of midnight, anyway,” Admetus painfully got out. “You must, or Kyppomardis will kill everyone.”

Dersoun “shhhhthunmphed” her way around the table, but a tall, lean, ginger Persian stood in her way. She hissed and raised her paw, but Macavity easily knocked it away. “Pitiful,” he said. “You had such potential, and you sold it for more power at such an idiotic cost. You’re too weak to even cast a decent spell!”

Dersoun gaped at him. How dare he! Before anyone could react to anything else, the distant chimes of Big Ben rang in their ears.

“Midnight,” Asille sneered. She laughed until Tantomile smacked the back of the head.

“Hurry! Before the chime hits-“ Admetus was once again blocked by Kyppomardis.

“Too late!” the evil entity scoffed. “No, I’m not,” Munkustrap said defiantly. He tore the dagger from Admetus’s paw, but hesitated.

Admetus’s voice spoke for the final time. “Go on. You have to." The chimes rang for the tenth time. “Now!”

Before Munkustrap could hesitate any longer, the gray tabby sheathed the dagger into Admetus’s heart. “I’m so sorry, my friend,” he said.

“No!!” cried the two sisters at once. Dersoun clutched her throat, gasping for air. Asille sank to the floor, defeated. Dersoun was dead within seconds. “Admetus, I am so very, very sorry,” Munkustrap cried, his tears blending with those of everyone else in the room, save Asille, who snuck out once everyone’s back was turned.

Admetus looked up at the future Jellicle leader with those simple, innocent eyes of his and smiled a forgiving smile. He nodded as if to say, “I forgive you,” then closed his eyes forever.