"You—“
Gail took a step back, eyes wide, hands coming up. "Storn, wait—“
Nadir pounced.
His fist railed into Gail's face, and he grabbed him by the neck before Gail could stumble. Slamming Gail's head into the table and then bringing him back upright. Grunting noises she'd never heard from anyone exuded from Nadir's mouth as he threw Gail into the side of the tent and then railed into him again. Gail started to fight back, but Nadir was faster.
"You're fuckingdead—“
Nyssa couldn't move.
Nadir held Gail's throat and punched his stomach twice. Gail tried to swing back. Nadir threw his head into Gail's nose and shoved him.
The tent ripped, and the pair went stumbling out onto the sand. Nyssa ran after them, catching up just as Nadir launched himself over Gail, knees pinning his arms into the ground, and he pushed Gail's throat into the sand.
"Give me a reason I shouldn't spill every drop of your blood right here," he seethed.
"Storn—“
Another punch.
"You took her for your ownransom—“
Again.
“—You kidnapped and sent her into a camp where you knew she would be tortured and starved—“
Again.
“—All for a space at their table!"
"Maybe—“ Gail choked on the blood from his mouth and throat. "Maybe you should have kept a better leash on her."
Nadir whipped his knife from his calf and slammed the hilt into Gail's nose. "She doesn't need a fucking leash," he growled, the knife stilling beneath Gail's chin. "She needs a crown."
He spat in Gail's face, and Nyssa finally blinked herself out of her daze. She darted forward and grabbed Nadir's arm, knowing if he continued, he would likely spill all Gail's blood over his beach.
Not for Gail. But for Nadir.
Gail coughed, coming up onto one side as Nyssa pulled Nadir off him. "That... That we can agree on," he managed as he met Nyssa's eyes.
And the look he gave her made her insides curl.
"What—Nadir!" Bala ran forward, having just arrived at the scene. Her eyes widened at the sight of Gail broken on the ground.
Nadir rounded over her. "You've been holding him at your home all this time," he realized. "Trusting him. Healing him. You knew he was the one who took her—How could—“
"Because I need his people," Bala interjected sternly. "Weneed his people. And the only person he seems to want to listen to is her—“ she pointed at Nyssa. "So he is here, and he is listening to what we all have to say." She shifted her feet, glaring back down at Gail. "If at any moment you think he is betraying us, I'll give you my own blade to take his life with."
"I'll do that myself," Nyssa snapped, and all eyes landed on her. Gail coughed again, and she gritted her teeth at the sight of him looking at her the way he did.
"Fuck—someone get him off the floor and a towel to clean himself with," she said reluctantly.
She didn't wait to see if anyone went to help him. She turned away from them and wrapped her arms around her chest. She walked back inside the broken tent, where she took a deep breath and started counting to squander the frustration in her bones.
Nadir followed behind, and he pulled her back to him when they were out of earshot of the others. "Are you okay with him being here?" he asked quietly.
She watched him as he opened and closed the hand he'd punched Gail with. "Yeah," she managed. "Yeah, I'm fine. I know his signs. I'll know if he's lying or planning anything."
