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Bradan fell to the ground, exhausted. “Leave me here, Maeve. Go back to the ceremony. Whoever wanted me dead is causing trouble there. Alana is third in line, but I’m not sure she is up to the task.”
“Wake up, Bradan. They treated us like that, and you still worry about them? I wonder sometimes how on earth you belong to that black magic clan. Keep going. I don’t want to be dinner for the shapeshifters.”
“Too late, it seems,” Bradan said. With the strength he had left, he lifted Maeve up, and she grabbed a tree branch and hopped up onto it. They heard the movements of several animals accompanied by deep growls. Maeve reached down to help Bradan climb up, but he didn’t take her hand. Instead, he drew out a pair of hunting knives.
Three leopards leaped out from the bush. Maeve had to
