Page 57 of Phoenix's Fire

"Because they attacked the Dragon!" I snapped. "The hunters weren't trying to defend themselves. Meri, they were hunting!" And then I stopped hard, realizing what I'd just said.

"What?" Meri asked, her head jumping up so she could meet my eyes. "I know they were. That's when the Dragons attacked them, planning to devour the Righteous whole because there's..." Her words trailed off even as she turned to look around at the vibrant world we were in. "Because there's nothing on the surface and no other way to survive."

"They lied," I said gently.

"Why did they have a tail?" Meri asked, ignoring my best attempt to soothe her.

"Meri..."

"Why, Ayla?"

Pushing out a heavy sigh, I dropped my head. "Meri, what did we eat?"

"Meat, tubers, fungus, and vegetables. Why?" There was a defiance in her voice that made me think she already knew.

But I couldn't drop this on her. I wouldn't! "What do you eat here?" I asked instead.

A myriad of thoughts flickered across her face. "Rabbit, boar, turkey, pheasant, carrots, potatoes - "

I stopped her before she started reciting a grocery list. "Yes, types of meat and vegetables. They name it. Why didn't the Righteous do the same?"

"I don't know, maybe because it's a mix?"

Slowly, I shook my head. "No."

"What do you mean, 'no?'" she pressed. "Ayla, what are you saying?!"

This wasn't how I'd planned on telling her. It wasn't what I wanted her to think, but I'd said too much, and she'd noticed. I'd also promised Zasen I'd do this. I had to, because ignoring it wouldn't help her. She needed to know so she could prepare. So she'd be safe. So it wouldn't hurt the baby.

"Meri, in seventeen days the hunters will need to find more food for the Righteous." I gently chaffed her arms, needing to make this as gentle as I could. "They'll come here. Twelve days before a holiday, they head out to hunt. It takes two nights to get here. They travel by night because the sun is too bright, and they come here.Here, Meri. They hunt Dragons, call them lizards, and they butcher them where the women can't see. Then they feed these people to the entire compound."

Meri swallowed. "That can't be true."

I gave her a long look, because her refusal sounded weak even to me.

"They're just protecting themselves," she tried next.

"No," I said as gently as I could. "I know you've treated the wounded. I know you've seen the arrows. Deer don't use them. Bears have claws. Dragons shoot bows because we don't have rifles."

"We don't eat them. No, Ayla. We can't!"

I ducked my head a bit to meet her eyes. "Have you seen any other meat like it? Long, pale - "

She pulled away, lunging to the plants in front of the building. There, she dropped hard to her knees and made a horrible gagging sound. I followed, wanting to help, but she vomited before I could even gather up her hair. Then again.

"It's okay," I told her as I dropped down beside her. "Meri, you didn't know, and - "

She heaved again.

"Get her up!" a woman yelled in Vestrian.

I heard the sound of feet, but I was too focused on trying to comfort Meri. In one hand, I held her long silver hair back. The other was trying to help support her, but my friend was whimpering. When she could, she shook her head, and then she'd heave again.

"Stupid fucking Moles!" the woman snapped as she shouldered me aside.

I dropped onto my rump as a tan woman wrapped her arms around Meri and leaned her back. It took two whole seconds before I recognized her as the seamstress who'd made my clothes, and then Lessa was scooping my friend into her arms.

"Get the door, girl," she snapped at me. Then she growled under her breath. "Never mind, you can't understand."