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"Kit," Oliver began, warily

Before Kitsune could reply, there caates of the castle swung inith great force Fraht strea in behind them, were half a dozen of the fisher toward the castle They carried fishing poles and several lugged strings of hooked fish, the catch of the day All of the that had seen better days but there was an air about theestion of simple country folk

The man in front had black hair and a neatly trih with silver His face was pitted with pocker than Oliver, physically, he moved with such confidence and power that it seeround

"Hy’Bor! What transpires here?" the fisherman shouted

No one in the courtyardwounds, ceased their self- theopen Now he stared at the newco like embers in his eyes He plucked the arrow fro his robe, before becoether

He wore a terrible sneer as he gestured toward Oliver and Kitsune The soldiers around thehness, we have an Intruder a us You have sworn out a warrant for his death Yet here he is, couised as a courier, undoubtedly to attelanced back and forth between the twoHunyadi? This fisher, Oliver believed it i and those within the walls of the castle of Otranto froze in his presence, unwilling to do anything without his leave The soldiers were on guard, ready to finish Oliver off, but they hesitated, waiting for the king to speak

"Undoubtedly," King Hunyadi said, but he arched an eyebrow and studied Oliver with open curiosity When he saw Kitsune, his eyes narrowed and he nodded slowly as though he had deciphered the last line of a difficult riddle

Hunyadi handed his fishing pole to one of his friends and left theates He strode toward Oliver and Kitsune She shifted her bow so that the arroas pointed directly at his heart, but the king neither slowed nor even seemed to notice her

"You, Intruder, rehness" He lowered his sword The soldiers did not attack

Hunyadi paused ten feet away, behaving as though he and Oliver were the only people in the courtyard He crossed his arms, a bemused look upon his face "Tell me, Oliver, why does a man beard the lion in its den? You’re aware of the death warrant I’ve placed upon you?"

"Yes, sir"

"Are you a lunatic, then, coaze evenly He started toward the king, but he held up the sword in both hands as though to present it to hihness Just an ordinary man A man who does not wish to die Once upon a time another such ranted him a year to prove himself worthy of your trust, and when he earned that trust, you gave hiift"

A pair of soldiers stepped in to prevent hiround He had made hihting, in any case His life was in the king’s hands

"I remember," Hunyadi said He uncrossed his ar down at the sword "How do you coave ht see it and remember, and look kindly upon ranted hiave ift moments before he was do the Borderkind"

Hunyadi nodded slowly "You may pick up the sword Sheathe it"

The Atlantean storhness, you cannot trust the man! He is an Intruder, and he travels with a Borderkind witch" He gestured around the courtyard "Souised as a courier, who is in all probability dead, murdered by his hand, or her claws They are your ene considered this

"With all due respect, sir, we are not your ene to stay alive," Oliver told hihout this exchange she had held her bow up, arrow pointed at his heart Now he approached until the tip of the arrow touched the rough cotton of his shirt Kitsune’s jade eyes glea reached out with both hands and slipped the hood down to reveal her face

"You are Kitsune," the king said, and it was not a question "Your legend is a favorite of s of your beauty, but you are beyond all expectation"

"Thank you, Highness," Kitsune said, revealing rows of tiny, jagged teeth

"Your coiveto fall upon the castle, Kitsune released the bowstring slowly and then let bow and arrow fall to the ground She inclined her head in the tiniest of bows

"Make her swear fealty to you!" Hy’Bor cried desperately

Hunyadi waved this away "There is beauty in wild things,such demands upon it I will not try to tame the wild"

Oliver stood slowly and slid his sword into its scabbard

King Hunyadi looked pointedly at his Atlantean advisor "See to it that they have food and a place to wash off the grit of the road Then bring them to my chambers"

The shrieks of the Perytons filled the air above the Akrai, the ancient Greek theater that sat on the mountaintop above Siracusa Like harpies, they descended upon the Borderkind gathered there on the ancient stone stage The sound of their green-feathered wings beating the air was like thunder and they moved so swiftly that even Frost barely had time to react as the Hunters fell upon therabbed hold of hiers like knives Frost s up the Peryton’s ar its leathern flesh White crystals of rime formed on its face

Then the second one hit hi its antlers into his back The enor deep into his frigid for razor fingers they began to tear at hiid water spilled from his wounds and splashed on the Sicilian soil The air was hot and hu fast