We all have that one friend who isn’t afraid to be brutally honest with us. They may say some insensitive things here and there, but we can always count on them to guide us in the right direction. For Pahua Moua, that friend is Miv.

Did we mention that Miv is a talking cat spirit?

Young at Heart

Despite looking like a kitten, Miv has been around a long time. How long? We’re not exactly sure. But he’s been hanging out with Pahua since she was at least 4 years old. And he hasn’t grown an inch in the subsequent 8 years. We’d ask him what the secret to eternal youth is, but we get the feeling that the lifestyle of a spirit cat isn’t that much different than the lifestyle of a regular cat. Just swap out belly rubs for monster battles.

Secondhand Smoke

You can usually tell where Miv has been by following the trail of smoke he leaves behind. Well, you can’t. Pahua can, but that’s because she’s the only kid in town who can see Miv.

He’s not an imaginary friend, we swear. If he was, he’d be way less annoying.

The Jealous Type

Miv may give Pahua a fair amount of sass here and there, but overall he has her best interests at heart. He’s also prone to distrusting any new friend of hers, whether at school or while on a spirit quest to save her brother’s soul. Sometimes his protectiveness is genuine; other times he’s just being petty. Hey, if only one person in the entire world was aware of your presence, you’d want to hang on to them pretty tightly, too.

More than Meets the Eye

Any shaman worth their salt will tell you that it’s never a good thing when a spirit latches onto a human. And the fact that Miv has just been chilling in Pahua’s house for years without being exorcised to the spirit realm is totally a cause for concern. Especially because, if you look closely, he doesn’t exactly resemble a typical cat spirit . . .

But at least he’s hypoallergenic. And that’s good enough reason to keep him around.

Want to learn more about Miv and Pahua? Be sure to pick up Pahua and the Soul Stealer, on sale 9/7.