Chapter 26
Rosie caught sight of me as soon as I passed beneath the half-strength lamp at the entrance to the enclosure. “Kak, kak, kak,” the toddler crowed, hands waving wildly as she abruptly lost interest in the menacing wolf at her mother’s feet. Apparently, Auntie Cake was more interesting than a predator who could have swallowed one of the child’s limbs in a single gulp.
For her part, Harmony met my gaze steadily despite my recent verbal lapse. Protect my child, she as good as said into the intervening air, dark eyes flashing with the fervor of a desperate mother. And my feet obeyed the silent plea, thrusting me forward across the uneven ground in an ill-fated attempt to protect my blood.
Chief Greenbriar, on the other hand, offered no leeway for me to complete my mission. “Ember,
