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At least out here, he couldn't hurt the women. Nari would handle them - or they'd help her. Shoving at my brother again, I dared to look back into the room and saw my desire pulling herself to her feet. She was fine, or at least she would be. That meant all I needed to worry about was why my brother was so pissed.
"What the fuck is your problem?" I demanded. "You're pissed because Yamina's friends with your wife?"
"They're lovers," he yelled, and even this far away, I could smell the alcohol on his breath.
"Or did your mistress tell you about the child?" I asked, because Nari had told me all about her talk with Zeal.
Those were the words that made Tath finally stop. "How do you know about that?"
"I listen to a god," I told him.
From the look on his face, that was the wrong thing to have said. "I am the man of this house. I can do as I please!"
"You're nothing but a petulant child," I sneered. "Why do you think our father always used me to distract from your latest mistake?"
It wasn't true. I knew that and he should've as well, but it hit home. Screaming like he'd completely lost his mind, Tath rushed me, shoving his hands around my throat the same way he'd tried to do with Nari. The difference was that this time, he used both hands. I managed to get a lungful of air, but I didn't care.
He squeezed, doing his best to choke me out. All of his weight leaned into me, so I used my fists. Over and over and over again, I jabbed hard into his gut, making it just as difficult for him to breathe as he was making it for me. I didn't actually want to hurt him. I just needed him to let the fuck go! I wanted him to stop raging and start thinking. I wanted to stop all of this mess so we could just fix it, but Tath didn't seem to agree.
The stone banister hit my back and he kept pushing. I could feel my feet slipping, but I would not give up. One hand grabbed a fistful of his hair and I wrenched his head back, but I couldn't slam mine into it. I couldn't pry his fingers away from my neck. My lungs were starting to burn, demanding another breath, and Tath was just growling at me like some rabid animal.
Forcing my arms between his, I managed to break the hold on my throat, but he was right back on me. That left me no choice. I ducked the first hit he threw, landing another hard hit to his face, but it was like his entire mind had turned off. My brother wanted to kill me. He was drunk enough to forget why he shouldn't, but that only seemed to make him stronger, and I still didn't have my breath back.
The next time he came at me, I stepped around, grabbed his arm, and slung him to the ground, but the bastard didn't stay there. I could see blood running across his face. I had a feeling I didn't look much better, but he needed tostay down.Lashing out with my foot, I hit him in the gut, but he simply ignored it, grabbing my leg and pulling.
I slipped. The banister was right there, so I grabbed it, my face darting over the edge. Tath immediately jumped on my back, shoving me forward, almost like he was trying to send me over. Below was a long way down. It was not the kind of fall a man walked away from unscathed, if at all.
"You show up and my life goes to shit," he growled against the back of my head.
"You fucking wanted me here," I said, struggling to hold myself on the right side of the railing.
"I wanted you to see me succeed, but that little bitch of yours is turning my wife against me."
"Youare doing that," I groaned, trying to heave him off.
But that allowed him to slam into me again. This time, my throat hit the railing, and my brother leaned into me with all he had.
"I was thefirst son!I was supposed to inherit the lands. He should've been proud of me, but all he cared about was you. I married the girl he wanted. I got an heir from her. I did it all right, and you're still the one they fawn over."
I couldn't reply. I couldn't do anything but strain to keep my neck far enough back that he couldn't break it. "Zeal?" I begged, the words barely a hint on my lips.
And in the other room, I heard him. "I gave you one chance. Now I will extract my price."
Chapter 59
Nariana
My head spun as I staggered to my feet. I'd tried to give myself to Tath to protect Maela and Yamina. It had almost worked. I'd tried to get between them to keep them safe. I hadn't been fast enough. I couldn't be both a Priestess of the Body and one of Protection at the same time, it seemed. But Talin was there. As soon as I'd told him to go, he'd gone. Now he had his brother on the balcony, and the men were beating the shit out of each other.
"What happened?" I asked as Yamina rushed to help me up.
"He thinks Maela and I were sneaking around on him," she breathed.
And yet I knew that wasn't it. A tiny little memory trickled into my mind. It was Zeal telling me about the bastard he'd gotten on his mistress. That meant Tath's problem wasn't these women. It was the other one. The one he couldn't reach right now to beat the baby out of her.
"He knows," I breathed.
"Knows what?" Yamina asked even as I pulled myself off the floor.
