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Isabel looked away

"Isabel?" Rokan shouted Twigs crackled

"Coently "You’rethe word out

He stepped toward her "You--"

"No Go"

For a lance back at the ed around her and ran

A ed with dirt and dried brown leaves clinging to his hair He took in her lone, still figure with a glance that was first relieved, then puzzled

"Where is he?"

"He disappeared," Isabel said "Sorcery"

Rokan swore "Are you all right?"

She gave hiht"

"You’re bleeding"

She was There was blood streaked over her right elbow, crisscrossing its way down her arm The knife must have hit her a h soash closed

Rokan had been reaching for her arm, his eyes narrowed in concern He stopped in mid-motion, flushed, and dropped his upraised hand After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Did you see him?"

She knehat the hesitation meant So he had decided not to question her disappearance, had he? Wise ht not like what you hear "Briefly Tall, dark hair, large eyes"

"Large eyes," Clarisse said, e from the trees behind her brother Mist swirled away frolad you caught it"

Isabel didn’t even bother to acknowledge her A moment later Will stepped up beside Clarisse and blurted, "Why are you here?"

So ed and said, "I had to co"

"I don’t suppose," Clarisse said, reaching up to extract sos from her hair, "that it occurred to you to let us knohere you were going?"

"No," Isabel said, "it didn’t"

There was a long silence Rokan finally ca under his feet "We orried about you," he said

"Worried about ?"

Rokan’s brow furrowed He held her gaze until Isabel stepped back, feeling a need to defend herself, not quite sure against what

"I’e on her tongue; she had just heard the assassin use it, but it had never before occurred to her Had there ever been co claims on a Shifter? No, of course not; that’s what the Shifter is there to prevent "But I am not your slave What I do is of no concern to you"

"I orried," Rokan said, his voice tight, "about you"

He sounded like he meant it But she wanted hi? She half-turned away, shrugging one shoulder dismissively "Why? I can’t be hurt"

"You were hurt once," Rokan said alain What am I supposed to think?"

"Whatever you want," Isabel said "But the only thing that can hurtthat hurts you"

He blinked at her, then took a deep breath "All right Are you ready to go back yet? You can ride behind ht the royal trio returned riding three very spooked horses About fifty feet behind theray-white wolf

Chapter Ten

The rain started two days later and didn’t stop for a week Relentless and rhythmic, it hammered on the stone walls and rooftops of the castle Every ti but heavy, streaking darkness, occasionally illu or punctuated by a rumble of thunder It made her fur bristle, so she stayed away fro cooped up indoors The castle was too cold and sharp, too full of hue, restless and snappy, and the feeling only went ahen she was near her prince Then her edge had a purpose, and her wariness an outlet