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She rose then, went to a squat next to the girl This time, her mind was fully attuned to Mal’s They didn’t have to have a conscious conversation She felt his acceptance of her course of action, because he was reading it as she moved forward, just as she read his reassurance that he was ready if so to a crouch next to Nerida, she held out the beaded strip The beads were a blue background, with brown and yellow cat’s eyes worked along it in a pattern, and the tanned leather had been cut into a fringe strip at the end She’d originally i in his hair with feathers, but of course, she’d made it so he could affix it to the knife holster he wore at his belt if he preferred, or even tie it on as a bracelet, weaving together the fringe so it didn’t become a deadly distraction for the cats Kohana had pointed out that hazard, noting if one of the leopards took a playful swipe at it, they could lay open his arullet

"I know Lord Ruskin and his va the attention in that sole nice and then, when you came close, they hurt you Which was even more unkind, because they could hurt you whenever they wished, right? They didn’t have to fool you to do it The only reason they did that was because they were horrible, soullessin hell now, if there is a hell for such vileness But soine theness, no soul to roast They just don’t exist any dust away froirl’s eyes followed the motion

Miah had intended to follow her to Nerida’s side, but Mal had kept her in place with a look and a gesture, so Elisa glanced her way noith a kind nod

"The very fact you and Miah wanted to dressthat this place is different We’re different I’ve never tricked you, have I? I’ve never told you so that wasn’t true You’re vampires and you can pick up my emotions as well as Mr Malachi or any of his wild creatures So noant you to think, because you are a clever, clever girl Mr Malachi has not harmed any of you, or threatened to har to har them; that’s all

"So come sit up," she said in a firm, no-nonsense Mrs Rupert voice "Let’s do your hair and Miah’s, now that she’s brushed mine so pretty We’d do Mr Malachi’s for hi"

She tossed a slinted at her in that way that made her knees feel a little weak "We’ll talk Kohana into it, because he has really long hair I can try out ift in his hair and then make Mr Malachi another he doesn’t know about After all, Kohana needs a Christift, too"

She’d placed a hand on Nerida’s ar her hand around the thin liirl, and she did it calmly, rewarded when Nerida didn’t recoil She did feel a frisson of warning from Mal, but it was sientle force, rubbing her until the girl sat up, glancing under those long lashes toward Mal and then toward that beaded strip Reaching out with tiny fingers, she took it froers with precise caution

"Just wait until we get closer to Christmas" Elisa kept the exultance fros for the cats in the habitats We’ll use very thin strips of leather or even intestines for that"--she , but I think it will still be fun"

Elisa found Miah at her elbo, reaching forward to touch the decoration A clanking of pots froaze to Kohana in the open pass-through He’d arrived fro to cook Nerida aze Elisa drew in a surprised breath as the two scaracefully toward the kitchen, the beaded strips and brush in tow

Elisa’s gaze darted to Mal, relieved to see he’d reht smile on his firm mouth "I’ve told Kohana not to be alars noant to dress his hair up, he’s not unduly concerned"

Elisa saw Kohana indeed was not perturbed, though he sent her a pained look as Nerida clah his hair with her fingers, while Miah pushed over a chair to get hi his great height Miah fingered the eggs, lifting one to her nose to sruff way to put those down, because those were for the hands, andfingers circled Elisa’s wrist She looked away fro her into a tuirls’ attention; then they went back to Kohana "It was a nice Christift," Mal told her "Thank you"

"I’ll make you another Unless you’d prefer Kohana have it because it’s a girlish fancy you don’t think you can wear in front of the others But he told s"

"Warriors?"

She nodded "You’re a warrior You fight for the cats, even these fledglings You fight to be who you are"

"And what’s that?"

"I don’t know," she said honestly, dropping her head back toher attention to his throat, because sometimes she was overwhelmed by the intensity in his eyes She wondered if it was that problem as much as va a va it out yourself"

After nearly seven days of unrelenting lust, she was surprised she didn’t feel his norroin It discoain "Hussy," he murmured "Think I’m tired of you already?"