“Just making sure.”
His gaze roved over her again as she shivered. He slid a hand over her shoulder, and warmth followed, washing over her, drying her dress and hair.
“Thanks.”
“Had to. The dress looks amazing dry, but wet it’s fucking insane, and I still have work to do.”
“What happens now?”
“Send everybody home. They can deal with the fallout themselves.”
“What about Nayena? Won’t they try to kill her again?”
“The small giant females will be punished. Nayena has that power and for the sake of the clan and its standing in the culture, she’ll have to make sure they can never challenge her again.”
“And the other virdanas? What happens to them?”
“Likely nothing.”
She scowled. “Why the hell not?”
“They acted within clan rules, and Nayena remains alive and unharmed.”
“So the fact that theywantedto kill her, that theyplannedto kill her, and that they nearly succeeded in killing her, all that doesn’t matter?”
“Not to the giants.”
“It’s not fair that the little female giants pay the entire price. They keep getting hosed,” Mal said.
“Nothing we can do,” Law said, but Mal could tell that the injustice bothered him as much as it did her.
At that moment, So’la appeared beside them, back in his human guise.
“Where’s Nayena?” Mal asked.
“With LeeAnne.”
“Good,” Law said. He eyed the waterspout. “Time to finish cleaning up.”
“Can you handle the virdanas?” Mal asked. “They’ve got a lot of power.”
“They aren’t going to attack me,” Law said. “They’ve followed their rules, and now that they’ve lost Nayena, they’d be stupid to push this any farther. One thing they aren’t is stupid.”
“So you’re just going to let them go?” Mal asked.
“I didn’t say that. They have misbehaved at my auberge. They hurtyou. They require a lesson in manners.”
So’la grinned. “Would you care for some help?”
Law tilted is head. “Why?”
“It’s a rare opportunity when I get to commit heinous acts in the name of good.”
“Heinous?” Mal echoed.
“They hurt you,” So’la repeated. “They deserve heinous.” He looked at Law. “Don’t they?”
“You are such a suck-up,” Mal said. “How about you deal with the big ones and I deal with the little ones?”
