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“What do I care about blood? I did not love you.” The wind blew Nita’s
hair in a gust without touching the leaves around them. “I loved Salali.”
She leaned her cheek against the redbird on her shoulder and closed
her eyes. “I love him still.”
Eva’s heart wrenched, realizing that the redbird was the Askina of Nita’s
husband. Oh, gods. His soul had stayed behind with her.
With a growl, Cennetig yanked Eva’s knife free and launched himself at
Nita. Dancing backward, Nita dodged him.
The knife was steel. Crap. She’d been so frantic that she’d sheathed it
without thinking. Eva ran after Cennetig and tried to grab the hand that
held the knife. He swiped at her, face tight with pain. He’d pulled his
sleeve down to wrap around the knife’s handle, but even with that and
the leather handle, the metal still had to be burning him.
Eva tried to keep herself between him and Nita. Cennetig lowered his
antlers and charged for her. Eva threw herself to the side, crashing onto
the ground.
The redbird dove at Cennetig, batting at his eyes with its wings. With
Eva’s protection in place, the bird couldn’t touch him.
Cennetig stabbed at the bird wildly. “I killed you! I already killed you!”
If he killed the redbird with a steel knife, Nita’s husband would be
forever dead. Nita bellowed and shifted fully into a bear. She swiped at
Cennetig, paw bouncing off the protection that Eva had unthinkingly
given him.
LE PORTRAIT MAGAZINE
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