The beast lunged. Tristan ducked and rolled, narrowly escaping its raking claws as chaos erupted across the yard. Prisoners scattered hither and thither, their screams mingling with the Hyrssydens' fearsome howls.
As Tristan scrambled to his feet, a familiar voice cut through the pandemonium. "I daresay that is quite sufficient excitement for one day."
Gwendolyn appeared like mist beside him, laying one elegant hand upon the creature's bristling fur. It whimpered and slunk away, thoroughly cowed.
"What is the meaning of this outrage?" Tristan demanded, striving to mask the trembling of his hands. "To what do I owe this most unwelcome harassment?"
Gwendolyn's lips curved in that enigmatic smile he had come both to dread and anticipate. "I suppose I merely sought a means to... redirect y
