h of the crisp morning air when he

flank. A blade of compressed water, razor-sharp and movin

o kill rather than warn. Her body reacted faster than her mind. She didn't step back; she dropped. Her ce

nch. It slammed into the rock wall behind her with a

e in her hand. Her eyes were red with fury. The sea-blue hair, the faint shimmer of scales at her temples

ed, lunging forward to drive

e attack. Her right hand shot out like a viper, her finge

isely. The female howled in pain, her fingers spas

s. She yanked the attacker over her shoulder and slammed her face-first into

nto her back. She wrenched both of the girl's arms behind he

less than three seconds. It wa

nough to freeze water. She stared down at the ba

o the dirt. She spat out a mouthful of mud and blo

particular shade of Merfolk irises. This was Riona Butler. Jordi's sister. She hadn't been sent by anyone. She had come on her own

laced by a weary resignation. She couldn't kill the sister of the man she was supposed to heal

rom inside the cave. It was the sound of sca

d heard

int in pain, but he didn't stop. He dragged his mutilated lower body acros

imself between her and his sister. He had nothing left - no scales, no power, no dignity - but he

oody smears. He didn't seem to feel it. He just kept pulling hi

actually dealing with: a male who had been stripped of everything the Beast World defined as worth living for, and who was still, somehow, choos

by now to know that her approaching him would only register as a threat. Instead, she took two deliberate steps b

gentle had already proven to be a trigger. Just neutral. A voice

r his sister and his mind supplied the rest, filling the gaps with every cruelty the original

ith the mud. He didn't seem to register the pain

" he sobbed, the words tumbling out in a rush - not a bargain, not a ch

in front of her brother. She bared her teeth a

k male who had survived things that should have killed him, and a girl who had tracked his blood

chasm of hate. And she had approximately seven more of t

slowly throu

ght, is going