“Luella!” It was Ramsey’s shout that carried above the chaos. She was still with that injured soldier—one of his soldiers—and their progress was slow. Too slow. “Run!” He screamed for her, pushing off the wall where he’d taken shelter. She looked up, looked over her shoulder. But it was too late. With that single beat of her wings, the crux leaped from one side of the courtyard to the other. And with a snap of her beak, she cleaved Luella’s body in two.
