24. Its Beak Dipped in BloodNox stepped forward. Did he still have his gun? She prepared to face him, just as her mother had done. She was exhausted and bruised all over, but she would fight him if she had to. They studied each other for a moment, weighing each other up. Nox held the book. He didn't hand it over this time.
One of the black birds landed on the white ground beside them. It strutted around, head c****d as it peered at them through a shining black eye. Something about it caught Cait's attention. Trying to watch Nox, she threw a glance at the bird. It cawed in a harsh croak and flapped its wings but didn't fly off.
She saw what had distracted her. The bird wasn't dead. It wasn't one of the tattered bags of feathers and bones. And its beak was bright red. As if dipped in blood
