"If we push the Moles out, preventing them from getting any bodies to take back, then what happens to her friends? Not only will they be hungry, but the men will be pissed. They'll take it out on the women, because that's what assholes like them do."

"And we can't do anything about that," I reminded him.

"But that's what's driving her to help," he reminded me. "Kanik, she wants to save her friends. She wants to make the men pay, get revenge, and all of that, but she also wants to get her friends out and send them here - and I have no idea how to do that."

"And we're about to make their lives more dangerous," I breathed. "Well, fuck."

"Yeah."

"Do we tell her?" I asked.

"Not yet." He bounced Taris in his lap. "Let's see how this next attack goes, because right now, everything is built around the hope that she's right."

"But she'll be right."

"I know that and you know that," he agreed, "but Jerlis isn't as sure and Drozel doesn't want her to be."

"Yeah, I don't get that," I grumbled. "He'd rather keep fighting blind than have the upper hand?"

"Than have a Mole solve what he couldn't," Zasen corrected.

"Mm." Because I didn't really have much to say to that. So, I decided to change the subject. "When are you giving her the new bow?"

Zasen glanced across the street, his eyes landed on Ayla, and he smiled softly. "Tonight, I think. Make sure she has a weapon of her own that fits her. Might help her feel better if the Devil comes knocking for some other reason."

"Here's hoping," I agreed. "Because that poor girl has been scared for far too long."

When the rain picked up again - and this time it was cold - we all headed inside. There was a little shuffling as everyone got changed and cleaned up. Naturally, Ayla got the first bath, and thankfully the fire that heated the water didn't get washed out before the last of us was done.

Over dinner, however, Ayla explained to all of us how she'd been so sure the Elders were right and the Devil was winning. She talked about the sounds, the flashes of lighting, and all of it. To her sheltered view of the world, it had made so much sense, but now she was laughing about it.

She also ate. When she cleared her plate, her eyes jumped back to the main dish, so I gave her a second helping. She finished that off too. Looking at her, I was pretty sure she'd put on weight. Mostly because her dresses were starting to fit. They also showed off her curves.

But when dinner was over, Zasen asked if Rymar and I could clean up. He headed upstairs. Without asking, Ayla jumped in to wash all the pans and dishes that had been used, and it was nice. Our kitchen wasn't large, but somehow three of us managed to move around each other without crashing into each other.

Then Zasen came back downstairs. "Ayla?" he asked as he headed into the living room.

"Almost done!" she replied without lifting her voice.

"Go," I said, having a pretty good idea what he'd been doing.

She passed Rymar the plate she'd been washing, then wiped her hands and headed into the living room. I nudged Rymar's ribs with my elbow and cocked my head that way. A smile took over his face and he put the plate back in the sink and followed Ayla. I was right behind him.

"So," Zasen said, holding up a large box wrapped in brightly-colored paper. Pinks, greens, and even yellows were splattered across it randomly. "For helping with the calendar, I got you a thank you present."

"I wanted to help," she insisted, but her hands still accepted the box.

"Sit," he said, gesturing to a chair. "Open it."

"The paper is meant to be torn away," Rymar told her. "That's half the fun."

A little smile touched Ayla's lips, and then she ripped away the top layer. Beneath was a cardboard box, which made her look confused, but I leaned over her shoulder to show her how to get into that. She unfolded the flaps, paused for a little too long, and then looked up.

"It's a bow," she breathed.

"It's your bow," Zasen corrected. "A real hunting bow, Ayla. That's also not all that's in there."

"Arrows," she said, reaching in to lift one up.

It was easily as long as her arm, and the tip on it was bright silver. The edges had been filed to sharp points, and yes, there were four of them. But to me, the most impressive part was the bright yellow fletching.

"I hope you like yellow," Zasen said. "I once joked that the things you know are worth their weight in gold, and yellow is as close as I can get."

"It's perfect," she whispered, her eyes locked on the tip. "These are war arrows. When hunters are hit with them, they're as good as dead."

"And those are yours," he said. "I only managed to make you twenty so far, but I'll work on more."

"Because they don't usually come back," I explained. "When we hunt, we can retrieve our arrows. With Moles?"

"We throw them away," she said, nodding to show she understood. "And these are really mine?"

"All yours," Zasen said. "You helped me, so this is me helping you. I figure if you killed two men with Tamin's little bow, you can probably do more with one that's meant for you."

Gently, Ayla set the box down on the coffee table, careful not to push the flower vase off in the process. Then she stood and made her way around to stand before Zasen. Before any of us knew what she was doing, the woman leaned in, wrapped her arms around his neck, and hugged the man hard.

"Thank you, Wyvern," she said softly. "Thank you for saving me. Thank you for not killing me. Thank you for helping me kill them."

Carefully - gently - Zasen wrapped his arms around her back and returned the hug. "Thank you for being a friend, Ayla. Thank you for trusting me. For trusting all of us."

And this time, I wasn't even jealous. Instead, I was smiling, because that hug? It may have been the bravest thing she'd done yet.

Sixty-ThreeAyla

Every morning, I drank venom. When the single drop no longer had any effect, Kanik added a second. That took my breath away, but only for a few seconds - not minutes like before. My skin still got hot, and all the symptoms were there, but milder. Subtle enough I could deal with them.

And in the evenings, I used my bow. The first time, I missed the target, feeling like I'd undone all the work I'd put in initially, but Zasen said that was okay. It was a different weapon, so I had to learn its nuances. That was why he wanted me to have my own, after all.

After two days, I was hitting the target again. Even better, I was now making holes in the colored rings. Not the center yet, but I got closer every time. I was also getting stronger in the process. My arms ached from the effort, but they were getting thicker, more like the men's. Well, not that bulgy, but I could see the little bump in my own biceps now.

But on the third day after the rain, I woke up to dampness on my thighs. Confused, I lifted the blankets to see the bright red stain. My heart hung. I couldn't do this now! I hadn't even thought about it, and I'd almost hoped it would go away, but my time of flowering had returned!

What was I supposed to do?!

Carefully, I slid off the bed and ran to the bathroom. The door crashed closed loudly behind me due to my haste. But in the bathroom mirror, I could see my nightdress was stained, so the sheets would be too. I'd ruined all the nice things!

Flicking the lock to the bathroom door, I ran the water and started washing myself. I simply hadn't thought about it. I'd been so overwhelmed with everything happening in my life that I'd pushed everything else aside. Now, what was I going to do for the next few days? The house wasn't truly large enough for me to spend time alone.