There were two peri males, armed with daggers, and black masks over their faces. They were as big as any warriors I’d fought in the ring in Charvellan city and large enough to give me pause. They had taken her from the market instead of trying to kill her, which meant they either planned to ransom her, or worse. My fists curled so tight my fingers bit into my palms, a deep rage beating at my chest.
Yaseema kicked out, thrashing against her bonds. She had blood on her mouth and I couldn’t tell if it was hers or theirs. The gag in her mouth stopped her from screaming, but she made several muffled groans. I’d never been more excited to gut someone in my life, a grim smile curling my mouth as I watched the two masked peris.
I crouched down, and a twig snapped under my feet. The two males arguing didn’t look up, but she did.
We made eye contact over the brim of her golden spectacles, which were askew and sitting oddly. She stopped struggling and watched me, blinking furiously as I put a finger to my mouth.
Wait,I tried to communicate to her.I’m here.
You’re safe.
“She’s only a human; how did she manage to do that?” One of the peris was gesturing to a wound on the other one’s cheek. I couldn’t see his face that well given they were both masked, but I could tell there was blood running down it.
Good girl.
“Because she’s a wild cat! She’s worse than a swamp pixie with those nails.”
“By the River, just restrain her. I knew I should’ve brought someone else.”
“Do you think the captain will be after her?” Fear coated his voice and I nearly answered for him.
Yes, he will be.
“He came with her to the bazaar, but the distraction we sent will have preoccupied him for a while.”
The dark anger inside me twisted into something hot and consuming. They had planned this, pulled me away from her, and now they would pay for it.
“You should have occupied me longer,” I bit off, my words no more than a growl I didn’t wait another moment before leaping from the underbrush and tackling one of them, dagger in hand.
My vines burst through the soil, wrapping themselves around the other peri, who hadn’t been prepared for my attack.
The one underneath me kicked out, aiming for my kidney. His hands were on my knife as I attempted to slide it underneath his ribs. For just a moment I raised my chin and met his eyes, and pure shock and recognition hit me.
I swore and leapt off him, the knife in my hand unbloodied.
He scrambled away, crawling backward and pushing to his feet.
I sliced open Yaseema’s bonds and pulled the gag from her mouth. She grabbed my outstretched arm, and I lifted her up from the ground. Her eyes were wild and red-rimmed, but after a quick assessment she didn’t seem to be injured.
“Wait for me at the edge of town, by the bazaar. You can see the torchlight over there.” I pointed towards the flickering golden glow of the Tashuna bazaar.
Yaseema glanced at her attackers, then back at me, her lips bloodless as she took in my expression.
“Don’t kill them,” she whispered, her hands on my cloak.
I raised a brow, but didn’t answer her plea. “Wait for me at the edge of town,” I repeated, my voice low.
She nodded, releasing my cloak and fleeing in the direction I had told her.
When she had left, I turned to the two rebels. One was wrapped in my vines on the forest floor but had ceased struggling.
The other stood silently, watching me through the dark mask that could not hide the eyes I knew nearly as well as my own.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Tal?”
His hands came up and he roughly removed the mask tied around his face, revealing his smug grin that gleamed in the moonlitthe forest. “Did you miss me, brother?”
I scowled at him. “Fighting in the ring didn’t make us brothers.”
