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.
