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but Manon was already moving.
Just as those curved claws tore through
leather and skin, Manon twisted to the side
and brought down Wind-Cleaver upon the
Yellowlegs Matron’s outstretched neck.
Blue blood sprayed upon the snow.
Dorian did not look away this time at the
head that tumbled to the ground. At the
brown-robed body that fell with it.
The two remaining Matrons halted. None
of the Crochans behind Dorian so much as
spoke as Manon stared down pitilessly at the
bleeding torso of the Yellowlegs Matron.
No one seemed to breathe at all as Manon
plunged Bronwen’s sword into the icy earth
beneath and bent to take the crown of stars
from the Yellowlegs witch’s fallen head.
He had never seen a crown like it.
A living, glowing thing that glittered in her
hand. As if nine stars had been plucked from