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itself into the middle of their tumble.
    Watching the tussling cats engrossed me to the point of complete oblivion. I paid no notice to the ferocious snap of a whip licking my way until a gust blew my hair back. Kendall’s wing intercepted the strike.
    “Whoa! He’s like Indiana Jones with that thing!” Squatting down, I poked my pointer fingers between Kendall’s feathers and made myself a hole to peek through. “I wanna watch him work!”
    Hungry orange flames shot from the eyes of our attacker and ignited his whip in a deadly blaze. The glow of the flames glistened off his oiled chest, illuminating him to the color of melted caramel.
    “He can shoot fire from his eyes, but he’s using the whip so he doesn’t kill us.” Over my shoulder I tossed Keni a crinkled-nose grin. “Isn’t that thoughtful?”
    “Thoughtful would be not trying to hurt us at all !” Rage reddened Keni’s face. Her lips disappeared in an angry white line.
    I flopped down on my knees with my hands in my lap and cocked my head to consider her. “You’re so passionate about this. It’s really inspirational.”
    Keni winced as the whip snapped in once more. “We need to find the small print of when that muse essence is going to wear off. You’re giving this particular Creature of Love very unloving feelings.” Her pointed chin jerked to our right. “Why don’t you handle Big Mike? I can withstand this guy’s torment a heck of a lot better than you can.”
    “Great plan!” I credited and patted her shoulder .
    “Glad you think so, now get out.” Keni shoved me from the confines of her safety and into the storming path of Big Mike. Her wing cocoon clamped shut behind me.
    Mike’s wide jaw tipped toward his chest. Slate eyes bore into me from under his creased brow. Every ounce of his being broadcast his mal intent as he pumped his well-muscled limbs straight for me. Somewhere in the dark regions of my mind a quiet voice whispered that this would be a really good time to defend myself. But the way he drew his fist back—so precise, so inspired—rendered me into a complete state of awe. All I could do was stand and stare. My cheeks ached from the broad smile I couldn’t seem to shake. 
    “ This is a fantastic fight!” I gushed. “You and your friends are incredibly skilled warriors!”
    His head jerked in confusion at my exuberance. That moment’s pause interrupted the flow of his swing. Instead he used his momentum to catch my throat with his forearm and hurl us backward. Together we thudded to the ground. My breath lodged and tears welled behind my eyes.
    “That was a great hit!” I gasped. “Really … oooff .”
    “Knock off the narrative ,” he grumbled through his teeth. “It’s really disconcerting.”
    “ Apologies … huuh   … really. But … ugh … can I just give you a little tip?” Grasping Mike’s wrist, I repositioned it higher on my neck—right over my windpipe. “Right there,” I rasped. “That’s the sweet spot. Now apply a little more pressure … good! I’m seeing spots. Great … job.”
    As oxygen deprivation lured me toward the seducti ve shadows of unconsciousness, a booming voice rang through the arena, “That’s enough! Let them go!”
    Big Mike immediately released his hold and scrambled to his feet. His offered hand yanked me off the dirt packed ground. As soon as I convinced my shaky legs to hold my weight, he let go and dropped to one knee with his head bowed.
    “Council Master.” His murmur dripped with respect and admiration.
    A gorgeous white owl swooped overhead, its wide wingspan a stunning medley of whites and greys. With a sweet, singsong screech it trumpeted its own arrival. All the bodies in the stands rose from their seats to drop to their knees. The owl settled to perch on the balcony ledge high above the arena. I swiveled around and watched the wave of homage that humbled the crowd. My gaze stopped on Grams. Slowly, she rose to her feet. Her eyes bulged. The