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“Hey—!”
    Ravana ignored her. He pushed her behind him and darted forward—running straight at Oeka. Still up on her hind legs, she leapt. He flung himself at her without an instant’s hesitation, ramming his head into her stomach. Once she was off balance, he seized her by the forelegs, where they joined her body—jamming his thumbs into the joints.
    Oeka screeched in pain and hurled him away. He landed hard on his back, and she closed in, beak open to strike.
    But Ravana wasn’t defeated yet. He kicked upward, catching her in the hind legs. They folded, and she stumbled sideways. In an instant, Ravana was up and had her by the neck, lifting and twisting it sideways. Oeka struggled, but cringed and held still when he gave her head a painful wrench.
    Panting, Ravana glanced at Laela and spoke.
    â€œWhat’d he say?” she demanded, panic-stricken.
“Inva!”
    â€œâ€˜Shall I kill her, Master?’” said Inva, appearing from behind the pillar where she’d taken shelter.
    â€œNo!” Laela yelled. “Tell him to let her go right now!”
    Ravana obeyed at once, dropping his hands passively to his sides.
    Oeka returned to Laela’s side, shaking her head frantically. “
Kreea’kayee!
That human’s grip is stone!”
    Laela turned angrily on her. “What in the gods’ names was that all about? What were yeh playin’ at?”
    Oeka sat on her haunches and began to groom herself. “Be still. I would not have hurt you.”
    â€œâ€˜Be warned,’” Ravana said. “‘The next one who tries to attack my Master shall die, no matter if it is human or griffin.’”
    Oeka watched him, green eyes gleaming. “Laela,” she said. “I tell you now that you shall find no better human to guard you than this one.”
    â€œHe fought you to save me,” said Laela—adding more quietly, “. . . an’ he won, too.” She looked at Ravana, who was kneeling again. “Yeh’ve proven what yeh can do, Ravana, and I’m impressed. Now stand up an’ listen.”
    He did, and stood to attention as Laela spoke on through Inva.
    â€œThere are no slaves in Tara, an’ there never will be again. Not so long as I’m Queen. We’re a land of free men an’ women. We can choose what we do with our lives, say an’ think what we want. You’re one of my people now, an’ that means you’re free to do what yeh choose. If yeh choose t’be my guard, I’ll be honoured to have yeh.”
    â€œâ€˜I do choose that,’” Ravana said at once.
    â€œGood. Yeh’ll be paid a proper guard’s wage, plus some extra, an’ as long as yer with me, yeh get a good place to sleep an’ all the food yeh want. If yeh need a weapon or armour or anythin’ like that, just ask an’ it’s yours.”
    Ravana accepted all this gravely, and when Laela had finished, he only said, “‘As you choose, so shall I live.’”
    â€œAll right, then,” said Laela, and that was that.

3
A Broken Family
    S aeddryn did not return to her personal quarters after the council meeting, even though she was hungry. Hunger sharpened the mind, and she needed to think.
    More than that, she needed to pray. The Eyrie might be her home, but it didn’t belong to her. Only one place in Malvern was truly hers, and that was where she went now.
    The great Moon Temple had been built close to the Eyrie, and its high, domed roof was visible from almost everywhere in the city. It had originally been a Sun Temple—the same one where Saeddryn’s cousin, Arenadd, had fought and killed the man everyone had thought was the greatest threat to him.
    After Malvern’s fall to the Northerner rebels led by Arenadd and Saeddryn, its Temple had not been demolished, but gutted and refurbished as the first Moon Temple anywhere in Cymria.
    It had been