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I explained how she needed to slice the skin above and below the cuff, along the edges, like she was tracing around a Solo cup The barbs were in too deep for the ured we’d just work that circle of skin down too Easy, peasy Oh, and we’d do this while excising my bicep So a couple more slices on each side of thethe sleeve for so to bite down on, because I’d seen that before in a movie

When I stuffed the material between my teeth, she raised her scalpel-sharp foreclaw "This is so an to cut around the cuff

The pain

Once she’deverything slippery I was growing so delirious that I thought I saw a flicker of enjoyment in her eyes Red of tooth and claw

But when I looked closer at her face, all I saas queasy paleness

I drew the material from my reen and lightI’ll heal right up When I pull the cuff higher, you slip beneath and"--my voice quavered--"yank on the muscle Quick" Back in went the sweater sleeve

With an unsteady nod, she used her claws to get a good pincer hold of the slicktears, I stared up at the ceiling, feeling pressure, pain, pressure, pain! I shrieked against en bellowed froh the manor

"We’re done with that part" Why was she swaying so much? Or was that me? Delirious Stay conscious, stay conscious She started pulling down on the cuff

Oh, God, the barbs! I vos tottered as I tried to give her a counterforce

Almost to my elbow, al the floor with a bounce Done! Shuddering, I spat out ood arm on a plant shelf As I leaned over, I narrowed ht of the cuff The barbs looked like roots growing intothe e around my mutilated, limp arm

Good Didn’t want to see it

"I can’t believe we did that! Now don’tto grow Despitewith power

Conserve? I had for months

My ar spurts As stalks, ste to life, Lark’s eyes darted "This is so disturbing"

"So were your cobras"

"What’s the gaht?" At her nod, I said, "To reach us back here, he’ll have to fight his way through a jungle, getting weaker and weaker I’ll hold him in place while your wolves tear at his softer belly After we force his to sever his neck"

"Okay They know the program"

Somewhere above us, he roared, "I s, Lark Use my blood Get it on any leaves you can It’ll er I’ll create a last barrier to defend us"

She dropped down to flatten her palms in the puddle atlike crazy" She rose to flick her coated fingers Criive me an extra life in this battle?"

"I have no idea" Whilethe back wall

A rosebush My lips curved Oh, Aric, you shouldn’t have

As Lark lined up her wolves in front of the barricade, I grew the rose until the thorns were as big as blades, the stalks like chains Recalling another Arcana’s tactic, I positioned the stalks just so for Ogen A last backup

Finished, I turned to Lark "You could leave the wolves and go hide" When she hesitated, I said, "Weirdly, I care if you live or die I’ll behiainst hiht I’ll stick around--"

Rock and rubble exploded down froen had punched his way through the floor of thehis horns on the jagged side of the opening "Smell BLOOD!" When he dropped down into the warehouse, tremors rippled beneath our feet

Lark’s face paled even le before he got to us, wouldn’t be weakened

When the wolves hunched down, snarling to fight, I snapped out of my shock With a wave of my hand, vines shot out to lasso hi around his horns

Once he was caught, the wolves attacked as one, going for his belly He roared with pain as the three snatched chunks out of his hide Greenish-yellow goo seeped fro above Ogen’s head, scratching and pecking at his eyes

"It’s working!" Lark cried

I’d just nodded at her when Ogen thrashed, ripping free fro one horn into the falcon’s breast A bloody bundle of feathers thudded to the ground

Eyes wide, I threw everything I had at hi at any exposed hide

Despite this all-out assault, he began to advance, shuffling past a ht ared to snag one leg, he’d drag it behind hith frorinned, dripping saliva "Now FEAST!"