"One last question," I said. "Do you know anything about the Ring of Everlasting Night?"

Carlitta and Carlotta gasped. All the cats on the tops of their cages hunched their kitty shoulders low and hissed. The lights in the store flickered.

"We don't talk about that in here," Carlotta whispered.

"What? Why?"

"Come on, Teacup." Carlitta took my hand and led me toward the front counter's register. Then we went behind the front counter through the red curtain to ...