Page 139 of Tanin's Treasure
It wasn’t, of course, and there were a few, shallow cuts to Tanin’s hands, his arms, where the knife had come too close.
But Neelai wasn’t escaping damage either. Whenever Tanin struck, his knuckle claws would dig into his flesh. They weren’t deep gouges like he’d leave from a full punch, but they were deeper than the claw marks down Tanin’s back.
“What do I pay you for?!” Gissrn was shouting. “Kill him!”
Garnet lifted her gaze, glaring at the king as she stood. From up here, she could see that there really weren’t any other guards up here. He’d traveled in secret and relied a little too hard on the slave collars he’d put around the others.
He was also too focused on Tanin. He had stopped paying attention to her. He didn’t consider her to be a threat.
Her hand tightened on the shock stick as she walked around behind him, out of his peripheral vision, before she started approaching.
She could still see Tanin through the grate floor.
Sway had finally struggled to his feet and was charging at him.
Tanin dropped, rolling away. Sway’s flying kick hit Neelai square in the chest, throwing him back with a grunt that didn’t quite cover the crack of his ribs breaking. Sway paid no mind to the male that was supposed to be on his team. He immediately turned, chasing after Tanin.
Sway’s legs didn’t have feathers from the knees down. They were rough skin, like those on his knuckles. And more muscular than she had never noticed before. Sway’s kicks were not only rapid, but they hit with shockingly hard thuds against Tanin’s forearms and ribbon as he blocked the storm of blows that rained on him.
Garnet was right behind Gissrn when Tanin managed to get the ribbon around Sway’s leg. He held it up, trying to pull him off balance. Sway jumped with his one remaining leg, twisting in the air. Tanin brought up his arm, catching the blow there with a crack and grunt.
He twisted, coming around as Sway was falling. He slammed his elbow into Sway’s back. They both hit the ground, Tanin on top of him, yanking his leg up, straining the limb in a way that looked painful, though Sway didn’t make a single sound.
Tanin slammed the end of the wire into the collar. It sparked and smoked, popping off. Tanin had to immediately slam his hand over the back of Sway’s neck, suffocating the embers that were burning on his smoking feathers.
“What are you doing?!” Gissrn shrieked as Neelai tried to struggle to his feet.
Tanin stood, relaxing his hold on his ribbon. Sway’s leg dropped back to the ground with a thud as Tanin smacked his hand against his pants, like he was trying to brush off the burn. He stepped over the prone Sway, approaching Neelai.
The bounty hunter was trying to bring up his knife, but he winced, unable to move against the broken ribs. He grunted, falling to his knee, grabbing for his chest.
Gissrn was still shrieking. Completely oblivious as Garnet pulled back the shock stick.
She slammed it, at full power, into the back of his knee.
He screamed, high pitched and pained, as his knee buckled, sending him falling.
Garnet didn’t hesitate. She brought the stick up again, bringing it down on his face. Then on his hands and arms when he tried to shield his head.
“Bastard!” She roared as he continued to cry and holler.
Each blow wasn’t just the physical force of her hitting him, but also a painful shock that made him twitch and writhe, his voice going up each time she landed a strike.
Standing straight, she pulled her leg back and slammed it –bam!– right in the cock.
He screamed, so high his voice broke, eyes going wide as rolled over, grabbing the jewels. He shook and trembled, curled in on himself.
“What did you do to my sister?!” Garnet yelled, lifting the shock stick.
Gissrn gasped, the sound ragged and pained.
She kicked him again, on the ass this time, rolling him onto his back again so he could be sure to see the threat hanging over his head.
“What did you do to my sister?!” She repeated, furious.
Gissrn glared at her, all five eyes blazing with hatred. “I will cut your tits off and sear your cunt shut for this!”
She brought down the shock stick. Hitting him about the shoulder and back. He cried out again, the spasms of the electricity striking harder than her blows. She only hit him three more times, following it up with a kick to the thighs – his cock was too well guarded to land against now.
