Page 141 of Sigils & Spells

Weird.

Why would a wolf need an expert on cats?

She really must have misheard him.

“I’m sorry,” Pippa said. “What did you say?”

“You’re an expert, right?”

“I don’t think anyone has ever referred to me as an expert on anything, unless it’s causing chaos,” Pippa said, intrigued by the entire conversation. “What am I supposed to be an expert on again?”

“Cats,” he said.

Dear goddess, he reallywasa wolf asking about cats.

Tempest burst into laughter. “Did you hear that, you guys? Someone’s claimed our Pippa’s an expert on cats.”

“Icouldbe an expert, Tempest. You never know.”

Tempest grinned. “Was it the cougar clan that did it?”

Pippa rolled her eyes.

“Cougar clan?” Jared growled, the raspy sound making Pippa shiver.

“Oh, yes, our Pippa must have dated at least—what do you think? Twenty? Thirty of them?”

“For goddess’ sake, the clan didn’t even have that many eligible cougars in it,” Pippa exclaimed.

The wolf at her side let out a low growl. “Who are these cougars and where can I find them?”

“Far from here,” Tempest said cheerfully. “That was what, a good twelve hundred miles and seven months ago?”

“So, what do you need a cat expert for?” Pippa asked.

“I just adopted a grumpy, depressed cat.” Jared gestured toward the next table.

Pippa’s eyes widened when she caught sight of the huge black cat inside the carrier sitting there.

“His name’s Chester,” Jared said.

Hocus Purrcus caught sight of the cat inside the carrier and immediately started growling.

His growl slowly filled the room, rumbling on and on and on.

Pippa sighed. “It’s okay, buddy. No one’s going to let the big, bad kitty free in the diner.”

H.P. leapt down from her lap, stalked over to the next table, then jumped onto a chair and from the chair to the table, then to the top of Chester’s carrier.

The entire time, H.P. never stopped with the rumbling growl.

He slowly crept across the top of the carrier until he reached the front, where he stretched out and leaned over to peek at the cat inside.

When Chester didn’t react, H.P. slowly put his paws on the front bars of the carrier and leaned in closer.

The two cats were nose to nose for a long moment, then all hell broke loose.

Chester let loose with a yowl that sounded as if all the demons in hell had been unleashed on earth.

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