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Bianka stopped and followed the line of her finger “They’re consorts And slaves”

“I know that Hence the reason I asked what they’re doing over there and not who they are”

“They’reneeds, silly”

Kaia’s brow scrunched in confusion “What kind of needs?” Theircare of yourself first, your family second and everyone else not at all

Bianka considered her response carefully, then shrugged and said, “Doing laundry, bathing feet, fetching weapons You know, s we’re too important to do”

What she took away from that? If you owned a consort or slave, you’d never have to do laundry again “I want one,” Kaia announced, and the tiny wings protruding from her back fluttered wildly

Like all Harpies, she wore a half top that covered her breasts—though hers were tragically nonexistent at the moment—but res, the source of her superior strength

“And you knohat Mother always says,” she added

“Oh, yes A kind in you a sht mind wants to win a smile?”

“Not that”

Bianka pursed her lips “You can’t really kill a human with kindness You have to use a sword”

“Not that, either”

Exasperated, her sister tossed her arms in the air “Then what?”

“If you don’t take the treasures and the et the treasures and the males you want”

“Oh” Bianka’s eyes widened as her attention returned to the men “So which one do you want?”

Kaia tapped a fingertip against her chin as she studied the candidates Each of the men wore a loincloth, and each hard body was streaked with dirt and sweat, but none of thethey’d proven themselves on the battlefield Or at least, had tried to do so

No, not true, she realized a second later The one in chains was covered in battle hter “Hi with a tilt of her chin “Who owns him?”

Bianka looked him over, trembled “Juliette the Eradicator”

Juliette Eagleshield, an ally as well as a coldhearted beauty trained by Tabitha Skyhawk herself

Conquering a male the Eradicator had failed to tame would be… “Even better”

“I don’t know about this, Kye We arned not to speak to any of the men”

“I wasn’t warned”

“Oh, yes, you were I know this because you were standing right besideYou ain”

She refused to be swayed frohter doesn’t hear a warning, she doesn’t have to heed it”

Bianka reer”

“We love danger”

“We also love to breathe And I think he’d rather chop us into pieces than bathe our feet Not tohim”

“Trustas I am, or she wouldn’t have had to chain hiness to slay anyone at any tiender, but Kaia would soon be known as the girl who had one-upped her

Her sister thought that rationale over for a moment, then nodded “Very true”

“I’ll just explain the punishment he’ll receive if he disobeys me, and I prooing to be so proud

Tabitha wasn’t proud of many people, only those who proved to be her equal So…in other words, she wasn’t yet proud of anyone Maybe that hy every Harpy wanted to be her and every th was unparalleled, her beauty unmatched Her wisdom, limitless All trembled at the mere mention of her name (If they didn’t, they should) All respected her And all admired her

One day, all will admire me

“H-how are you going to sneak hi to hide him?”

Hnation filled her Why should she sneak him away? Why should she hide him? If she did, no one would knohat she’d done No one would write stories depicting her strength and daring