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I pushed him down with one hand, now that we’d made it back to the relative safety of the camp. His legs gave out, betraying just how wounded he was. He cursed from the ground and pulled up his trouser leg. A wicked wound, black and pulsing, spread across his calf.
Nora gave me a long look as if she didn’t trust me to heal my brother.
I knelt by his side, holding my hands around his wound. Golden light radiated between my hands as I whispered the words to focus my magic.
She knelt on his other side, unable to hide her curiosity and interest. “I never knew you to be useful. It’s a surprise coming from a predator.”
“I never knew you to keep your mouth shut,” I answered. “And I’m still waiting to be surprised.”
She opened her mouth, no doubt to direct another barb my way.
Honor’s face rose to my mind, the exasperated but affectionate way she told me I was an asshole. I glanced at Nora’s irritated face, and the last thing I wanted was to apologize, but… regret pierced my chest.
“Honor learned how to heal in the arena,” I said. “And she came back and taught me. I think maybe a lot of the stuff about predators and prey was made up, to justify having a caste system. The magic responds so much to what wethink.”
She stared at me in shock. I’d wanted her to stop haranguing me, and I’d surprised her into doing just that… by being nice.
“I’ll show you,” I said. “Give this a try.”
I walked her through how to heal Caldren. He groaned as I ripped his tunic down, revealing the wounds across the hard planes of his chest and his shoulders.
“What if I mess up?”
“I’ve never really liked my brother anyway,” I said. “I’ll take the risk.”
“Hey,” he managed weakly. To her, he said, “I’ve got faith in you, Nora.”
She scoffed.
But she raised her hands, and as golden light formed between them, it lit her face, which was filled with wonder and joy.
* * *
Caldren
As soon asI was healed, I asked Jaik to stay put—he would only increase tensions—and headed to intercept the band already heading toward the forest.
Nora hurried to keep up with me. As the two of us neared them, one of them swung around and headed toward us. He was a dark-haired badger shifter, and he certainly carried a badger’s grouchiness.
“Anix,” Nora told me quietly. “He’s one of the ringleaders. Maybetheringleader.”
“Then I’m so glad he’s willing to talk to me.” I stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at me with clear annoyance—she didn’t like being left out—but she paused, knitting her arms over her chest.
I went to meet Anix.
“We have every right to leave,” he greeted me curtly.
“You do,” I said. “You volunteered to serve alongside me.”
“To overthrow the predators.” He pointed toward the campsite; I didn’t have to look to know he meant to indicate Jaik. “But you brought them amongst us.”
“The Elder Royals are dead or soon will be,” I promised.
“We didn’t sign on to have the young Royals lord it over us,” he said. “They’re just as bad.”
“They aren’t,” I said.
“Oh? Why would I believe that? Why would we lose our chance to pull them off their thrones and finally have an equal rule over us?” The look he gave me was filled with betrayal. “You’re a predator too, but we thought you were different.”
