almost a relief.
Trazen let the silence tick by a few beats more, then let out a breath in a low hiss.
“You might want to think on this, friend Agnon,” he said, his voice silky quiet. “Give yourself pause here, try to hear your own instincts in your mind, even through the copious amounts of wine and venom clearly seething through your blood and skin.” He lowered his head, his stare more predatory. “Trust me when I tell you that you don’t want to do this dance with me. Not with me, Agnon.”
Agnon let out a harsh laugh. “You are delusional, Ringmaster...”
Trazen didn’t flinch. His voice notched lower.
“I say this in generosity to you, friend,” he said softly, his eyes as black as coal. “...As a favor. Go find yourself another human.” A low growl came from his chest, even as his tail gave a hard, flickering curl through the air. “...I do not care how many of your lackeys you threaten me with. If you cross that line with me, some of them might wish they hadn’t listened to you, as well... whatever you are paying them.”
Chloe felt her heart stutter in her chest.
Trazen’s words had come out different that time, stripped of politeness, any pretense at civility. The threat was palpable, transparent... even to her, and she wasn’t Nirreth.
Moreover, for the first time, it occurred to her that Trazen was right. Whatever happened here today, Agnon would replace her. Some other poor girl would end up exactly where Chloe had been, perhaps even with another Kiji in the pens as collateral.
The thought sickened her.
Moreover, it almost made her want to tell Trazen not to bother.
It struck her suddenly how quiet the room had gotten.
Glancing around the high-ceilinged restaurant, she realized that the other Nirreth and humans hadn’t left after they retreated from her and Trazen’s side. In fact, many new Nirreth and humans had crept closer to watch from other parts of the room.
That had to be the point of this though––maybe for Agnon and Trazen both.
After all, Trazen had waited for this.
The thought should have reassured her, but it didn’t.
Chloe caught a few curious looks aimed in her direction as well. Most of those watching seemed to have caught that this fight was essentially about her.
Glancing up at Trazen, she saw every visible muscle once more coiling and flexing under his silky skin. He looked like how he’d described that female Rings fighter to her, like some kind of predatory cat, ready to leap. It hit her again why he might feel so close to that dark-haired ex-skag, even if she was human.
She felt the shift... that time before her eyes tracked any of it.
One of Agnon’s people reached for a sidearm... likely a pulre from how and where he wore it, but Chloe never got a chance to see that either.
Before she could take a breath, Trazen leapt.
He moved so quickly Chloe could only gasp, banging her back when she flinched sharply into the table. Watching him tackle the Nirreth to the ground, she barely had time to comprehend the danger before he was on his feet again, holding a long, blood-covered knife he’d yanked out of a sheath the same Nirreth guard wore.
He’d sliced open the Nirreth’s throat before she saw more than a glint.
He moved on Agnon next.
The scuffle was short that time.
Before Chloe could make sense of it, it was over.
Trazen stood there, his breath slightly quickened. He gripped the shorter Nirreth in his hands, the knife’s blade pressed to Agnon’s thick throat. Trazen faced the circle of Nirreth guards, still holding Agnon’s throat in his hand too, the blade balanced on top of his fingers. The sharp edge already dented Agnon’s skin.
Agnon let out a frightened squealing sound and Trazen’s long tail lashed behind him as he growled, deep down in his chest, staring down the other fighters.
“He can’t pay you if he’s dead,” Trazen said.
Chloe watched the guards look at one another.
More than one had their hands on holsters at
Trazen let the silence tick by a few beats more, then let out a breath in a low hiss.
“You might want to think on this, friend Agnon,” he said, his voice silky quiet. “Give yourself pause here, try to hear your own instincts in your mind, even through the copious amounts of wine and venom clearly seething through your blood and skin.” He lowered his head, his stare more predatory. “Trust me when I tell you that you don’t want to do this dance with me. Not with me, Agnon.”
Agnon let out a harsh laugh. “You are delusional, Ringmaster...”
Trazen didn’t flinch. His voice notched lower.
“I say this in generosity to you, friend,” he said softly, his eyes as black as coal. “...As a favor. Go find yourself another human.” A low growl came from his chest, even as his tail gave a hard, flickering curl through the air. “...I do not care how many of your lackeys you threaten me with. If you cross that line with me, some of them might wish they hadn’t listened to you, as well... whatever you are paying them.”
Chloe felt her heart stutter in her chest.
Trazen’s words had come out different that time, stripped of politeness, any pretense at civility. The threat was palpable, transparent... even to her, and she wasn’t Nirreth.
Moreover, for the first time, it occurred to her that Trazen was right. Whatever happened here today, Agnon would replace her. Some other poor girl would end up exactly where Chloe had been, perhaps even with another Kiji in the pens as collateral.
The thought sickened her.
Moreover, it almost made her want to tell Trazen not to bother.
It struck her suddenly how quiet the room had gotten.
Glancing around the high-ceilinged restaurant, she realized that the other Nirreth and humans hadn’t left after they retreated from her and Trazen’s side. In fact, many new Nirreth and humans had crept closer to watch from other parts of the room.
That had to be the point of this though––maybe for Agnon and Trazen both.
After all, Trazen had waited for this.
The thought should have reassured her, but it didn’t.
Chloe caught a few curious looks aimed in her direction as well. Most of those watching seemed to have caught that this fight was essentially about her.
Glancing up at Trazen, she saw every visible muscle once more coiling and flexing under his silky skin. He looked like how he’d described that female Rings fighter to her, like some kind of predatory cat, ready to leap. It hit her again why he might feel so close to that dark-haired ex-skag, even if she was human.
She felt the shift... that time before her eyes tracked any of it.
One of Agnon’s people reached for a sidearm... likely a pulre from how and where he wore it, but Chloe never got a chance to see that either.
Before she could take a breath, Trazen leapt.
He moved so quickly Chloe could only gasp, banging her back when she flinched sharply into the table. Watching him tackle the Nirreth to the ground, she barely had time to comprehend the danger before he was on his feet again, holding a long, blood-covered knife he’d yanked out of a sheath the same Nirreth guard wore.
He’d sliced open the Nirreth’s throat before she saw more than a glint.
He moved on Agnon next.
The scuffle was short that time.
Before Chloe could make sense of it, it was over.
Trazen stood there, his breath slightly quickened. He gripped the shorter Nirreth in his hands, the knife’s blade pressed to Agnon’s thick throat. Trazen faced the circle of Nirreth guards, still holding Agnon’s throat in his hand too, the blade balanced on top of his fingers. The sharp edge already dented Agnon’s skin.
Agnon let out a frightened squealing sound and Trazen’s long tail lashed behind him as he growled, deep down in his chest, staring down the other fighters.
“He can’t pay you if he’s dead,” Trazen said.
Chloe watched the guards look at one another.
More than one had their hands on holsters at
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