Mermaid Tear (The Fated #2)

16 | Morality

Present Day

Kain crashed to the tavern floor as pain cut through his back.

Had he been shot?

No, grazed. The pain was too all-encompassing, yet shallow. Had his armor protected him?

Someone screamed. Chairs were tossed back, those around Kain scrambling to their feet. He, himself, attempted the same, but only managed his knees. His gaze focused first on Melitta, then Natia.

The first had mostly recovered from being tackled. While her face was pale from pain, she'd already made it to her feet, blade in hand. Natia, like Kain, was kneeling. A low growl emanated from her throat, her violet eyes almost seeming to glow. Fear sprung to his mind in the second that their stares met. He knew he shouldn't be scared of the child, but in that second she felt more like a nightmare than a little girl.

"Calm," he urged her. "Get under the table."

It would be hard to protect her and fight. If she stayed concealed, it was likely the shooter would go for easier prey.

For a moment, Kain was afraid she would ignore him. Then, the growl abruptly cut off as the girl crawled beneath the table. He forced himself to his feet, hand falling to his hilt. Hesitation seeped into his veins, and froze his grip.

Was this a situation that fit his blade?

Before he could make up his mind, chaos erupted. At some point while Kain was down, Callias had lunged for the shooter. The man fired another shot. It went wild, but that didn't stop Melitta from throwing herself into her brother's defense. The additional fighter sent the shooter's friends into the fray, each one brandishing some sort of weapon. A thud behind him dragged his attention back for a second, only to discover Rhode had jumped on the table. The twang of a released arrow split the air, followed by a shout of pain.

Kain didn't have time to debate morality. Further hesitation could, no, would get someone killed. Unbidden, Melitta's voice flooded his mind as he launched himself into the fray.

'Honor is wonderful, but it won't stop a knife in the dark.'

He hadn't realized the truth of her words at that moment. Now, however, as he swung his blade at the closest fighter, he thought he understood.

Hesitating to fight with death in mind was the privilege of those without something to lose.

Metal clashed against metal as Kain's opponent led him through a lethal dance. The man's twin daggers always seemed to catch his blade just right, and on occasion they leapt beneath his guard, swinging at his thankfully protected torso. His head spun, his back caked with his own blood. Still, his feet moved with practiced ease as he searched for a weakness in the man's guard.

Then, finally, he found it. A sickening slice through flesh was all it took for the man to crumple at Kain's feet. He felt sick, but there was no time to linger.

Callias had dispatched the shooter, and Melitta stood with her blade to the throat of the third man. A forth laid crumpled on the floorboards, body riddled with arrows. Apparently he hadn't gone down easy. He wasn't anywhere near the siren, however, so Rhode must have been too quick for any reaction, regardless of his strength

Kain spun around, searching the tavern for the fifth, and final man. His stomach dropped as a snarl lit the tavern air. Nerves twisted it into a knot as he finally found the final man--he laid on the tavern floor, a brown-wolf's fangs buried in his throat.

Right. Nightmare. He hadn't needed to worry about protecting Natia. Fighting was in her blood, child or not.

"Is everyone alri--" Kain began.