“Go back up front. Buy me some time.” Simon kicked the basement window until it shattered and the frame fell inward. “And get Tommy out of there; he’s in worse trouble than I thought.”

“How am I gonna’ to do that? There’s an army of cats in there!” Sarah asked, watching as Simon slid feet-first through the window.

Simon paused. “That’s it! She raised an army… recruited Bast as a general… but to fight what? And why did they turn on her?”

Sarah snapped her fingers at Simon. “Uh, hello? What do you want me to do?”

“You’ll think of something. Try not get killed.” Simon wriggled through, dropping into the dark basement below.

Simon wasn’t sure if Bast was even alive as he inspected her shackles. They were hexed, as he suspected they would be; but the enchantment was familiar, and it certainly wasn’t Mrs. B’s work. This mojo was pretentious; just like the magician who cast it…

Bast’s eyelids fluttered open. “He is near…”

“Who?” Simon already knew the answer.

“He comes…” Bast shrieked. “The Witchboy!”