Red Hood's Revenge

would cool quickly with the sun gone. She spun around, intending to retrieve blankets from the saddlebags.
    Danielle’s fingers stroked Faziya’s neck. “The more agitated you get, the harder it is to keep her calm.”
    “I’ll go. I could hunt for—”
    “Sit.” She smiled. “It will be all right.”
    “Because things have been going so well for us thus far.” Talia scowled, but she sat beside Danielle. Faziya growled and started to back away, but Danielle whispered to her, petting her fur and calming her until she settled her head back down on Danielle’s thigh. Faziya’s ears remained high, and her eyes never left Talia.
    Danielle took Talia’s hand. “It’s all right,” she said again.
    Talia wasn’t sure if Danielle was speaking to her or to Faziya, but she allowed Danielle to guide her hand. Their fingers brushed the dusty fur on Faziya’s neck. Faziya tensed but didn’t pull away.
    “I’ll find the one who did this to you,” Talia promised. Jhukha was only a servant. It was Zestan’s magic that had cursed Faziya.
    Snow removed her remaining mirrors from her choker and set them around the circle. When her neck was bare of glass, she touched the gold wires circling her neck. The wires pulled free, wrapping themselves around her index finger.
    Snow avoided looking at Talia as she went to the saddlebag and pulled out a spare head scarf. Talia almost asked what it was for. She looked down at Faziya, imagining that scarf soaking up blood as Snow worked to save Faziya’s life.
    Snow folded the scarf and set it carefully on a stone. She raised her other hand, pursed her lips, and blew. Frost filled the circle.
    “The cold will slow the bleeding,” Snow said. “It should give me a little more time.” She pulled out her knife.
    “No.” Talia allowed her hand to linger on Faziya’s neck, feeling the quick, frightened breaths, the heat of her skin beneath the fur. “A sharper blade will make a cleaner cut, with less pain. Danielle, would you . . . ?”
    Danielle stood and drew her sword. Faziya jumped to her feet and backed away.
    “I should do it,” Talia whispered. That blade was sharper than any razor. With luck, Faziya would hardly feel the cut. Talia made no move to take the sword.
    “You don’t have to,” said Danielle.
    “Yes, I do. You need to be able to speak to her, to keep her steady. Snow has to concentrate on her magic.” Talia swallowed.
    “Animals are built along the same principles as us,” Snow said. “A cut to the throat will spill the most blood, but I’m afraid it would be too much, too fast. Try the leg, close to the shoulder. You’ll hit—”
    “I know.” Talia thought about the mercenary who had taught her that move. She couldn’t remember the man’s name. He had been arrested less than a month after Talia met him, but he had shown her a number of knife tricks in that time. Block your opponent’s knife hand with your forearm, opening up his arm. Slice your own blade up the inside of his biceps. It didn’t take a deep cut to kill a man that way.
    “Dogs’ limbs are built differently,” Snow said. “You’ll need to cut closer to the front instead of the inside.”
    Talia took the sword. “I’m ready.”
    “Faziya?” Danielle crouched, one hand extended. “Please come with me.”
    Faziya’s eyes were large, and she was panting, the tip of her tongue protruding from the right side of her mouth. Danielle stroked Faziya’s back as she led her into the circle.
    “Tell her not to move,” Talia said. “Tell her I’m sorry.”
    “I will.” Danielle knelt and began to whisper. Faziya was shivering, from either fear or the rapidly cooling night air.
    Talia glanced at Snow, who nodded.
    “You’re doing the right thing.” Roudette yawned as she crawled out of the cave, staring unabashedly. “Even if she dies, she dies human, free of their curse.”
    “She’s not going to die,” Snow insisted.
    Talia tightened her grip on the hilt and stepped into the circle.
    “Don’t be afraid,” Danielle said. Faziya glanced up at the sound of her voice.
    Talia moved without thinking, taking advantage of Faziya’s distraction the same as she would with an enemy. In a single motion, she thrust the sword and slid the blade along Faziya’s leg.
    Glass cut through skin and muscle, and she could feel the edge scraping bone. Even as Talia pulled back, she knew she had cut too deep. The sword was too sharp. She stumbled back, needing all of her will to