21
The cat roared and lunged at us. Tristan leapt backward and avoided the heavy weight of the body and a sharp swipe of its claws. He threw one hand in front of us and created a barrier that blocked another swipe by the cat. The claws slammed against the shield and shattered. Our foe leapt back and snarled at us.
“How did it beat us here?” I spoke up.
Tristan looked up at the second floor and his eyes narrowed. “The marks in the wood.”
My eyes widened. Of course! In our last battle the cats had marked up the floor just as they had marked me!
“Chloe and Gwill!” I shouted as I whipped my head toward the darkened window. “They have to be in there!”
The windows burst open and glass rained down on the lawn. Black miasma swelled out through the breakage and spilled onto the grass
