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My heart thudded in my chest as I searched the Forbidden Wood for the beast, the saon I’d once run fro hi, and there was still no sign of Nyfain Granted, he had a substantial head start, since he’d leftherbs to keep , but I couldn’t shake the fear that I’d stumble upon his broken and bloodied form

His duty es froht, but he was in no shape to play Mr Hero It didn’tthe curse The tracks I was following only proved he needed tied on the trail, buh thorn bushes over there

Everlass made for a potent cure, and I’d learned that the leaves of a crowded plant, which could be lethal if used incorrectly, were capable of reversing the effects of poison Still, it was obvious the elixir I’d given him hadn’t fully restored him The effects had worn off, and he was in pain

But he’d refused my request—my order—for him to rest

The dappled light highlighted a huge splotch of deep red on the ground My gut twisted as I slowed, panning led with those of the dragon These were slender and long, with three toes and an iested claws The creature, whatever it alked on four feet It ed out from the trees, because its tracks seemed to come from nowhere

The bark of the closest tree had been abraded by a tough hide Branches lay on the ground, ripped from the trunk

This was the third battle scene I’d coested Nyfain had won the others, but panic still skittered through e hole had been chopped through dense bushes, Nyfain’s huge dragon forreen and streaked the ground On the other side, I heaved a shuddering sigh

A strange creature with oily, grayish scales lay twisted, its back broken and its head torn off Nyfain’s tracks led away, heavy and clue

I could feelher breath Pain and sadness radiated fro away our connection to therant us freedoon at the end of this trail as I was

Nyfain’s ed with honeysuckle dusted so toward the castle Stubbornfor more creatures to dispatch

After another hour and e biped with se jaw It had its stomach ripped out Even more blood led away from this battle

I don’t like this, my animal said as we took in the scents and followed the tracks He lost too much blood

As aMaybe if he just stays in beast form until he heals it’ll be okay?

She didn’t answer She probably didn’t know, since I’d never shifted The saers throughout the kingdom, paused time at the royal castle, and, perhaps worst of all, prevented our people fro as nature intended As far as I knew, only one person still could—Nyfain—although it had cost his had been shorn off

I could hear hts, feel her emotions, and use her primal senses, but that here it stopped

We wound deep into the wood, the gnarled trees bent and twisted, much like the dead bodies of the dely bushes reached across the path, soh I didn’t even need to follow his tracks now, just had to watch for the crie

A bird chittered in the treetops, answered by another A small rodent scrabbled out of the way My connection withNot

I hefted the dagger I held, content to keep the pocketknife stowed, and crept closer, staying behind a wall of browning and crackled greenery My ani them as we made our way Clean smells, like laundry and lavender soap, layered over the ent scents of sweat and blood