“You die now,” he hissed.
“You first,” she spat.
This was it. There would be no more tricks or gimmicks. He wanted her death. She had no more strength left.
He pounced. Lia held up her dagger, but it never struck him. Loshika had clobbered him over the head. Dahlia watched as thenonnaestaggered to the groaning giant and continued to beat him. He stopped moving, and the giantess kept hitting him, screaming at his corpse in Loriian.
Slowly climbing to her feet, she observed the area. None of their enemies moved. Lia held her hands out and took care to stay in Lo’s sight as she crept closer. “Loshika, it’s okay. You can stop.”
Herastrylledropped to the giant’s legs and began viciously tearing at his thigh.
Her stomach turned at the mangled mess the giant had been beaten to. She edged around the crying giantess and bravely set her hand on Lo’s bare arm. Black eyes flashed to hers as she lifted the branch in the air as if to hit Lia. She braced herself for the pain.
“It’s okay, Lo. He can’t hurt you. I’ve got you. You’re okay,” she crooned.
Loshika trembled, tears tracking down her cheeks through the makeup. Her arms shook, and eventually, she dropped the silver-coated branch. She feel against Lia, hugged her so tightly she could scarcely breathe. Lia returned the embrace, scouring the snow for more enemies. They needed to get to Mizar now.
She whistled to Serenity, who launched into the air, her beak shimmering silver in the rising moonlight.
“You’re okay,” Lia kept saying over and over. “But we need to leave.” She pulled back, lacing her fingers with Lo’s, and led thegiantess down the mountain. They stumbled and slid. Loshika’s body became heavier and heavier.
Dahlia didn’t know who the local healer was. Where was she supposed to take her?
The tavern.
They stumbled into the alleyway between the inn and the tavern. Lia pounded on the door, and Diaz opened it with a scowl that melted away instantly. She lifted Loshika’s left arm around and slung it over her shoulder, helping them inside immediately. They moved past a wide-eyed Jaiix and into the kitchen.
“Hunt,” Diaz barked.
The burly man dropped his ladle and cleared the gigantic table in the middle of the room. He helped lay Loshika down on it.
She shivered, her eyes rolling up in her head. Lia went to hold her hand but noticed the punctures in her palms. The bastard had pinned her down using his claws.
Bile burned the back of Dahlia’s throat, and she fought not to throw up.
“What the devil happened here?” Diaz asked brusquely.
Lia held Loshika’s hand and squeezed. “Lo, you can’t go to sleep.”
Jaiix pushed through the double doors, her eyes round. “What happened? How can I help?”
Hunt placed a steaming bucket of water onto the table while Diaz grabbed clean rags.
“Send Felix for thenonnaeand close the tavern.”
Jaiix nodded. “Done.” She disappeared back outside and began barking orders.
Both Hunt and Diaz began cleaning the blood off of Loshika. Lia moved toward her face and began to play with her damp hair, murmuring nonsense.
Cosmos stepped into the kitchen from the scullery and froze. His face paled as he stared in horror at Lo. “I heard all the commotion and came to check...” His attention moved to Lia, and he gasped. “Sis, you’re bleeding.”
Lia barely felt the pain. “I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not,” Hunt commented, his gray eyes flashing to her neck and then back to Loshika. “You’ve lost a lot of blood. You should sit down.”
If she sat down, she might not be able to get up again. And she had things to do.
Lo’s eyes flew open, wildly flitting around the room until they landed on Lia.
