There should have been a monster’s lifeless body in the courtyard. There should have been a winged beast with my sword in its chest. Instead, I’d pulled my sword from this woman’s body. A woman with red hair, the spiraling curls a mix of orange and strawberry and copper. Odessa’s hair. I unsheathed a knife from my belt and sheared off a lock. Then I tucked it into my vest beside Zavier’s circlet. My circlet. I stood, taking one last look at the woman. The crux.
