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Only noithin the arun to live

Chapter Twenty

Skye shielded her face fro snow as Paenther ushered her into the foyer of Feral House The hail had ended, but Mother Nature had yet to forgive the Ferals for the death of three Mage Souls or not, the Mage were a part of nature as no other creatures could ever be

Behind thehe, I’nored her as the four ducked into the house and shut the door against the blizzard

"Let he Now"

"What happened?" Lyon demanded as he strode into the foyer, Kara close behind hi hand brushed at Skye’s hair, dislodging a small shower of wet droplets around her shoulders as he , Delaney was attacked and knocked unconscious - "

"But I’he, put e e got there and killed a third after learning Birik ht Did Ibut the fact that you still can’t shift without the help of your witch"

Lyon’s expression turned hard, his gaze flying froain "Hell In the war roo coffee" Kara turned toward the kitchen "You all look like you could use so warm"

Paenther stroked Skye’s head, then slid his ar Lyon

As they entered the roo , surprised to see that the snow had stopped as abruptly as it had begun, leaving several inches on the ground Mother Nature seemed to be over her fury

Paenther pulled out a chair for her, and she sat at the big table Instead of sitting beside her, he stood at her back, a strong, protective force behind her

He loved her

Tighe and Delaney took seats across from the and Foxx get captured?"

"We don’t know We found three live Mage and two dead e got there And no Jag or Foxx There’s no telling how e they ultimately had to take on"

"They still shouldn’t have been captured They’re Ferals, for goddess sake!"

Kougar joined theaze raked his warriors

"The Mage are no longer the enehe said quietly "Dark power is da from his throat "Tell me about the sacrifice"

Paenther’s hands cupped her shoulders "If the Mage I killed is to be believed, they’ve taken Jag and Foxx to the caverns Birik intends to sacrifice the with Vhyper"

Lyon’s gaze dipped, and he aze with an amber intensity that felt as if he tried to see deep inside her "Can he raise power this way? Dangerous power?"

She braided her fingers together in her lap "I believe so, yes Birik’s a snake enchanter Vhyper’s death will help hi with h to free more Daeive him the answers he needed, but she just didn’t have them "I don’t know I’m sorry"

Lyon frowned and looked over her head at Paenther "We have to get into the cavern and we have to do it now Are you healed?"

"No The Shaood power instead of dark, but it didn’t ith her lanced over her shoulder to see he’d crossed his arms over his chest "But it doesn’t matter I’m ready"

"No" The word caaze dropped to her, a hint of displeasure in his eyes But Lyon had to understand even if Paenther was too stubborn to adaze "You won’t survive it"

"BeautyI’ll be fine"

"That ic, Paenther There’s no telling how ht do to your connection with your aniet captured, they’ll put you in shackles again Your ani to lose him"

"There’s no choice I’m the only chance Vhyper and the others have No one else has been able to find that he asked

Skye whirled to face him, but she shook her head "I don’t knohere it is Until this past week, I’d had no contact with the human world; nor had I been off the et me to the mountain, I can find the cavern with ease But I don’t knohere the ht re I could see from the forest Just farmland And the one small country store where I met Paenther If there was a huaze swung to Lyon "So, Paenther can lead a team to the mountain, then wait behind"

"Like hell"

Hawke tapped his fingers on the table "If thedisoriented just trying to find the Market, there’s no reason to believe we’ll be anyup theto need a guide" His gaze swung to Skye

Paenther’s hands squeezed her shoulders "She’s not going near that place again"

Hawke didn’t back down "It et in"

"I can lead you" Skye said the words before she lost her courage

"Not without me," Paenther said behind her "And as soon as we’re at the cave’s entrance, you’ll run right back to the Market"

A lion’s growl rumbled in Lyon’s throat "And what about you, BP? What if she’s right? What if the warding daaze with stubborn determination "There’s no alternative I’m the only one who’s been inside that cavern or knohat Birik looks like Besides, Skye’s not going without me"

Stubborn Feral He wouldn’t survive it Skye shoved to her feet, forcing Paenther to back up "There is an alternative I o"

Lyon’s eyebrows rose "I thought your power only caht But I raise h the anih to help hih the door with a tray of coffee " Hawke tapped the table in front of him "We need to call the power of the beasts The power of the panther"