I have to be careful with him. If I lose my temper, I could put him through the wall without trying too hard.
“Not so big and scary now, are you?” I say. “Not much of a man when you’re dealing with another man.”
“What do you want?” Noah chokes out. “You have no right…”
I slam him into the wall again. The back of his head smacks against the stone and his eyes lose focus.
I point at Sorina with my free hand.
“You hit my wife.”
“Your wife,” Noah says through his teeth, “was sticking her nose where it didn’t belong.”
The front door is still open. Vicky runs out. She’s smaller than I remember, with dark circles under her eyes and her body slightly hunched. When I first brought Vicky to Steinheim, she held herself tall and proud. It’s like she’s a shadow of the woman I met more than a year ago. She sees Noah pinned to the wall and covers her mouth with both hands. Her eyes dart to the neighbors who are stepping out of their doorways and gathering in a small crowd to witness the scene.
Sorina pulls Vicky into her arms.
Everyone is gaping. I’m aware of how this looks. A golem holding a man off the ground in the Narrowhalls, his wife in tears, mine with a bruise on her cheek. I don’t care what any of them think. I slam Noah into the wall a third time, and his hands go limp around my wrist.
“You won’t hurt my wife or your wife ever again,” I tell him. “You won’t touch any woman again, if I have a say in it.”
Two citadel guards come around the corner, one a human man carrying a short baton, the other a golem female. They take in the scene, and the human guard steps forward with his palm raised.
I drop Noah. He stumbles when his feet hit the ground and catches himself against the wall, one hand pressed to the back of his skull.
“This man beats his wife,” I tell the guards. “He hurt my bride today. I want him taken into custody.”
The guards turn to Sorina and Vicky.
“Is this true?” the female golem asks.
Sorina nods.
Vicky wipes her face and steps forward. Her hands are shaking, but her voice is clear.
“Yes. He’s been hurting me for a while.”
The other guard pulls Noah’s wrists behind his back and locks chains around them. Noah doesn’t fight. His head hangs and his legs are unsteady as they walk him down the corridor and around the corner, out of sight.
The neighbors drift back inside, one by one, and doors start closing.
Vicky turns to me and gives me a pained smile.
“Thank you, Korr. I’m sorry you had to see me this way.”
“I’m glad you’re all right. You should’ve said something sooner.”
She shakes her head and grips Sorina’s hands to thank her too.
“Would you two like to come inside for a glass of water? Some tea?”
I don’t think Vicky really wants to entertain right now, but she’s embarrassed about standing outside like this, where people can see us. They’ve gone inside their own homes, but they’re certainly gossiping already.
“I need to go to the Corehalls,” I tell her. “They’ll hold him there, and I want to give a statement.”
“I’ll stay with Vicky for a while,” Sorina says. “Make sure she’s okay.”
“Good,” I say. “I’ll see you at home.”
