Page 181 of Blood Feast

The princes’ forces had come prepared for Hesperines. Their liegehounds rested at their sides, bloodied and still. Poor, noble dogs. They had lived by the law of loyalty and died out of love for their masters, no matter whose side they fought on.

Lio quickly strengthened the veil over his thoughts and emotions. Not fast enough to escape Cassia’s notice.

What did you find?she asked.

There is no reason for you to see this.

The sight of the dogs was not something she needed in her memories forever, nor haunting her when she worried about Knight.

She hesitated, a protest brewing in her mind.

Please,Lio said.Let me spare you this one thing.

Her aura gentled.All right, my Grace. Thank you.

Lio wiped his eyes and sank back to the ground. Listening closely, he picked his way closer to the breach.

A growl halted him in his tracks.

He went still. Then slowly, he turned his head, careful not to meet her hostile eyes.

Red stained her fur. Lio hadn’t noticed her lying in despair by her master as if she too were dead. Now she crouched over the soldier’s body, her lips peeled back.

Lio and the liegehound eyed each other.

She didn’t lunge. He realized her back legs were barely holding her weight. She was panting too hard for such a cold night. Even as he stood there, her heartbeat grew weaker.

No. By the Goddess, he would not let one more innocent life end tonight. He would save one creature, if it was the last thing he did.

He thought of Martyr’s Pass, when he had crossed his first battlefield to rescue Knight from a heart hunter’s trap. He had managed to secure the dog’s trust and bring him safely to Cassia.

But this liegehound was not Knight, who was bonded to a Hesperine’s Grace and persuaded by her Lustra magic to love their kind.

There was nothing Cassia could do for this dog now. If Lio asked, it would only give her further cause to mourn the loss of her beast magic. He didn’t want Mak and Lyros to cast wards over the hound, either. That much blood magic would only make her more frightened and aggressive.

There had to be something Lio could try. He knelt down to make himself smaller and less threatening. “Good dog.”

She snarled at him.

“Oedann,” he murmured softly. “Oedann. You fought bravely by yourkaetlii.”

She let out a whine that tore at his heart.

Lio kept his voice low and soothing. “I know you loved him. But this needn’t be the end for you, Lady Hound. There are other safe places. You can find anotherloma.”

The dog crouched lower over her master’s body. To protect him? Or in surrender to her pain and weakness?

“Loma,” Lio repeated, thinking of every calming word he had ever heard Cassia say to Knight. “Het. Soor het.Down, girl. There’s no threat here. I’m a friend, I swear, although nothing has ever taught you to believe so.”

She whined again, as if terribly confused to hear familiar words coming from a Hesperine’s mouth. He wasn’t sure if he was calming her or agitating her.

“Toaa,” he soothed. “Toaa.”

Lio inched closer to her, keeping to one side instead of approaching directly. Her gaze tracked him.

“Your master is with his gods. You can let him go.Obett.” Lio was within arm’s reach now.

She snapped her jaws at him in warning.

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