Phoenix’s Fire (The Ruins Of Men #2)

Chapter 51

Fifty-One

Ayla

T amin's squeal of delight snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. It seemed Holly had stolen the toy and was now running around shaking it like she wanted to kill the thing. Tamin was trying to get it back, but my dog kept bowing down - and running when Tamin was almost close enough to touch her.

"Oh, he's going to sleep so good tonight," Saveah told me.

"Lansin said she's just a puppy," I explained, "so she's got a lot of energy too. I don't mind if Tamin wants to play with her."

She gave me a knowing smile. "And I'm sure you'd be running around with her if we weren't here."

"Well, yes, but - "

"Nope," Saveah said, smiling to show that wasn't meant to be mean. "Ayla, I don't know much about your life before you got here, but it sounds like you never got to play. That means you deserve it."

"I do play," I promised. "I get to read all the time, and every night Zasen takes me hunting. I go see Meri when I can, and I'm learning how to use the bow..."

"Those things sound like responsibilities," she countered.

"But I like them."

"And what do you do just for yourself?" she asked.

"All of it!"

She grunted, clearly not impressed. "You read to learn things and catch up. You hunt so you can fight back against the Moles. You check up on Meri because she needs you, and you're worried about her. None of that is completely selfish."

"I'm going to take her fishing!" Kanik called, proving he was eavesdropping.

I looked over to find him bent over at the waist, gripping his own legs to hold him up. He was panting like he'd been running hard. Tamin and Holly didn't seem to have that problem.

Beside me, Saveah was nodding. "I have poles if you want to borrow them."

"Oh, that'll make it even easier," Kanik said as he made his way closer. "I thought I'd pack a picnic, head to the dock, and let Ayla experience the joy of sitting around forever waiting for her bobber to sink."

"Uh-huh," Saveah said playfully. "Or maybe you should go to the pond?"

Kanik made a little noise like she was wrong. "No. It's not a date. It's just two friends relaxing and catching dinner."

I was looking between them, trying to figure out what was going on, when Tamin finally snagged the toy from Holly. Giggling loudly, he ran, making her chase him, but Holly's tongue was getting longer.

"I think she's getting tired," I said.

So Kanik bent and picked up a stick. "Holly! Want it?"

She slowed to look over, but Tamin was still running so she kept following. Then the boy swooped past where we were sitting.

"Holly, fetch!" he called, pointing at Kanik.

Right before my eyes, the dog turned and charged, jumping at the last second to grab the stick Kanik was holding in front of his chest. Her legs hit him right in the sternum, her teeth closed on the stick, then Holly pushed off, running quickly the other way in an attempt to catch up with Tamin.

Kanik staggered back, tripped, and landed on his rump. "Wow," he breathed.

But I was already getting up. "Are you okay?"

"Tamin!" Saveah snapped.

"Holly, down!" I bellowed, making the dog stop and lie down in place.

But Saveah was still going. "You do not make the dog attack Uncle Kanik! Tamin, if you cannot play safely with the dog, then you will not be allowed to play with her at all. Aunt Ayla will ground you from Holly!"

"Mama!" Tamin whined. "I didn't mean to!"

I hurried over to Kanik, offering him a hand up. "I didn't realize she'd do that," I explained.

"Me either," he admitted as he made it to his feet. "I think we might need to teach her a few words for her toys. You know, like toy, stick, ball, and whatever else we come up with." He reached back to rub his butt. "I think she weighs as much as you, Ayla - and hits even harder."

"Holly, come!" I ordered, bending over to make sure my dog knew she wasn't in trouble. "That's a good girl. Now where's the stick?"

"I can get it!" Tamin offered.

"No, sir!" Saveah told him. "You need to apologize to Kanik for making the dog knock him down."

"I didn't tell her to collapse," Tamin pouted.

"You told her to fetch what he was holding," Saveah countered. "You didn't give Kanik enough time to get the stick ready."

"Oh. "

"It's okay," I told Tamin. "We all make mistakes, and learning how to use the dog is hard, huh?"

The little boy thrust out his lower lip and nodded, so I looked over at Saveah. "I think that means Tamin needs to be trained in all of her commands and how to use her."

"But," Kanik said, "he'd also have to start his bow lessons again."

"He's got school," Saveah warned.

Kanik flashed her a smile. "So we make Zasen teach them. Means you and Ayla could both get an evening off."

Saveah sucked in a breath, looking over at me with a smile. "Oh, and we could let Kanik take care of the baby."

"I'm up for it," he assured us.

"And?" I asked, clearly having missed something.

"And you can hang out with your sister," Kanik told me. "You two can get dinner, you can spend time shopping, or go see Meri, or anything else you want to do."

"Okay," I agreed, looking at Saveah. "That would be something selfish, right?"

"Oh, very selfish," she agreed. "So, check with the guys. Let's see which day of the week works best for this, and then we'll make plans - and those plans can be sitting at home, reading a book. Maybe even one that teaches you nothing at all." And she flashed me a smirk.

"Or a nap," Kanik pointed out, flicking a finger at Saveah. "I'm sure you need a few of those."

"Ugh, I really do," she groaned.

"And maybe we can bring Meri too?" I asked. "She's scared of my dog."

"Why?" Kanik asked.

I sighed. "Because she believed what we were taught. See, Meri tried so hard to be a good girl, and to become the perfect wife. She picked the ideal man, always tried to do what the elders wanted, and all those things. It never crossed her mind to question what they were telling her."

"So how did she end up here?" Saveah asked.

"The baby," I mumbled. "Callah saw she was pregnant right around when she saw one of my arrows in a hunter. She knew that meant I was alive - "

"And from the sounds of it," Kanik added, "Callah is working with another guy who confirmed it. At least, that's how Zasen tells the story."

I nodded. "But Callah and I talked a lot about pregnancy killing women. That's how almost all women die. Ms. Lawton's a widow who couldn't have children, so no one else will marry her. There's another woman like that. She's old. Like, at least sixty!"

"That's not old," Saveah assured me.

"It is for a woman," I pointed out. "Down there, women rarely live past thirty-five."

"Because they're all malnourished, constantly pregnant, and have no access to medication," Kanik clarified. "Just look at Meri! She's so thin and fragile. They aren't allowed to simply walk, and that makes it even harder."

"All we're supposed to do is sit to sew, clean, or cook," I said.

But Tamin huffed. "Mama!"

Saveah lifted a finger at him. "Are you sure you're okay with him using the dog?"

"I think he needs to," Kanik said.

I nodded. "Yeah, because if anything happens to me, I'd want him to have her. I want him to know how."

"Aww," Saveah said. "Nothing's going to happen, but that's still sweet, Ayla." Then she looked over at her son. "Okay, Tamin. We're all going to sit down, and you're going to show us every command you know for that dog. Ayla will start teaching you the rest, okay? If you want to keep playing with her, then you have to prove to us that you can do it without hurting people."

"Holly, come!" Tamin ordered.

My dog glanced at me, but when I didn't try to stop her, she immediately rushed to Tamin's side, spinning around him so she could sit down facing the same way. I saw that even as we returned to the table. Kanik reached over to steal Taris from Saveah, then began rocking the baby gently in his arms.

"Do I need to make a list of the ones he uses?" I asked.

Saveah waved that off. "No, I'm just making him think instead of react. He'll have to learn all the commands, but this way he's having fun and being a good boy."

"He's so much like his father," Kanik muttered.

"You think so?" Saveah asked.

Kanik nodded. "I mean, Tasult was a little older when I met him, but yeah. Always so brave, so willing to rush in, and - " He stopped with a groan. "Sorry."

Saveah had her lips pressed together and her eyes were glossy, but she just shook her head. "No, it's okay. I actually like that. I like knowing there's still a little piece of him left in this world, and it's just not the same with Taris. She might have his eyes, but she's going to look like me."

"And Tamin's just like Tasult, but with more black," Kanik said, nodding to show he understood.

"I wish I'd gotten to know him," I said gently.

"He would've loved you, Ayla," Saveah assured me. "Tasult was such a good man, and the complete opposite to Zasen."

"And to Rymar," Kanik added. "Tasult was decisive, but cheerful. He was gentle, but not a pushover. He was also one of the most giving people I've ever met."

"Yeah..." Saveah breathed, looking up to blink too hard. "Damn it! Every time I think I'm done crying, I start up all over again. I'm so sorry."

"No," I told her. "Grieve. Don't try to push it away. Down there, we weren't allowed to. We had to pretend like going to God's kingdom was a reward. Saveah, I was punished because I cried when Mom died, and that was even worse. So don't try to stop it. Your man sounds like the kind of person who deserves to have tears shed over him."

She reached over to cup the back of my head. "Thank you. I just keep thinking that as hard as it is to accept he's gone, it would be so much worse if it was one of the kids."

"Which is why I will always keep them safe," I swore.

"We all will," Kanik assured her. "Ayla's already keeping the Moles out of Lorsa."

"You, little sister, really are the answer we've been waiting for." She smiled at me.

"Our new beginning," Kanik agreed.

I shook my head. "I think Zasen gets credit for that. He's the one who gave me a chance."

"To torture information out of you," Saveah countered.

"To manipulate it out of her," Kanik corrected. "He knows torture doesn't work. He needed her to speak our language first - and there she was, asking if we would teach her how. I think the only thing Zasen gets credit for is not killing her on sight. He is the one who realized we never see their women."

"Or most of the men," I reminded them. "Only the hunters. In the compound, there are so many families who do other things. Teachers, those who watch over children, wives, fungus farmers, sanitation, and even organizers." I sighed. "Sometimes, I wonder if all the men are as bad as we thought, but I think they are."

"But Tobias isn't?" Kanik asked.

I could only shrug. "Tobias was supposed to be big and stupid. That was why he never punished us, they said. He was too dumb to realize we'd insulted him by telling him what to do."

"And now it sounds like your friend is directing him," Kanik said. "Ayla, are you sure he isn't? And if the man is an idiot, will he keep his mouth shut, or will Callah end up paying for it?"

"No," I promised. "Because what he did?" Then I paused. "Unless he's working for them? If they were told to get me to talk? But why? They think Dragons are animals!"

"Do the leaders?" Saveah asked. "Because a lot of times, the one in charge lies to the rest to make them obedient followers. That's how the empire of men crumbled, Ayla."

I paused, chewing at my lower lip, and glanced over at where Tamin was making Holly roll over. "I just feel like Tobias is a good man."

"Women's intuition usually is right about those things," Saveah said, looking over at Kanik. "Especially women who've spent their lives learning how to read all the subtle cues about a man's mental state to keep from getting hurt."

Kanik hummed in agreement. "That's actually a very good point. One I intend to tell Zasen." Then he flicked a finger, gesturing for me to look at the boy. "Go play, Ayla. You know you want to, and I have a feeling that's what Tamin was really hoping for. "

"Okay," I said, pushing my chair back. "And since you're holding the baby, Saveah can come play too."

"Oh!" she gasped, shoving her chair back as well. "Puppy time! I guess there really are some benefits to being the big sister. Show me how to command the dog, Ayla."

"First," I said, "you need to pet her."

"Need, huh?"

I grinned at her. "Trust me. It's very important. At least that's what we'll say if anyone asks."

Saveah laughed before crouching down. "Holly, come?" Then she looked up at me. "The most important part, right? We both deserve to have a little fun."