Page 33 (2/2)

"I sense their potential" And I could tell their species: po forth a bud without blood I off their shells"

Shells Husks A withered corpse planted in the dirt Tess’s body was like a forever-dead seed "I-I’ll try"

"Once you master this, you’ll be able to sense buried seeds out in the Ash Your arsenal will be anywhere on earth"

I concentrated on the ones beforeI sucked in a breath when they began to vibrate No bloodletting necessary A tiny sprout was budding froinning to sweat

"You’re doing great Look at you!" Her words reminded me ofcolored eggs one Easter I’d proudly held up my basket, and someone had snapped a photo of me, Mom, and Gran Mom had held that picture as she’d passed aith Jack by her side

She’d died because of Bagmen We’d burned her body because of the Lovers Jack had died without grace because of the Ee welled in me, as powerful as Circe’s tidal wave Replace the Ehter with screams--

The seeds cracked open; plants exploded outward to crawl and fork across the ceiling and walls

"Good Lord, Evie!" Gran looked at erous Eardless of the seed species, all had becoerlike thorns I slu as that means the E the Elass of water "I’ive in to the heat of battle, your hair will turn red pers will always show You’ll be ive myself over to the red witch forever Would I take that risk to kill Richter?

One probleht not stop with him Evie is a sliver of ME!

Gran frowned "I was actually surprised your hair is still blond But noYouelse you should work on Close your eyes and cover your ears"

I did I sensed movement, a scrape of metal One of my vines shifted, so I openedknife inches aboveher wrist

I waved a hand to release her "You really were going to, uh, stabher wrist, she sat again "You would heal, and the attack needed to be real for your vines to react"

My soldiers had had a h the theh the on autopilot before, with no conscious thought from me "I wouldn’t even have to look behind me to aim?"