She pointed up at the roof of my closet.
I nodded. "Meri knows how to use them. If he has to die, then fine, but do not let him get taken or hurt either of you. Sting him if you have to, Lessa."
"Okay," she breathed just as Omden rushed back in.
"I heard gunshots," he said as he reached for his clothes. "Screams are coming from over by the library."
"What?!" I snapped. "How'd they get that far?"
"It's almost four in the morning," Omden snarled. "Not sunset, Droz. It's their time. Dark, when everyone's asleep. They're probably halfway across town by now."
"Fuck!" I growled, realizing this was bad.
And we hurried. Lessa found her clothes and slapped them on. We equipped every weapon within reach, and yet it felt like it took far too long. The screams were still faint, although it sounded like they were getting closer - but that may have been my own paranoia. Our house was on the west side, far enough north we should be safe, but what if we weren't?
We headed into the hall to find Meri there and dressed. Sylis had his door open, pulling on a shirt, but he was just inside it. The sound of us made him poke his head out.
"What do you need me to do?" he asked.
It was Omden who answered. "It's your friends."
"Moles?" Meri asked.
"Yeah," I breathed. "He heard gunshots."
Sylis simply stepped closer, still shoving his shirt into his pants. "What do youneedme to do?"
"Protect them," I said, pointing at Meri then Lessa.
Sylis nodded once. "I will. Can I have a weapon? A knife even?"
"Fuck," I grumbled, turning around and deciding I had no reason not to trust this man. I wouldnotlet Lessa lose anyone else. I was not going to see her destroyed like that again, and if Sylis actually proved himself?
"Don't wear black!" I yelled back at him even as I opened the closet, shifted the panel in the ceiling, then stepped on the lower shelf so I could poke my head up there.
That made it easy to see the safe. I quickly selected the numbers - Omden's birthday - and yanked at the latch. The heavy door swung free, revealing a stack of emergency money and three of their guns we used for training. I took one, slinging the strap over my shoulder, then removed the casings for the bullets from the other two.
After securing the safe again, I headed back, thrusting the gun and bullets at Sylis. "If you turn on them, Sylis, I will sting you with only enough venom to make you scream. Then I'll do it again and again until you peel your own flesh off. Am I clear?"
The man smirked at me instead of trembling. "Yes, Drozel. It's a man's duty to protect." I got the strangest feeling he wasn't talking abouthisduty.
"You're giving him a gun?" Omden asked.
"Yep," I said. "I have a house full of former Moles. For all I know, one of us could be the threat. Lessa?"
"I'm okay," she assured me. "We're going to stay inside and wait for you to tell us it's okay."
"And I'll be back," I promised her. "I. Will. Be. Back."
She grabbed me, pressing her mouth to mine. I took it, kissing her as hard as I could, knowing it was what she needed.I needed it too, if I was honest, but when she let go of me, Meri took her hand and guided Lessa against her side.
Sylis murmured. "So what do I get if I don't turn on my friends?"
"That's up to Omden," I said, turning for the door.
But Omden paused before Sylis, making me wait for him. "Please?" he begged softly.
"I'm not going to lose this, Om," Sylis told him. "Not my friends, not the freedom, and certainly not the chance. I won't kill Tobias, though."
