I lifted my chin, sucked at my mouth, and then spit all the fluid I could collect right into his face. "Not your child," I told him.
"I talked to your brother. I believe him."
"Men lie," I pointed out. "You should know that. You're good at it, Gideon."
He pulled his arm back and swung, cracking me across the mouth with his knuckles. "I do not lie!"
I tilted with the blow. The pain was white hot, but that cut through the fear. As a moment of calm washed over me, I pulled myself straight and faced him down again.
"The Dragons attack when you least expect it," I said, reminding him of his lies. "They want the meat you hunt." And I scoffed. "Then there's the big one. You swore to protect me, Gideon. Instead, you became the thing I feared the most. Even Hell sounded better than you."
"And now you can go there," he said, grabbing my throat.
His grip was tight. I couldn't breathe around it, so I pushed. When that didn't work, I kicked, hit, and did anything I could to get him to let go of me. That knife was right there. It was mere feet away. If I could just reach it...
Then Gideon was yanked back. I staggered to my knees, sucking at the air I needed badly as another pair of shots rang out. Sadly, Gideon didn't fall silent. Instead, he grunted, huffed, and struggled, forcing me to scramble for the blade before he came back for me.
Once it was in my hand I turned just as Lessa wrapped her hand in his hair, yanked his head back, and pressed her own knife to his neck. Her stinger was aimed at his chest, right where he could see it, and there was no question he was subdued.
"Meri?!" she begged.
I pushed myself to my feet. "That," I said in English as I forced myself toward them. "Is Gideon."
Her stinger pressed hard, denting his shirt. "What do you want me to do, Meri?" She used the same language.
She had him mostly on his knees. His eyes were wide, watching me.Finally,this man was scared. Clearly, he didn't like being on the losing side. He wasn't enjoying this since he wasn't the one hurting someone else.
So I leaned down into his face. "The woman holding you? Her name is Lessa, and she's my lover. But don't worry, she's not going to kill you." Then I looked up at her. "Can you move your tail?"
Slowly, she lifted it away, but kept it close enough to sting him if she had to. "Meri?"
I clenched my fingers around the knife and shoved just as hard as I could. His chest, his belly, and everywhere in between. The first time the blade didn't go deep enough. The next time, I thrust harder. The third time I buried the blade to the handle, and I didn't stop until my arm was burning.
Gideon screamed. He thrashed. He tried to break free, but a Mole man was not stronger than a Dragon woman, and I was a Dragon now. I was not his. I'dneverbeen his, and I never would be again.
When I couldn't manage to stab anymore, I let the blade fall from my fingers. Somehow, Gideon was still alive. Gasping, and clearly dying, but definitely alive.
"I will make sure they know a woman killed you," I told him. "And I hope God makes you pay for all eternity for what you've done. You are not Righteous.You'rethe demon, you fool."
And Lessa let go. He flopped over, too weak to even catch himself, but I knew he was far past saving. I also didn't want to give him the satisfaction of dying in my company.
"We need to find Tamin, Less."
She grabbed my bloody hand in hers and towed me toward the sewing room. "Tamin!"
"Lessa?" The reply was a squeak. "Lessa, the Moles took mama. Ayla's not here."
And when we came around the corner, the boy rushed out of a plant, all but throwing himself at Lessa without letting go of the blanket.
"Is that Taris?" Lessa asked, crouching down to cradle the bundle.
"Mama told me to take her and hide," he said. "Then they grabbed her. We were almost there. She said to find you, and that one lady tried to help..." The little boy's lip quivered when he paused. "I want my mama!"
"Oh, baby," I breathed, opening my arms.
The boy left Lessa holding the blanket and threw himself at me, clutching me so hard. The moment his face pressed against my shoulder, the sobs started, and they sounded like the kind that wouldn't be easy to stop.
"We need to get inside," Lessa said. "But Meri... Sylis went to help that woman. A Mole grabbed her too."
