Forever Free by Nikki Jefford

Author:Nikki Jefford [Jefford, Nikki]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nikki Jefford

chapter twenty-one

SWEAT DAMPENED THE back of Sparrow’s neck in the afternoon sun. The garden looked like an overgrown jungle, and it was only due to her weeks spent working there that she was able to navigate the narrow footpaths now covered in plant leaves.

Sparrow moved gingerly through the tomato patch with its diverse varieties and made her way out of the garden to accompany Elsie to the den. She was helping the wolf-witch carry jars back from the den’s communal shed for seed collection.

There were three young children in the small patch of trees between the garden and the den, crouched behind a log. When they saw Sparrow and Elsie approaching, they put their fingers to their lips in a shushing gesture. Sparrow and Elsie were silent as they crept closer and then squatted with two girls and a younger boy.

“What’s going on?” Elsie whispered.

One of the girls pointed into the woods, her eyes shining with excitement. Sparrow searched the greenery until her eyes landed on a small plush bear with a red ribbon around its neck. A couple of inches from the toy, a squirrel sat on its haunches studying the toy’s inanimate black eyes. The squirrel dropped down and circled the stuffed animal. He raced up to it from behind and then darted away, only to return and face the plush bear again.

The little boy laughed—the sound sending the squirrel dashing into the foliage. One of the girls smacked him. “Good going, Eric.”

“Hey, don’t hit my little brother,” the other girl snapped.

“You always do.”

“I’m his sister. I’m the only one allowed to smack him.”

A familiar grunt made Sparrow jerk her head up. Wolfrik stood behind them with his arms folded. The brute had an uncanny ability to sneak up on people without making a sound.

“You shouldn’t play with your food,” he said.

The girl who had told the other one not to mess with her brother stood up, lifted her chin to meet Wolfrik’s eyes, and placed her hands on her hips. “Don’t you dare kill Fluffy. He’s our friend.”

“Fluffy’s not a plaything, he’s an afternoon snack.” Wolfrik rubbed his scarred belly and chuckled darkly.

The little girl glared at him before turning to Elsie. “Can you put a protection spell over Fluffy so Wolfrik won’t eat him?”

“If I can’t, someone else will,” Wolfrik said.

“I won’t,” Sparrow said, not sure where the note of challenge had risen from. She couldn’t cast spells, but she could stand up to the wild wolf.

Wolfrik smirked and looked her up and down slowly. “Look who’s still lurking around the hollow.”

“Yep, better get used to it.”

“You know that I could find you in my wolf form at any moment and rip you apart.”

“Wolfrik!” Elsie gasped.

Sparrow met Wolfrik’s grin with one of her own. “But you haven’t, and you won’t.”

Wolfrik shrugged.

The little girl watched their exchange with shrewd interest, lifting one hand to scratch her chin. “Maybe you should put a protection spell on Sparrow too.”

Elsie crouched in front of the girl and smiled warmly. “That’s

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