Page 253 of Phoenix's Fire

But that wasn't a part of the announcement. Zasen said he didn't want to make that public knowledge, because Tobias could betray us. He could also get killed before we got what we wanted, and that scared me more than I wanted to admit.

Because without Tobias, I had no clue how I was going to save Callah. All I could hope for was that Callah was smart enough to save herself.

Seventy-Nine

Meri

They needed help. The mayor said that, but Brielle was convinced I was too fragile to do anything but sit around and wait for this baby to come. But I had taken Lessa's advice and made friends with the dog. That would make it easier for me to visit with Ayla, except she was going to be gone during all of this.

When the meeting ended, people began clustering together in groups. I wasn't sure where we were supposed to go, but my friends all turned to face each other again, making me think we weren't moving. Unfortunately, standing made my back so sore, but the last thing I would do was complain about it.

"So," Ayla's sister said, "Lessa and Meri are staying at... Your place, Lessa?"

"I think so," Lessa said.

"Do you want to help at the daycare?" I asked.

She tilted her head. "Do you?"

"I could," I offered.

"It would be a chance to see what children are really like," Jeera pointed out. "Plus if you take a later shift over there, most of them will be sleeping."

"Coming through!" a man bellowed.

I looked up to see Rymar, Ayla's yellow friend. He had Naomi, the doctor, with him. When he'd called out, a few people had moved, giving him a clear path to us, and the moment Naomi saw me, she smiled.

"Meri!" she beamed. "You're looking good."

"I feel good," I promised.

So Naomi looked over at Ayla. "And I swear you get more muscles every time I see you."

Which made Ayla smile bigger than I'd ever seen before. "I have to hunt every nightso Holly can eat."

"Mm," Naomi said, bending to pet the dog. "How's the pretty girl, huh?"

And that made the dog's tail wag excitedly, proving Ayla right. Okay, watching people just reach in without fear of the dog's teeth made her a lot less terrifying, but I'd probably still hesitate. I also knew I'd get over it if I just tried.

And I wanted to. After this battle, I was going to talk to Ayla about my baby. I missed seeing her, but I'd been the one making it hard for us to spend time together. I didn't want her to think I hated her, but trying to explain all the choices I'd been given? It was overwhelming.

But there was one thing I was sure of. "Naomi?" I asked. "Can I help at the hospital? If I do that, then Lessa won't have to sit around with me, and I know how to heal."

"She does," Drozel said, stepping in behind me to clasp my shoulder gently. "She wrapped my tail for me, and unlike most of the nurses..." He gave Jeera a pointed look. "Meri doesn't hurt when she does it."

"You wouldn't have that problem if you kept Moles away from your tail," Jeera teased.

Drozel groaned, the deep sound rather intimidating. "I was busy trying not to get shot."

"But you did get shot," Omden pointed out. "So we call that failure."

Drozel just tossed up his hands, then froze. Slowly, his head turned to look at me. "Sorry, Meri. I didn't mean to flail around you. I know that's probably intimidating."

"I'm getting used to it, sir," I assured him.

Which made him lean in. "Just Drozel."

"He's trying not to be a brute," Omden explained. "We messed up with Ayla."

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