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“That isn’t the only reason.”

Fennan turned a sharp eye on Thane. “Did you push for this?”

Thane shoved one sword in the scabbard on his back. “No. It’s her decision.”

“You can’t leave your home or the elves for these strangers,” Fennan said angrily.

“I can do whatever I want!” she fired back.

Leif got in between them and brushed a stray lock of red hair off her cheek. He softened his voice when he spoke, “Listen, Red. We care about you, that’s all.”

“I know.”

“It’s not safe,” Fennan snarled.

“He will keep me safe,” she shouted around Leif.

“For how angry you are with Valeen you sure are a hypocrite. You’re going to leave us for someone else.”

“What!” Piper went to charge around Leif, but he caught her around the waist.

“Settle down, little fire.”

Fennan sneered at them both. “Let go of her. Let her come at me.”

“This is not even close to the same thing! You and I were never engaged to be married. You and I were never even more than friends. And Hel was herhusband.”

“Speaking of Hel, did he put you up to this?”

“Ugh! I’m capable of making my own decisions. I do have a mind!”

“Lay off, Fen,” Leif snapped. Leif wrapped her up tighter and whispered something in her ear that calmed her down some. He was usually the one razzing her but not today. Thane didn’t liketo involve himself in these sorts of squabbles but if it went much further, he’d have to.

“What right do you have to even be involved in this discussion, Leif?”

“Well, I’m the only one of the two of us who has slept with her, so I have as much right as any.”

Thane’s arm froze, stopping the scrape of sharpening his sword.When was that?He wanted to ask but carefully set the whetstone down. Everyone went quiet while Piper looked absolutely mortified.

She whirled around in his arms and glared. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

“I must have heard that wrong.” Fennan slowly shook his head.

“You didn’t,” Leif said.

Thane made his way over and pulled Piper from between them and walked her over behind a group of close trees. Tears rimmed her eyes, and she gripped the front of his shirt and buried her face in his chest. “It’s fine, Piper. You don’t need to be ashamed.”

“It was a long time ago.”

He tensed. “Howlong?” Leif was several years her senior, so it better not have beenthatlong.

“I was sad about Fennan slinking off with some random girl in Doonafel, and we’d all just fought in a long battle against the pale ones. Leif was flirting, like usual. Osric had just died, and you were a mess, and I thought maybe I could be next. Any of us could die at any time. I didn’t want to die having never experienced… Anyway, we decided not to talk about it again, so I wasn’t treated differently by any Ravens. He swore he wouldn’t say anything.”

“I hope he was at least good to you.”

She pulled away and covered her face with her hands. “Please don’t embarrass me, Thane.”

He laughed and gently patted her shoulder. “I don’t want any details, Piper. I just know Leif is kind of a… brute. And I’ll kick his ass if he was less than a gentleman.”