"Then don't kill him," I replied in the same language. "Just get this woman free so she can help that kid!" And to her I added, "Get them away from City Hall. Go to the school, it's safer!"
Right before Omden could release his arrow, the Mole shoved the woman forward and spun, trying to run the other way. We chased. The woman stumbled to the ground, then flattened herself when she saw us coming. We jumped, sailing over her, but it was Omden who caught the Mole and slung him into the side of a house.
"Hands off the gun!" he demanded, poking his stinger under the kid's jaw.
I moved in to take the weapon. "How did you get into town?"
The Mole's head was whipping between us. "Let me go!"
Omden pressed his stinger hard enough to poke the young man's skin. "Have you seen what venom does?"
I heard the sound of fluid splattering on the ground. The scent of urine came a moment later, but Omden didn't flinch away from the kid pissing himself. If anything, he leaned in a little more, and a cruel smile took over his face.
"Talk!" I demanded. "Where did you come from?"
"We went around the line," the boy said. "We had to march into the day and we started while the sun was still blinding, but we did it. We got here."
"How!" I roared.
He thrust his hand back in the direction he'd been running. "The path. The one in the rocks and hills. It comes straight here, and that side isn't guarded!"
"Well, fuck," I said one more time tonight, aware I'd just sent that woman and kid the wrong way. "Om, they used the hunting trails through the mountains - and I'm pretty sure everyone in town is currently running right toward their main force."
"Then we need to move," Omden said, shoving the tip of his tail up, deep into the boy's throat.
The Mole was dead before he hit the ground.
Eighty-Seven
Meri
The gunshots got closer, and quickly. We couldn't leave, but staying here felt like the worst idea ever. Lessa had the idea to arm ourselves with knives from the kitchen, but they were nothing compared to the gun Sylis held much too easily.
I had a feeling that didn't help Lessa at all. The knife probably did. I knew it did for me, at least. If nothing else, I wasn't completely helpless now. Then, once we had the best protection we could find in the house, Sylis herded us into the hall, away from the exterior rooms. Lessa didn't try to resist.
When the hunters had come before, back when I'd been new to Lorsa, she hadn't acted like this. We'd stayed in her house, focused on clothing, and she'd been fine. This? This was different. Then, we hadn't heard the guns. Now they were much too close.
I could feel her hand trembling in mine. She wasn't cracking jokes or acting like she had complete control. She also wasn't cowering. Instead, she was simply quiet. Too quiet.
"It's going to be okay," I whispered.
"Meri..." She pulled me around to face her. "I'm not supposed to care about people. When I do, they die. They always die - and Drozel's out there. You're in here with me."
"We have Sylis," I reminded her.
"And if I let either one of you die, that man won't kiss me again," he said, refusing to take his eyes off the windows he could see from the edge of the hall. "We're fine, Lessa. And trust me, those two? They're terrifying to the enemy. I know. I've run from them before."
That made her laugh weakly. It wasn't true amusement, but more like she could finally let go of a little fear.
"Okay," she mumbled, sounding like she was talking to herself. "We've got this. I'm a real bitch, he's a Mole with a gun, and she's the bravest woman I know. We've got this. We're going to be - "
A thumping sounded at the door. "Drozel!" The voice was a woman's.
"That's not a Mole," I realized, pushing past Sylis.
Whoever she was, she had to be desperate to come herenow. To even be outside right now was crazy, and here she was banging on the door and yelling? I had to let her in. She could hide with us.
"No!" Sylis snapped, trying to grab my arm and stop me, but I pulled away.
