I blinked and the red mist cleared. Eustace was still hanging from the hold of others, but so was I. My breathing was faster than it should have been and while my hate was no less incandescent, my need to kill was abating. The exhaustion from having to work so hard to mend Fin’s back was also catching up with me. I stopped resisting the hold on me and managed to find my balance on my knees.
“What happened?” Shi demanded of Eustace.
In rank that rodder was above me. It was his place to speak first, and I knew he’d lie.
“He came in like a madman and tried to beat me.”
Fair enough, that wasn’t a lie.
“Did you take a whip to Salvadora?” Shi’s voice was low and controlled.
“Another one who can’t obey an order.”
“Did you use a dragon whip on Salvadora?”
“What else would I use?” Eustace snapped up at him.
Shi looked to one of the other men around us, sent him to check on my dragon. I reached out with my mind, but Salvadora was more concerned about how Fin was. Reassurances didn’t push through enough to calm her fear.
Rider Jimny returned. “Sir, the blue is chained down, muzzled.”
That rodder! Chaining my dragon! I pulled against my captors but was held back. The anger was hot, but the adrenaline was gone, as was most of my energy. Instead blood pumped pain through me, from everywhere.
“Injuries?” Shi asked.
“I can’t be sure, sir. She shied away from me and doesn’t look calm enough to release at this point.”
Shi nodded once in acknowledgement. Then turned back to Eustace. “What happened with Fin?”
“I said,” Eustace growled up at Shi. “He got in the way too often. I’ve told the rodding shit not to come into my domain, and he won’t listen. So I made him listen.”
“You—”
A hand covered my mouth. The sting of the touch on my cheek and nose stopped me more than the coverage.
“What did you do?” Shi demanded of Eustace.
Eustace ground his teeth, glared at me and snarled. “What he deserved. What his useless father can’t teach him. I taught that rod a lesson.”
“How?” Shi demanded again.
“I beat him!”
“What with?”
“My belt.”
That would explain the darker stains I was only now calm enough to notice.
“How many lashes?” Shi asked, more calmly.
“Enough.”
“How many?”
“I didn’t count.”
“How many?” Shi barked.
