Chapter 13 #3
“Just answer the question, Pyris, then we’ll be on our way. What merchant did you steal from?” Roe bites, cupping her shoulder to stop the trail of blood.
The brute beside me points his blade toward me, and I wrap my knuckles around the loose chair leg beneath me. If I had any one of my weapons this would be over by now.
“See, you’re not really in any position to order me around, princess.” Tanner huffs a laugh. The green-eyed crony follows his lead and chuckles. Then does his companion. Gods what I wouldn’t give to punch the two men square in the throat.
“If you kill us…” Roe’s booted toe inches toward the dropped golden blade. “Jace won’t be pleased.”
“I have no intention of killing you, girl. I’ve grown bored in this shit stained basement, but lucky for me, Ashborne himself has given me two young beauties.” Tanner rises from his seat, his leathery hands hovering just above his belt buckle.
“I wouldn’t do whatever you’re thinking of trying to do,” Roe warns. Her boot is a hair's width from the blade.
Tanner cocks his head. “Again, you’re really not in any position to spit warnings either.”
Before he can unclasp his belt, a flash of gold glints in the air and Roe catches the blade in her palm.
Green Eyes doesn’t have time to register the attack. He collapses to his knees, blood spurting from a killing slash across his neck.
The second brute charges me, and I kick myself up, snapping the chair leg from its base.
He lurches for me, fists swinging, and teeth gnashing like a rabid animal.
I duck his attack and dig the fractured edge of my makeshift weapon into his calf.
He grunts a quiet cry and stumbles to the dusty floor.
“You bitch,” he spits, plucking each splinter from his flesh.
“Surprising. I didn’t think you knew how to speak,” I retort, replacing the chair leg with his lost blade. Fuck, it’s heavier than I’m used to, but it’ll have to do. I glance toward Roe, who’s now standing on the table with her forearms wrapped around Tanner’s neck in an unbreakable hold.
“Just tell us what we want to know, you slimy fuck,” she seethes, squeezing harder. Tanner writhes and chokes for breath. His eyes bulge from their sockets and his lips gape for desperate air.
Without wasting time, I lunge again for my oncoming attacker.
My step falters with the weight of his weapon, and he catches my ankle, ripping me to the floor.
Pain erupts through my skull as my head cracks on stone.
I bite the jerk reaction, steeling myself against another blow.
His fist connects with my cheek, and the crunch of bone turns my stomach.
“The merchant, Pyris. What’s the merchant's name?”
The ceiling quakes with erupted chaos in the bar above us. With Roe violently indisposed, it looks like I’m on my own for this one. I roll to my back, letting the man press his weight into my chest. My lungs cling to the little breath I have left as they’re crushed by his giant body.
“Fuck you,” Tanner chokes.
“I’ll let you go when you tell us,” Roe says, her voice low and furious. “What’s the merchant's name?”
Beefy fingers wrap around my neck, pressing in on my throat until I can’t fucking breathe. Panic grips my vision as I writhe under his weight, reminding myself of the plan still in motion.
I won't die today. He’s right where I want him. I just need a little more wiggle room. A few more seconds, Nova, you’ve killed worse enemies.
“Give it up Tanner or you’re meeting Morvayne today,” Roe cries.
“F-f-u…” Tanner starts.
A spine cracks and the room goes silent.
My attacker’s legs spread over me just an inch further. Now. With every shred of strength, I shove my steel-toed boot up, and the blow lands right where I intend it to.
The giant man rolls off me, tears flooding his beady eyes, and clenches his trousers. I shove myself up and tuck the hair that’s come loose behind my ears. So much for anonymity, the hooded cloak is shredded and ripped from a snag in the flooring.
“You’re one of them,” he cries, clawing at his bruised manhood. I made sure to kick hard enough he might not ever reproduce, and he most certainly shouldn’t. Gross fucker. I pick up the blade and don’t waste another second before plunging it into his chest.
Roe’s palm brushes my shoulder.
“You alright?” she asks, eyes still glittering with blood lust.
“Fine,” I breathe. “Better than these three, that’s for sure. How’s your shoulder?” She barks a laugh, and it’s a surprising sound of comfort.
“It’ll be okay. Come on, this fucker probably has a journal of all his escapades somewhere. Man’s ego is wider than the damned continent, I’m sure we’ll find mention of this merchant,” she says, wiping the blood spatter from her brow.
The door swings open. Isra and Abe, both breathless and bloodied, inspect the massacre meeting them.
“Do I want to ask?” Isra says. A wry smirk curls at the corner of his mouth.
Roe scoffs and shakes her head. “Threat secured.” She holds up a leather bound journal, pulled from Tanner’s jacket, and waves it in the air. “Let’s go, I can’t stand the smell of blood.”