The Destroyer

by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

When a creature appears and offers the feral cat the Bargain—24 hours in another form—the cat forms a plan. He must use the Bargain to his advantage to save the life he knows. But the Bargain comes with hidden perils. And if his plan fails, many will pay the price.

A cleverly crafted tale from the cat’s point of view, The Destroyer offers a unique perspective of the complex relationship between humans and felines.

Genres: Short Stories

19 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Kristine Kathryn Rusch is an award-winning mystery, romance, science fiction, and fantasy writer. She has written many novels under various names, including Kristine Grayson for romance, and Kris Nelscott for mystery. Her novels have made the bestseller lists –even in London– and have been published in 14 countries and 13 different languages.

Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.

In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".

She has also published as:
Sandy Schofield (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kristine Grayson - romances
Kathryn Wesley (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kris Nelscott - mysteries
Kris Rusch - historical fiction
Kris DeLake - romances

Reviews

[Natalie K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't understand how this has fewer than five stars. Not only is it one of my favorite short stories by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, it's one of my favorite short stories, period. Absolutely brilliant and a must-read, especially if you're a cat lover. <3