Blackfeather Woods thinking out loud

The trap snapped shut, and Cicero could not deny that it gave him some sort of fulfilment to know that he could manipulate Damien and bend him so easily. The surprise seeped from Damien's expression and made way for the arrogant determination that struck a chord in Cicero.

As his brother pounced for him, Cicero jumped to the side. His trick had perhaps been with the intent to speak to Damien's deeper instincts — to what was in his heart — and Cicero longed for their eventual collision, but he wasn't going to make it easy. The trick to a good ruse was believability. Besides, Cicero could not deny he enjoyed games of all sorts.

After jumping to the side, Cicero spinned around to try and nip at Damien's tail teasingly, as though to prove his brother couldn't win the spar from him.