"He deserves it!" Meri snapped. "Drozel, he's helped you." And that slip of a woman stepped into the giant of a man without hesitation, craning her neck to look up at him. "Being a refugee means people can't hurt him without repercussions, and he can't learn Vestrian here - "
"He's aMole," Drozel reminded her.
Meri shoved her fists onto her hips in the most womanly gesture of annoyance I could imagine. "I was too.Idon't have a Dragon mother. I was just thrown out by them and saved by you. That's the same for Sylis! It's what makes Dragons so good! And why can't he be a refugee?"
"Because he's a man!" Drozel roared at her. "That's the part you're forgetting, Meri." And he stabbed a finger over at Sylis. "That man killed plenty of us. He was a hunter, not an abused wife with no power."
And while Sylis flinched from the gesture and the volume of this discussion, Meri didn't. The girl simply lifted her chin defiantly. The gesture was one I'd seen on Lessa many times, but I'd never expectedMerito use it!
"He carried back the dead!" she squealed. "He didn'tkillanyone! He didn't eat the meat!"
"That doesn't matter," Drozel growled. "He was still a hunter, and the people here will not trust him as easily as they did you."
"Oh, so more like Ayla?" I asked. "Maybe they think killing him quickly will be good enough, not caring about all the things he knows - "
"And shared," Lessa added calmly.
Which was when Omden came into the room wearing a damp pair of pants and nothing else. "Everybody take a breath!" he ordered. "You too, Rymar."
We all paused, so he walked into the middle of us, placing himself so he could see everyone. Water was dripping over his shoulders and down his pale chest. His scales shimmered in the afternoon light, and his pants were hanging impressively low. I noticed all of that, but the reactions of the others in this room were why.
Meri didn't seem to care that Omden was basically half-dressed. The girl didn't even blush. Drozel ran his eyes over his partner's body blatantly. Lessa was watching Drozel with a hungry look that made me think she was having a few dirty thoughts.
Then there was Sylis. His face was stony and completely blank, but those pale eyes of his hung on a droplet sliding ever lower. The man was sitting on the couch, but he now had his hands in his lap, and I had a feeling I knew why.
"Now," Omden said, offering Sylis a little smile since the poor man didn't speak our language well enough to catch all of what had just been said, "Someone fill me in? Preferably in English?"
So Lessa said, "Rymar wants to make Sylis an official refugee. Drozel thinks that's a bad idea. Meri isn't going to take no for an answer. Sylis is confused because everyone keeps saying his name, he doesn't want to cause a problem, and he doesn't know what being a refugee would do for him."
"So explain it to him," I told her. Then I looked at Omden. "I was going to take you with me, but I think you should stay here to hold down the fort." And finally, I turned to Meri. "But you? I would love to have you come argue on his behalf. I don't know him well enough to make the case like I did with Ayla, so will you help me?"
"And me?" Drozel asked.
I shrugged. "You can argue against me all you want. I'll still win. I always do." Then I hummed, taunting him a bit. "And I might have some militia stuff we need to talk about too. I figureI have a few hours left before I collapse from exhaustion, so how do you feel about going now?"
"Now's good," Drozel said. "Meri, you're going to need shoes. Ommy? Make enough for dinner so we can feed this asshole. Sylis?" He gave the man a little smile. "No one is mad at you."
"You are," Sylis said.
"No," Drozel promised. "I'm actually trying to protect you. I just do it differently from them. Oh, and while we're gone, someone explain to him how Rymar fits in?"
"Can do," Lessa said. "Now be nice to my girlfriend, Droz."
"A perfect gentleman," Drozel promised. "Be nice to Sylis, Less."
She smiled at the man. "Nah. I'm going to help him with his Vestrian so the next time this happens, he won't get confused." Then she flipped her hand, dismissing us from a home that wasn't even hers.
Sixty-Nine
Meri
I'd been to City Hall once before, but this time felt different. This time feltimportant, but that could be simply because it wasn't for me. This time, I was coming to make sure Sylis was taken care of, which made the entire experience a little less intimidating.
Until Rymar guided me into the mayor's office.
I'd seen Jerlis before. I'd heard his name a few times. None of that was the same as having the massive red-and-black striped man step toward me with his hand stretched out. For a moment, I wasn't sure what to do. Belatedly, I realized women shook hands here as easily as men, so I offered him mine.
He pumped our grip once, and then smiled. The man's eyes had no white to them. They were solid black all the way around, which made him look like the Demon these people were called by the Righteous. But that smile? It changed everything.
