It’s a simple story at first. When you mistreat a lion, it always comes back to have its revenge by the end of the story, and here comes Sagakhan’s champion to do what the horrible owls never would. A very pointed critique of her leadership skills, coming back to quite literally bite her. But, no— this close, the Shepherdess can see the names written across the armor, [i]Sagakhan[/i] painted in blood. Of course she understands what has happened. She is the daughter of Hermes, who taught the first humans how to write. What could be hidden from her?

What indeed, save for the identity of Sagakhan’s weapon?

If Sagakhan was not, for a moment, preoccupied with the gory wound in her side, that would have been the end of the Shepherdess, because Redana’s whole world is fury. When Bella’s name leaves her lips, a scream, her voice cracks, and the Shepherdess closes the distance between them, hand outstretched, ignoring the name that throbs against [i]Bella’s[/i] skin. It doesn’t matter. She’ll figure out a way. She’s so very clever, after all.

But right now, there’s only one way that she can be. There’s only one path, all the possibilities becoming one, or else she would cease to be who she is.

Redana, the Shepherdess, reaches out, knowing that Bella will tear at her, that Sagakhan is already swinging a tail at her, that her world is about to explode into frantic struggle and pain. But that doesn’t matter. There’s a lost sheep here, and the Shepherdess knows her duty.

“I’m not leaving you behind this time,” the Shepherdess swears to the maid consumed by violence, to this bloody nightmare in front of her, to the girl whose past and future are entangled with hers from beginning to end. “No matter what you’ve done, no matter what happens here— [i]I’m not leaving you again! Remember, Bella![/i]”

She forgives you, Bella, for what you’re about to do. You don’t even need to ask. Everything else is where it gets complicated, but she won’t hold it against you. She knew what was going to happen when she offered her hand.

She can take it, Bella.