B0161NEC9Y (F) Read Online Free Page B

S’am’s shiny black jacket or her light hair. Marc’s huffing was the only sound. Time was fleeting.
    He should move. She knew they were in the area. She had to.
    I hate this part.
    One foot in front of the other, Leilius slowly made his way, eyes constantly moving. He checked pockets of shadow large enough for a person to crouch. His gaze skimmed bushes and peered into caverns created by branches. He couldn’t see her!
    “ Pssst! ”
    Leilius froze. He closed his eyes in disbelief.
    If S’am hadn’t known they’d been sneaking closer before, she certainly did now.
    He glanced back at Rachie with wide eyes. No one else had moved since he started his advance in S’am’s direction. They wanted him to get beaten up first, it seemed.
    Rachie jerked his head to the left.
    Confused, Leilius followed the prompting with his eyes.
    Dense brush covered the ground. Weeds grew in thick patches, knee high, leaning against the trunks of trees. It could mask someone lying down, probably, but unless that person planned a rolling attack, it wasn’t great for an ambush.
    Leilius crinkled his brow and shook his head, trying to convey his irritation, anger, and thoughts on that hiding place all at the same time. Rachie’s expression closed down before he looked back at that brush. He edged back slowly.
    Leilius rolled his eyes. He looked again at that wall of green. She could be anywhere in there. Ready to spring.
    This was a bad idea.
    Leilius picked up a foot, but before he could put it down, a shape dropped out of the sky.
    “Look—shit!” Marc screamed.
    Leilius flinched and brought up his sword as S’am dropped right in front of him. He hadn’t thought to look up!
    He had his foot still in the air, not knowing if he should charge or run, and a blur with blond hair was upon him. His sword was wrenched out of his hand, batted away. The air gushed from his lungs as pain welled up from his stomach, S’am’s kick landing hard and fast. He bent over and punched feebly, only to get his wrist grabbed and pulled. He threw himself onto her fist, doing the work for her as he fell.
    Knuckles hit his cheekbone before he crumpled to the ground. “I give up!”
    With weeds almost obscuring his vision as he played dead, he saw S’am descend on Xavier with her near legendary fighting grace. She feinted left, drawing his sword strike. He realized it was a ploy halfway through, making him jerk his hand back. Too late. S’am brought the flat side of her sword blade across, smacking him in the head.
    “Ouch!” Xavier staggered, his sword still raised, ready to try again, but S’am had already moved on.
    “Team up, team up!” Gracas yelled, waving Rachie toward him. “We can take her together.”
    “There’s something—oh holy hell! Run! Everybody run!” Leilius heard heavy footfalls as Rachie followed his own advice.
    Marc started screaming like a little girl.
    “How do you fight a wild animal?” Ruisa yelled in desperation. Rachie sprinted by her, in a hurry to get away.
    Leilius barely had time to get up to see what was going on as a cry like an enraged infant widened his eyes.
    “Oh shit!” He hopped up, sword forgotten. Without thinking, only aware that Xavier was between him and the animal, and therefore would give him cover, he took off. S’am could punish him later for cowardice—that cat had sharp teeth.
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    S hanti watched with a quirked smile as the training session unraveled around her. She could hear Rohnan laughing with big body chuckles from the branch above. Leaves drifted down around her.
    “That’s not fair, S’am!” Marc screeched as the big cat studied him.
    Shanti’s smile grew. “You should never run from a wild animal, Marc,” Shanti instructed as Xavier bent his legs, his gaze fixed on the predatory, black animal.
    “Too late!” Marc ducked behind a tree. Ruisa still stood with her hands out, eyes rounded, frozen in place. Everyone else had taken off.
    “They can climb trees,” Rohnan