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Khiara reacted first With a vault forward, she swung her staff around to try to clip the side of his head He easily ducked the blow and moved like a pool of quicksilver She twirled the staff over her head and brought it down a second tirip, and tossed it away She did not back down, but launched herself at the Kishion, her eyes focused and deterrunts and the clack of li her sto

The Kishion’s eyes were blue and fierce as he surveyed the other two Annon knew his flaging for power that rowled and hissed, clawing the earth Back, Annon warned her He will kill you

The Kishion stepped forward, then shifted like a serpent and struck at Lukias next He stepped behind the Rike’s heel, grabbing his ar theand tumbled to the mat of leaves Lukias shrieked with surprise as his arri

"He will kill us," Lukias moaned with dread

He heard the whisper from Neodesha’s tree in his mind He is not your ene out a keening growl of challenge

Annon was racked with indecision He recognized Neodesha’s voice in his mind It conflicted with the panic and fear fro Lukias’s arle, one that caused iasped

Trust me, the Dryad whispered

Annon stared at the Kishion, the realization beginning to dawn on him Why had he attacked the Rike? As a servant of the Arch-Rike hione for Annon instead? He was deliberately subduing the other le hi out his hand cal reactions What was the right course to take? "He is on our side He is one of us"

The Quiet Kishion raised his gaze to Annon, his expression hard but not cruel "This is Lukias, a Provost-Rike of Kenatos I know this man He is not your ally"

The spasan to unclench "And are you?" he asked "The last time we met, you vanished with my uncle and killed him"

The Kishion’s eyes narrowed "Tyrus is alive"