Myrum stood tall, relieved to find the room remained steady around him. It was easier to think, and it was time for him to try to talk Lorse down.
“I’d leave now,” Myrum said. His words didn’t sound quite right, but it was the best he could do. “I speak with family and clan. Then back here. We be together.”
Lorse gave him a surprised look. “You’re talking. I must not have given you enough.”
Myrum ignored the reference to drugging him. He pointed to all the staff around him. “Want them. Gift. I want gift of them. All them. For trip. Gift like Gis.”
He felt proud of himself; he’d asked Lorse to let them all leave together.
“I’m so saddened that you let all of them influence you,” Lorse said. “It must be the drugs. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”
In a single, fast move, Lorse grabbed Amina by the arm and dragged her away from everyone else. “You’re covered in blood! Are you the reason Ifor isn’t here? Soulless beast! I’m sure all of this is your fault.”
He shook her, and Myrum's brain shifted. Instead of the oddly numb and confused feelings he’d been experiencing, hot rage filled him.
No one touched Amina like that.
Amina
When Lorse grabbed her, Amina didn’t hesitate to unsheathe her claws and sink them into his arm. There was no way she was letting him hurt her again.
Lorse cried out in pain at the same time Myrum’s roars and rattle filled the room. She was too busy tangling with Lorse to see what was going on, but she heard the sounds of violent fighting.
Letting go with his injured arm, Lorse grabbed her around the throat with his other hand.
“How dare you!” he screamed in her face, squeezing and shaking her.
She tried to claw at the arm holding her, but the earlier fight with Ifor had injured something in her back. She couldn’t lift her arms up past her sternum. She’d told Gilush it was fine and they could deal with it later.
“I’m going to enjoy watching you die,” he snarled, his face close to hers as he tightened his hold on her throat. She couldn't suck in any air. Her throat burned, and her vision started to darken around the edges.
Was this how she died?
“Things like you should never be allowed among the civilized,” he hissed. “Vile, nasty creature!”
Amina felt something move in her robe. Ruby! She hoped the little lizard would survive this.
Instead of moving down the robe and across the floor to safety, Ruby scrambled up and jumped onto the arm holding Amina’s throat.
“What is this thing?” Lorse cried out, letting go of her throat to shake Ruby off. Amina sucked in air while the lizard held on tight. Her stumpy, fat tail thumped against Lorse’s arm with every violent swing.
Lorse slapped his other hand down on Ruby with a loud clap.
“Ruby!” Amina cried, her voice coming out in a croak. She expected to see blood and guts seep out from under Lorse’s hand, but instead dozens of thin spikes appeared through the back of the Ossiso’s hand.
Was this some kind of Ossiso defense mechanism she didn’t know about?
Lorse’s eyes went wide, and his mouth dropped open. He lifted his hand to reveal an uninjured Ruby stuck to his palm with all the spikes protruding out of her back.
Amina could’ve sworn the lizard had a triumphant look on her normally sleepy face. Unsure what to do, Amina remained still and watched as Lorse’s mouth opened in a silent scream. His eyes rolled back, and he fell sideways.
Kneeling down, she found Ruby still stuck to Lorse’s hand. He landed with the arm at an odd angle, so Ruby was on her side with her little legs flailing in the air. The moment Amina put her hand under Ruby the spikes disappeared and Ruby dropped onto her palm.
“If I promise to feed you only the best bugs ever, will you promise never to spike me?” she murmured, tucking Ruby against her chest. “Does Myrum know you can do that?”
Ruby’s answer was to let out a sigh and snuggle close. She knew the lizard was smarter than everyone thought, and it turned out she also had sharp secrets, just like Amina.
Looking down at Lorse, she took in his still form and unfocused, open eyes.
