Emberhawk - Jamie Foley Page 0,88

gritted his teeth. “Like what?”

Sa’alu’s eyes broke from Ryon in favor of the barmaid’s hips as she walked away. “Never mind.”

Ryon dropped the rib onto his untouched mound of rice. “What are you planning?”

Sa’alu shrugged. “Perhaps another dash of home comfort before a good night’s rest.” His gaze wafted over the bar’s dark-skinned female patrons.

Ryon tried to temper his glare. “What’s your purpose in Jadenvive?”

Sa’alu suddenly seemed uninterested in him. “Tekkyn,” he said, “why don’t you escort your little sister back home? It’s not safe here.”

Tekkyn stood like an obedient dog. He held a hand out to Kira, but Ryon’s position blocked her way out of the booth, and he didn’t move.

“It’s plenty safe.” Ryon lowered his voice. “Tell me what you’re doing here, or I’ll get the chieftess to kick you out of the city.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about. We are here as part of a diplomatic mission to protect the princess.” Sa’alu took a sip of water from his glass. “Turncoat.”

Turncoat? Ryon’s anger crackled like a stoked fire. One of the soldiers erupted in laughter in mid-drink, spewing his saké across the table. Kira lurched away from the spray and pushed into Ryon as she tried to stand, but he didn’t budge.

That’s a load of scat. If they were here for the princess, they’d be in the meeting with Brooke. “What did you call me?”

Another soldier gave a fake cough. “Traitor.”

Ryon slammed his palm down on the table so hard that the dishes jittered. “Since when is the Empire interested in Emberhawk politics?” He ignored Kira’s grip on his arm. “Are you working with them, you snake? Speak or I’ll have you all arrested and interrogated.”

“You would enjoy a little revenge, wouldn’t you?” Sa’alu’s voice cooled as he turned to his men. “‘Traitor’ may be a little far. He’s just a coward who’s mad he got shot by a sweet little piece of tail.”

Ryon bolted up from the bench and shoved Tekkyn out of his way. His fist connected with Sa’alu’s nose hard enough to slam his head into the booth’s painted headrest.

Someone grabbed Ryon from behind with an iron grip—Tekkyn. The world flipped as Kira’s bear-like brother lifted Ryon and threw him into a nearby table.

Energy surged into Ryon’s blood and dulled the impact. He hopped back up, hungry for more. A woman at the bar screamed as Kira yelled at her brother.

“Take him!” Sa’alu shouted.

Tekkyn grabbed at Ryon as soldiers tumbled out of the booth. Ryon dodged and reared back for a strike. Kira jumped in between them, blocking his fist’s path.

“Stop it!” She shoved them apart.

A drunken soldier staggered around her and threw a punch in Ryon’s general direction. Ryon sidestepped and tossed a chair at the man’s feet. The soldier collapsed in a heap.

Tekkyn pushed Kira aside and reached for Ryon, who dodged and landed an uppercut in his gut. Tekkyn grunted and grabbed him. Ryon struggled as something cracked against his jaw. His vision exploded like a Roanoke firework.

He resisted, dazed. When the tavern righted itself, Tekkyn had him in a headlock with a thick, dark arm curled around his neck from behind.

“You made the wrong choice,” Tekkyn muttered in his ear.

No air reached Ryon’s lungs. He pulled against Tekkyn’s arm—he might as well have tried to bend an iron beam.

He thinks I betrayed him. Ryon slammed his elbow into Tekkyn’s abs as the edges of his vision darkened. The arm around his neck wrenched tighter. He’ll kill me to keep me from revealing him!

Ryon grabbed a mug from a table and smashed it into Tekkyn’s face. Ale splashed over them and the grip loosened.

Ryon gulped air and slipped sideways in a move Brooke had taught him. He slipped his foot behind Tekkyn’s, then leveraged his weight to send him crashing to the floor.

Ryon straddled him and pummeled his face. He realized through the haze that he should be hitting Sa’alu, but two of the soldiers had climbed atop the table to defend their lieutenant.

Something slammed into Ryon—Kira’s shoulder. She rammed him off of Tekkyn and crouched over her brother like a wild cat.

“No fighting in my inn!” A woman the size of a slophoof bellowed, stopping the other soldiers in their tracks.

Ryon shot to his feet and stumbled as the tavern spun. He breathed deep to orient his mind. “These men are under arrest for conspiring—”

“Kill him!” Sa’alu screeched.

The soldiers hesitated, and the innkeeper shoved a finger the size of a sausage into Sa’alu’s crooked nose. “Shut your

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