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A terrifying silence stretched for what felt like ages.

What was happening? Was Merlin getting back up to fight? Had Tom already relieved him of his magic? And what would happen to the magic once it was gone? Would it spill back into nature as Luna’s had done, or could Tom truly wield both his and Merlin’s at the same time?

“This is your last chance,” Tom said with heated passion. “Get up and fight me like a cat, or give up now.”

Something fell on my cheek, startling me. I jerked back just as another something hit my shoulder.

Rain!

Merlin had done it. He’d managed to bring the rain. It came hard and thick, beating down on me with increasing strength.

He was still in this!

The cats growled and hissed, continuing to fling magic at one another. Meanwhile, the rain began to pool at my feet, rising quickly from my knees to my shoulders, higher, higher.

I treaded water, waiting for the chance to pull myself out of my temporary prison and do whatever I could to help Merlin seize victory.

When at last I was able to peek above the enormous earthen wall, I caught a quick glimpse of Merlin with his claws poised at Tom’s throat, ready to strike. I couldn’t hold myself for long and fell back into the pool beneath me.

I pulled myself up a second time and clambered onto the narrow strip of land with shaky feet. I stood at least fifteen feet off the ground with no idea how to get safely down.

Both cats whipped their heads up and turned toward me.

A wicked smile flashed across Tom’s striped face as he dodged to the right in a similar fake-out to the one Merlin had pulled on him in the alleyway. He wriggled free and summoned a massive ball of fire. A second later, he catapulted the thing straight toward me. I jumped to the ground, no longer concerned with how I would take the fall.

The important thing was to not die.

Just before I smacked into the earth, a gentle stream of wind caught me and lowered me gently. Merlin had saved my behind, literally.

Unfortunately, Tom had counted on Merlin shifting his attention to rescue me, and now their positions had reversed.

The enormous orange tabby straddled my Maine Coon, swinging his paws wildly as he batted at Merlin’s face, chest, anywhere he could reach—attacking the very source of his magic.

“Oh, Merlin, did you think you could win?” he jeered as he struck out at Merlin and sent him flying.

This was all my fault. If I’d just stayed put…

I choked on a sob but refused to make a noise. I’d cost Merlin too much already. At least he could escape with his life. He still had his family. Luna, the kittens…

Luna’s bright white fur caught my attention as she stalked across the field, closing in on the dueling cats. She didn’t have any magic, so what was it she planned to do?

I got my answer in short order when she crept up behind Tom and sank her claws and teeth right into his neck.

Tom flailed against her, but she held tight, impossibly strong. She wasn’t only taking his magic, I realized as Tom’s slack body fell to the field. All the life had been drained right out of him. Luna had done that.

She’d ended this duel by breaking every rule in the book.

“Luna,” I cried, racing toward the cats. “What did you just do?”

“He was losing,” she said simply with a shrug.

“But you killed him!” I argued as tears splashed down on my cheeks. So much had happened in such a short span of time, and I was having a hard time processing it all. “Why did you kill him?” I barked out.

“Merlin needs his magic,” Luna said coldly, then turned on me with claws extended. She leapt toward me, her eyes red with rage.

I took a step back, but it wasn’t enough to escape the oncoming attack.

Luna fell upon me, and everything went black.

17

The next thing I knew I was struggling back to consciousness in a very unfamiliar place.

Standing.

Chained to a boulder.

On top of a mountain.

Oh, boy…

I yanked against my chains, but they had zero give.

Merlin.What had happened to Merlin?

My eyes strained as they scanned the darkness, at last landing upon a small metal cage, not unlike the kind a human would use to trap a skunk or raccoon that had gotten too close to the house.

Merlin lay unconscious inside.

“Merlin! Wake up!” I whisper-yelled. Even though I didn’t see anyone else up here with us, our captor could still be nearby. We needed to find a way to escape before it was too late.

“How did we get here?” I asked him, but still he didn’t stir. That’s when I remembered.

Luna.

She’d killed Tom and then turned on me. But why?

Merlin moaned in his sleep but didn’t acknowledge my pleas for help. At least I knew he was alive, even though he wouldn’t be helping me make an escape plan any time soon.

I struggled against the chains again, grunting and pulling until I ran out of breath.

“Give it up,” a deep and eerie voice commanded from somewhere nearby. “You can’t win.”

I scanned the summit but couldn’t see anyone.

“Who are you? And why have you brought us here?” I shouted into the darkness.