Page 272 of Phoenix's Fire

But as we got closer, we split. The camp was in an open area. There were clusters of trees on one side, and the hill I'd used was on the other. Sadly, Jeera aimed for the hill with Xav and Demon right behind her. Drozel lifted a finger to his lips for silence, and patted the air to show we should go slowly.

I followed him as we crept closer, never approaching from the open. The density of the forest and the destruction from their weapons made it even easier. Drozel's pattern was nearly impossible to see out here, and for once, my tan leathers didn't make me feel like I stood out. The few times we did cross a gap where theymightsee us, we moved quickly.

But something was happening.

Finally, we got close enough to hear voices. The Moles were bickering, talking over each other, but then someone began calling out, "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" It sounded like Sylis.

"If you kill me, more will come," Zasen said as if it was simply a fact. "I'm also not the most terrifying thing up here anymore."

"The words of the Devil!" a Mole sneered.

But another pointed out, "He brought back Elijah."

I pushed forward a little more, using one of the heavy evergreen trees to shield me from sight. If the deer couldn't detect me through this, there was no way a Mole would. Surprisingly, Drozel didn't try to stop me. Instead, he pushed in against my back, watching over my head.

Before us - and close - Zasen stood with my brother on the ground before him. His stinger was completely exposed, but his bow was on his back and his krael were hanging from his belt. He looked as if he was unarmed, but I knew that could change quickly.

Zasen spoke again. "This man is wounded. Lower your guns and come help your fellow Righteous."

"It's a trap," one of them yelled from further away.

I reached over and snapped a branch. From where I was standing, I could see Zasen clearly, and his tail lashed at the sound. On the other side, some kind of bird chirped so his tail flicked again. When I looked up at Drozel, he nodded, making me think Zasen really had heard us and knew he wasn't alone.

"It's not a trap," Zasen said gently. "I'm not alone, but it's not a trap." Which confirmed it.

"Then why did you bring him back?"

"Don't talk to the Devil."

Zasen laughed at that. "I've gone from being the Devil's servant, to being the beast himself? I assure you, I am neither."

"But you suddenly know how to speak?"

Zasen smiled, turning to look at the entire crowd before him. "You gave us a present. You left her chained outside your home, barely dressed, waiting to die. We found her. We took her back, and she taught us how to understand you. To show you my appreciation, I'm offering this man back. A gift for a gift."

"There's no way a woman could teach them so fast," someone insisted.

But another countered, "Does it matter? They've learnedlanguage!"

Zasen chuckled. "I've always been able to speak Vestrian. The Phoenix showed me how you use English. This should prove we're not beasts."

"You're not a man either!" one of them shrieked.

But Gideon stepped forward, daring to lower his gun as if planning to negotiate. "What do you want for him?"

"Stop killing my people."

He shook his head. "Mine need to eat."

I couldn't take it anymore. Standing, I pushed through the tree and right into view. Holly followed, putting her body between me and the Moles protectively. Her lips curled and her growl was deep, but I didn't tell her to stop. No, I wanted them to see the world was filled with more than they could imagine.

Embracing my anger, I turned to face the men who had sat beside me at dinner so many times. All of them, swallowing something so vile! They'd never flinched at the taste of it. They'd never explained the wounds they received, except to blame the wild men and demons. I couldn't stand to see them lying about it, even to themselves!

Now, they all stood braced. Many held guns, but not all. They also couldn't shoot Zasen because they'd have to fire through each other. But what bothered me most were the three carts at the back. They weren't empty. My eyes jumped across them, disgusted at the chunks of scaled and skin-covered meat inside.

Blue, green, tan, and all the shades of tailless skin I could imagine were in there. I saw it. I couldn't help but see it! Clenching my jaw, I pushed back my revulsion before turning to the man who seemed to be running the show this time.

"Eat deer," I told Gideon. "Pigs, birds, rabbits. There's game in the world. There's plenty. The world is not burning! You can see that for yourselves. The Devil is not here, just people who look different than you, but they are not the same as beasts. God has provided more than enough, but you choose to eat the flesh of men? Tell me, Gideon, who is in the wrong?"

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