Page 164 (2/2)

Harl’s knife, still deep in the deht on its lower rib She cried out as the blade was torn fro her unar her into the scrub and dirt

Wards flared all over her body, but the dee and pain, bit and claildly until its searching talons found purchase Its claws dug deep, Renna screaround

There was a rustle in the trees, and Renna knew ht and activity, would soon be upon her Not that it ht with the deain, and she roared right back, shoving hard against it and reversing the pin It was a basic sharusahk s had only instinctive knowledge of leverage She puhs to keep it froh cats to know the fight would be over quickly if it gained that advantage

Sheat her beads, and whipped the in close to e as she crossed the ends and pulled in opposite directions Its claws continued to tear at her, but she ereat horned head severed with a pop, spraying her with black, s ichor

The Painted Man had unconsciously eased the draw of his bohen Renna threw her chestnuts He knew the heat ward; it was coh in Tibbet’s Brook, and his parents had used it often in winter, painting large stones around the house and barn to absorb and hold the heat He had tried ood for arrowheads, it always either consus of the hilt to scorch his hands Even the tiny heat wards on his skin burned horribly when activated

It had never occurred to hiht, and Renna was already warding creatively in ways he had never thought of

He watched the wild look in her eyes as she lifted the demon over her head, and wondered if he had looked the saic He iave delusions of invincibility

But Renna wasn’t invincible, and that was made clear an instant later as she was disarmed and the wood deo cold as he fuled on the ground, but he was unable to get a clear shot, and wouldn’t risk hitting Renna Dropping the bow, he burst fro to rescue her

Only to find his aid unrequired

He stood there, his heart thudding in his chest at the sight of Renna, beautiful Renna, whose soft childhood kiss he had dreahts in the wild, bloodied and battered atop the demon corpse