“Outside. Now,” Sanrai snarled.

The few catgirls that hadn’t left the restaurant went silent, Giselle included. Sanrai’s teeth were bared in a growl, like a predator that had finally cornered its prey.

“Yeah, actually, I don’t think we have to go anywhere with you,” Ravyn snapped, the first flickers of fire licking her fingertips. “Go call your King here, and we’ll reconsider.”

“Then your blood spills here.” Sanrai took two steps forward.

Ceres touched my shoulder and lowered her voice. “Sir Matt, let us acquiesce to her demands. If we must fight, we do not have the space here.”

I nodded. She was right. The restaurant still had too many civilians, and I could easily see Ravyn or Destiny blowing holes into its pristine walls. “Sanrai, stop. We’ll come with you.”

Ravyn narrowed her eyes at me and grunted. To my relief, she didn’t say anything more.

Sanrai paused, then flashed a hand signal to the two Ejderha behind her. One by one, they left the building, Sanrai always keeping one eye over her shoulder.

“No attacks of opportunity for us,” Tristan murmured, suddenly at my side. “I’m afraid this is about to get ugly.”

“Yeah. The feeling’s mutual.” I looked at the girls. There were nine of us and three of them, but Sanrai was the kind of person who wasn’t going to go out without taking a couple of people with her. That was a risk I wasn’t allowed to take.

Zahra stepped forward and placed a hand on Tristan’s shoulder. “I told you to let me handle my sister. Please, let me.”

Tristan studied her face for what seemed like ages, then nodded. “We’re all behind you.”

“Thank you.”

Zahra left a pile of Bells on the table for our water, then headed our Parties outside. The tension between us was thick. We were all exhausted from the confrontation with the Chikara and navigating Rājadhānī in general. The axe was a comfortable weight in my hand, but I worried that I wouldn’t be fast enough if Sanrai struck first. From what little we’d seen her fight, her speed was terrifying.

I swallowed hard and stepped into the sunlight.

“Sanrai—” Zahra began, her left hand resting on the hilt of her katana.

“You have meddled in our city for too long,” Sanrai interrupted. “The hunters returned without food, the oasis is tainted, and I have lost two Ejderha this day.”

“Two?” Tristan asked. “Where’s Aliye?”

“In a cage, you loathsome welp.” Venom dripped from her tongue. “For aiding the enemy in a kidnapping, then returning with news empty-handed.”

Dammit. Both Tristan and I had wanted to avoid any of the girls suffering for what we had to do. So far, we weren’t doing so hot.

“We don’t become Ejderha by acting as cowards,” one of the guards behind Sanrai added.

“No, just bullies,” Keke whispered.

I cringed, worried that they would hear her.

“The oasis isn’t tainted,” Lara said, touching a finger to her chin. “It’s just bigger. Water grew it.”

“A witch playing goddess is a dangerous thing,” the second guard snapped.

“But, Water—” Lara began.

Destiny put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head. “Sister, not now.”

“Maibe also tells me your whelp slowed progress on the Fourth Shell.” She pointed at Tristan.

Tristan looked at the girl to Sanrai’s right. “You know that isn’t true. You were about to kill Shira, slowing your progress even more.”

“Your little act of heroism inspired others to abandon their posts, boy,” Maibe countered.

“You are all banished from this city. Effective immediately,” Sanrai said. “Whether I escort you out or carry your corpses to the gates makes no difference to me.”

“Just let us speak with the King, sister,” Zahra said, her right hand joining her left on her katana. “Surely you see that the root of the issue is your vehement rejection of our petitions.”

“King Magni only grants those he trusts an audience. None of you have proven trustworthy.” Sanrai raised her spear, holding the tip stone still, and pointed at Zahra. “I will not warn you again.”

“You haven’t given us a chance—” Zahra began.

Sanrai advanced, her outline a blur. Zahra unsheathed her katana just in time to collide her blade with the side of the metal tip, blocking the spear’s point from her chest. Sanrai anticipated the blow, spinning the wooden handle with the strike’s movement until the point hovered over Zahra’s left shoulder. The world slowed as Sanrai plunged forward, and Zahra reflexively pivoted her wrists to swing her katana upward to deflect the attack. Sanrai was faster, and the sharp tip of her spear penetrated Zahra’s sleeve and skin.

Zahra let out a furious cry as Sanrai pulled her weapon back. Blood soaked through Zahra’s dark sleeve, dripping red onto the bleached stone at her feet. Sanrai didn’t hesitate; the next blow was aimed for Zahra’s heart.

Ceres stepped forward, polearm drawn and ready. She used the range to her advantage, swinging the polearm over Sanrai’s spear and pinning it to the ground.

Ceres put herself between Zahra and Sanrai, then cried, “[Titan of Ice]!” The translucent blue shell coating her polearm reformed as a crystalline barrier that hovered just inches from her body.

Cannoli rushed to Zahra’s side, placing her hands on the [Myrmidon]’s arm and whispering, “[Stabilize].”

“This is not your fight,” Zahra said, looking between Ceres and Cannoli.

“We’re not leaving you alone, Zahra,” Tristan countered.

To my surprise, the second Ejderha held her hands near her chest, forming a circle with her pointer fingers and thumb, then bowed her head.

“She’s casting!” I called.

“Water! Please! [Hydro Push]!” Lara called, pointing at the caster.

The quiet channel nearby rippled and churned, creating a whirlpool at its center. An enormous column of water emerged from the vortex, then slammed against the Ejderha with enough force to knock her to her side. The water harmlessly splashed to the ground around her, leaving only a drenched, hacking catgirl in its wake.

“Take us to Magni, and all of this stops,” I said to a seething Sanrai.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Maibe snatching something from her pack. Just as she lifted a throwing knife behind her head, an arrow soared to my right, piercing her palm and forcing her to drop the knife.

“Want to try that again?” Keke called, another arrow already nocked across her bow.

Shit! Nice shot, Keke!

Maibe cradled her right hand in her left, narrow streams of red trickling down her arm. “Bitch!”

“Your corpses it is!” Sanrai shrieked, unhooking her spear from Ceres’ polearm before launching herself at Tristan.

“[Fire Pillar]!” Ravyn yelled. A wall of fire erupted at the toes of Tristan’s boots, forcing him to take a step back.

Sanrai flinched, reeling from the heat of the flame.

“Fall back!” Sanrai commanded her followers. Sanguine eyes bore into Tristan, then me. “The next time I see you, we’ll add your bodies to the wall.”

The three sprinted off in the opposite direction, vanishing behind the tall buildings as they presumably made their way back to the First Shell. The firewall died down, leaving behind black scorch marks on the stone, and Ceres’ ice barrier vanished without the terrifying explosion I recalled from her last use.

Lara toed the scorch marks on the pavement. “Earth was hoping we wouldn’t cause lasting damage.”

“Better than Tristan getting run through with a spear,” Ravyn snapped.

“Guys, what do we do now?” Destiny asked, fishing a golden tonic from her [Cat Pack] and handing it to Zahra. “If Sanrai returns with all of her Ejderha… I really don’t think we can take them all on at once.”

“Especially if there are more casters,” Ceres noted. “We cannot stay here.”

“Well, I feel like a sitting duck out here.” Tristan motioned to the empty streets and curtained windows. “Let’s at least go back to the Third Shell, and we can figure something out.”

We all silently agreed, turning to make our way back to the gate.

As we walked, Ravyn rekindled the conversation. “I say fuck him. Let’s go back to the cunt and tell him that if he wants Magni so bad, he can come get him.”

“I don’t think that’s a great idea. You said it yourself. Cailu won’t be as nice about it,” I replied.

Zahra sipped from the bottle Destiny had given her, rolling her wounded shoulder with a frown. “This is my fault. I was simply not fast enough.”

“Even if you had managed to take her down, there’s no guarantee we wouldn’t be in the same spot,” Tristan reasoned. “Sanrai wasn’t open to conversation. It seems she doesn’t want a peaceful resolution.”

“Plus, if we did make it to Magni, there’s no guarantee that he’ll leave with us for the meeting. It’s not like we can force him out with all of his guards watching,” Keke added.

As we moved through the tunnel, the light grew dimmer until a handful of torches lit the path. I thought about our options and continually fell short of an answer.

“I am curious, do you believe Aliye’s caging sentence was handed down by Magni or by Sanrai?” Ceres asked.

“Does that matter?” Destiny wondered.

“It may.” Ceres adjusted the straps of her armor while she spoke. “With Sanrai’s efforts to keep us away from the First Shell and the possibility that Magni does not know we are here, one must wonder who is in control of Rājadhānī.”

“How did I not think of that? That’s an excellent point, Ceres.” Tristan nodded.

While I agreed, I was still with Destiny on this one. Between Sanrai and Magni, it didn’t really matter who was in charge. Either way, we were facing a leader who was adamant about keeping outsiders away.

“So, then, even if we decide who needs the convincing, what should our next steps be?” I asked. “I feel like they won’t listen to anything that isn’t brute force.”

“Why don’t we find Agni and sleep on it? We can set up camp and figure it out from there,” Tristan suggested.

“Assuming she’s still around,” Keke added.

“I still have enough food to make us a nice supper, too,” Cannoli chipped in. “It’s easier to think on full tummies.”

“Kuso. It’ll be more comfortable than sleeping on the splintered boards in this dump,” Ravyn agreed.

“Yeah. Alright,” I agreed. “Back to the desert with us.”

I hope the Chikara sleeps at night.