Chapter 74: Fighting Shadows (1)
Atia clicked his neck to the side, eyes locked on the eagle before them.
Retreating was for the weak anyway. At least that’s what Aiyana always said. That was why she was such a ruthless little fighter, never backing down. It wasn’t just in her blood, it was that relentless drive to prove her worth.
Atia’s head shifted almost imperceptibly at the soft scrape of a talon behind them. The sound was faint, barely noticeable, but with their sharpened Oncari senses, it was enough. Another creature might have missed the subtle shift, the quiet prelude to a strike.
Aiyana rolled her shoulders back, her expression bored, but her deep amber eyes gleamed with excitement at the challenge.
The girl was nuts. But so was he.
Atia’s gaze brushed her injury. A low warning rumbled in her chest. Classic Aiyana. No words, just a threat simmering beneath her breath. Look again, and you’re dead.
Aiyana might be a princess of sorts, but she had the temper of a wildcat cornered.
His attention flicked to the two eagles behind the one blocking their path across the river and into Oncari lands. The birds snapped their beaks at each other, arguing over some unspoken claim before their eyes locked on Aiyana.
Atia twirled his twin blades with easy precision, his grip flexing and releasing in response. Aiyana angled her hip toward him, shifting her stance, her foot subtly pivoting, weight settling into her staff.