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He threw his head back and whinnied then twisted it to look over his shoulder at me and jerked it up and down in an obvious affirotta keep you safe” whinny

So… totally… awesoave hi and whispered, “Thank you”

Then I ran to the doors, snatched up the knife I dropped, shoved the hilt between hter around my waist Then I shoved the knife into my belt and approached the horse

It took me three tries to heft myself into the saddle, I was not a seasoned rider and,a horse (sothat said “warrior princess”) Unfortunately, the ot up I realized the stirrups ay too low so I had to disain (this tiot on that beautiful beast, touched my heels to his flanks and off ent, out the door and into the unknown

I felt the bed depress, I openedon the bed, his hps in the crook of uessed was in the bed behindhere?

My head shifted back on the pillow,for this?” I heard him ask, I looked to hi froers by the tip of the blade

Blast!

He flipped the knife up, losing hold on it but he caught it expertly by the hilt and he did this, no joke, without taking his eyes from me

“You didn’t think, did you, thatto take you somewhere I couldn’t find you?”

Salem, a traitor

What a disappointht and all the next day, stopping only to bum water and, for ht fell we cae which Salem, in his Salem way, assured me was safe He even reached out his powerful neck and pointed with his coe that held the hidden key

I thought he wascoat

Totally a disappoint, it was sometime the next day

And I was back in the clutches of the evil, black Prince Noctorno

Foiled

“I own this hunting cottage It’s sacred ground It’s safe My horse is no fool,” Noctorno went on

Great Marvelous

Or, more aptly put, phooey!

I carefully rolled to my back and just as carefully scooted up the bed until my back was pressed to the headboard I pulled ot in this protective position and held it all the while I kept wary eyes on him

His eyes swept my truncated body and came back to , “Cora”

My hand shot up, palm out, and I whispered on a hiss, “Don’t touch

“Cora,” he repeated on a whisper

“Tell me about the bones,” I demanded and watched his eyes flash I dropped my hand and narrowed my own eyes at him “I know you don’t believe me and yadda, yadda, yadda Hu bones”

He studied me Then he stated, “They have my saliva on thehed and continued, “And, they can track h my saliva They can do it from miles away”

“So that’s why you kept the bones in the cave,” I surmised

He nodded “They had no clue it existed and I use it for hunting or for war I’rained in me since I was born In ancient times, they could only track the females They’ve adapted Now they’ve learned also to track thefor me You threw out the bones, they found st them… us”