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Ferran

Something most people discovered about Liorah fairly quickly was that she was allergic to arrogance. It made her break out in disrespect and sarcasm. It was an unfortunate trait for a princess, whose entire life consisted of trying to be polite to people she didn’t particularly like. She was awful at it.

Something rumbled in the distance. Azar growled, her feathery fur ruffling in uncertainty.

I shushed her and scratched her behind the ears. She quieted, but her ears stayed pricked, alarmed.

“Something’s wrong,” I said, quietly.

Liorah spun on the heel of her scuffed riding boots, eyebrows raised in a question.

“I don’t know,” I said. I nodded toward where the noise had come from and Liorah turned, sword still in a cautious guard.

“This is getting dull. Let’s see if you can still do it.” A voice rumbled through the walls, echoing through the chamber.

I flinched, then jumped to my feet. That was Lord Castle’s voice, and that had never meant anything well.

A door on the far side of the room slowly ground open, revealing a long, narrow tunnel. Completely dark, and growling was coming from the end of it.

Liorah cussed. A long, loud string of words entirely unfit for a princess. I couldn’t understand them, she’d chosen Lehabim, but I could guess.

I raised my eyebrows.

“Language,” I warned,

“Do you want me to do it in Common?” Liorah snapped. “It’s sending monsters at us again. This happened before.”

She raised her sword, still ready for whatever would come out of those tunnels.

Hugon was peering at her as if he thought she was daft. Not an uncommon assumption.

The first creature charged out of the tunnel. I saw only a hurtling smear of brown. It looked rather like a hyena, only much, much larger, almost the size of a horse.

I couldn’t help a gasp of horror at the thing. It was charging directly at Hugon.

Liorah grabbed his arm and yanked him out of the way, barely in time.

She slashed at its legs but her sword barely got through the thick fur, leaving a smear of emerald blood on the blade.

The creature roared in pain and spun on her again.

There was no way this would end well.

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