From Claws Emma looked around the dusty trailer. She wasn't sure whether to trust anything the cat said--for all she knew, he was friends with the hag and the snake-man--but who would live here if they didn't have to? "Couldn't you turn yourself into something so they couldn't find you? Cats do that sort of thing, don't they?" she asked. "Other cats do, sometimes. But unfortunately I'm one of the rare cats without a pride. I had one once, years ago, far from here. No pride, no magic. My attempts to correct this have only caused me trouble, though..." He eyed Emma and began to lazily tear at the curtains with one claw. "Though I think an opportunity might present itself soon enough." Emma sat back down on the box. "I'm sorry you lost your pride and your magic and stuff. I lost someone, too. My sister." "Oh, please. We're talking about cat magic, the most powerful magic in the world. What good is a sister?" Excerpted from Claws by Mike Grinti, Rachel Grinti All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.