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Gestarunted and dropped his eyes to my arm “Your wound requires care Do you wish me to bind it?”

I looked down and griash from one of Gestamar’s claws ran fro has pretty et Mzatal to fix it, but you have my thanks for the offer”

Gesta over me by several feet He bared his teeth in the scary deain, well played,” he said, then bounded toward ht at the last instant

I ducked and covereddowndraft of his wings “Thanks!” I called after him The windblast carried the bold musky spice scent of a reyza after exertion, much more pleasant than the huusted shudder First, find Mzatal for a little da soak in the bath

Fortunately, we’d ended the action in the grove, which was only a few minutes walk from the palace A couple of hours earlier, ere far afield in the eastern hills, and it would’ve been a long limp home

Sunlight filtered through the brilliant purple and green leaves of the canopy, danced over the white trunks and onto the short, soft grass of the clearing Ahead of me, two parallel lines of trees for and toward the palace I released a soft sigh of ease and allowed rove’s presence wrapped around anic teleportation nodes, with one in each realm of the eleven demonic lords and about a dozen or so more scattered across the planet My intuitive connection to the special trees baffled the lords, and though it felt perfectly natural to ical explanation for it either

Not that I was co It was a damn powerful connection to have

As I lie, white, and black darted past me and disappeared into the trees Fuzzykins, Eilahn’s cat Her presence uard was somewhere nearby Not that she was ever far

As if in response to h the trees Here in the deraceful bird-like fragility, gorgeous pearly iridescent skin and delicate wings that looked too flimsy to be of use The perfect exa There wasn’t a daile about her On Earth she took the forh the form she chose was smokin’ hot chick She drew a fair ah adered hands would

“You are victorious,” she said, her large violet eyes shining with pride

I bealow of triumph “I am! I was done, exhausted, and then faked a face plant—which , because Gestamar swooped down for the kill I twisted around and nailed him twice, point blank It eeeet”

“Sweet, yes, for the victory,” she said in the beautifullyand meditation chimes to mind She eyed me critically, touched my wounded arm then dipped her head toward my knee “Injured nearly to iant, huood”