“Hey, cat!” My voice sounded shrill and strange against the night, and the wraith beast looked up and yowled.
Black Knife lunged for his sword.
I fixed my grip on my daggers, jumped, and slammed onto the cat’s back. The beast screamed as I drove my blades into the back of its neck and dragged them across its spine. Another thump, this one from below. Black Knife plunged his sword into the cat’s throat, and the tip of the blade pierced the back of its neck, shining wet with blood.
The creature shuddered as Black Knife withdrew his sword, and I yanked out my blades. As the wraith cat fell to the street with a heavy thud, I hopped to safety.
The neighborhood remained utterly silent as the dying beast lay between Black Knife and me.
His sword point rested on the ground. His breath came in
