“I made it into a ball,” Cappie said. “When it hits him and explodes, it will work. Can you throw it?”
Aradella was beside her. “Let me. I have good aim.”
The two women went to the men. Tam started to block them, but Bree yelled, “No!”
Aradella grabbed the ball from the bowl. “Head? Heart? Where?”
“Heart!” Bree said.
With perfect accuracy, Aradella threw the ball of the plant mixture and hit the creature on the left side of its chest. It burst with a little plume of dark smoke.
The monster looked down in surprise, then crumpled to the ground.
Mekos and Tam, their swords held out, stepped toward the fallen creature. It was clear that they meant to kill it.
Aradella and Bree looked at each other and they seemed to exchange thoughts. Zeon had said, “The death is wrong. It shouldn’t happen.” Wasthiswhat he was talking about? “No!” the women yelled in unison, then knelt down by the creature.
Aradella nodded to the chain around its neck. Bree broke it, and took the medallion. It wasn’t very big and she put it in her pocket.
The audience had gone deathly silent as they watched the two women kneeling on each side of the fallen creature. Nearby were the two young warriors, swords ready to strike.
Bree and Aradella looked at each other across the creature. From the neck up, it was awake and alert.
“Keess,” it said.
“We’re not going to hurt you.” Aradella looked at Bree in question.What now?her eyes asked.
Bree’s eyes widened. “I think he’s saying, ‘Kiss.’”
“Kaley’s Earth stories tell of kissing people to save them.”
Bree shrugged as though to say,Whynot?
The women bent forward and simultaneously kissed the cheeks of the creature.
The audience didn’t know whether to boo or cheer, so they were silent.
Suddenly, smoke came from the creature’s stomach. Aradella and Bree quickly stood up and stepped away. More smoke came from the body.
“We’ve killed him,” Aradella said.
The men went to them, their arms engulfing the women.
Every eye in the arena was on the creature on the ground. There were no flames, just smoke that grew in density until no one could see what was inside it.
When the smoke began to clear, they saw something standing there.
Mekos was holding Aradella, her back to his front. Near them, Tam was holding Bree in the same way.
When the smoke blew away, they saw a different creature. The upper half was a man with little horns striking out of brown curly hair. The bottom half of him was furry. His feet were cloven.
“Goat,” Tam said. “He’s half goat.”
“He’s a Lely,” Mekos said.
“I owe you,” the goat-man said. His voice was harsh, as though it had been a long time since he spoke.
“Who are you?” Mekos asked.
