Page 48 of Needed in the Night
Mikas and I turned to see Slug toying with the handle of one of her daggers and smirking.
“You can’t hide here forever,” she continued, her tone mocking. “Your lives are worth nothing now. You might as well send them outside, Prylothian. You’re only delaying the inevitable.” Her dark gaze focused on my face. “If you beg, he might spare you, little human. A collar and chain would be better than the death that awaits you.”
Mikas’s growl vibrated through my body. The Sirrah let outa hiss that made me wonder if despite her small stature she might be a fierce fighter herself.
“No,” I said, my voice cold. “They wouldn’t.”
“Such defiance.” Slug laughed. “I thought at first he wanted you for your beauty alone. Now I see the truth, little human. He’ll enjoy breaking you.”
The shop’s wide doors beeped a warning and began to swing shut.
“The shop is closed,” Atlath croaked. “Be…gone.”
The door’s edge passed within what looked like a centimeter of the Atolani’s nose, but she didn’t so much as blink, much less move as both doors closed and locked with an impressivethunkthat reverberated through the floor.
The noise of the market vanished. The doors went from transparent to opaque, cutting us off from the sight of Nubo’s henchmen. I sagged against Mikas and rested my forehead on his chest.
The Sirrah smiled up at us. “Such love,” she said wistfully. “I still seek my mate. I know in my heart she is out there and our paths will one day cross.”
“I hope you find her soon,” I said, meaning every word. I didn’t yet think of Mikas as my mate, and probably wouldn’t for a while, but his presence was a wonderful comfort.
“I am sorry for the disruption to your store,” Mikas said over my head, addressing Atlath. “But we are grateful for the refuge.”
“No apology necessary.” Atlath waddled closer to us, his cluster of eyeballs roving from Mikas to me and back. “You stay upstairs tonight. I will secure transport.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I’m not sure what we did to earn your help. I know you said no debts, but I feel we owe you, especially since you had to shut your store early.”
“No debt,” Atlath repeated, now gruff. “You sing beautifully. Mikas pours best wine. We are even.”
The little Sirrah chirped. “You sing, Isla?”
My cheeks heated. “Nowhere near as beautifully as you. I sound like howling wingwolves compared to you.”
She laughed, but Mikas bristled. “Isla sings just as well,” he rumbled. “She is modest.”
I did not sing as well as the Sirrah—not even remotely. But I appreciated that Mikas thought so.
“Can I have your name?” I asked the Sirrah.
“I am Pioni.” She crouched in a kind of curtsy. “I am friend to Madame Ycari.”
“I thought so. Thank you for your help, Pioni.” I bit my lip. “Will you be in danger now that you’ve helped us?”
She trilled in what I realized was laughter. “No, I do not think so,” she chortled. “I do not fear Nubo. He is a pest. Ycari and I are not bothered by pests.”
“Nubo has dangerous friends,” Mikas warned.
Pioni clasped her little hands in front of her chest and tilted her head as if debating how to answer. “I too have dangerous friends,” she said, and by all the gods above and below, I believed her.
“Stairs,” Atlath said to us, gesturing at the rear of the shop’s retail area. “Level Three. Star Bird room. Rest tonight. You are safe here.”
“Our deepest thanks,” Mikas said, and guided me toward the door Atlath had indicated.
Behind us, Pioni chirped something in her native language. Atlath burbled in response, also not in Alliance Standard, so I had no idea what they said.
Once we were on the other side of the door and on our way upstairs, Mikas chuckled.
“What’s funny?” I asked, nearly grumbling as I plodded up the steps. I was more tired than I’d realized and nauseated from so many surges of adrenaline.
