Page 45 of Hair, She Bears
Malik shot off the mortar, flying straight at Mother’s face, a black dart of anger. Flinging Zenna aside, Mother swung his arm down and connected with Malik’s body. Malik crashed to the floor and skidded across the stones, coming to rest underneath the shelves.
Mother plucked him off the floor, his fist closing around Malik’s slight frame, and lumbered across the tower. Collapsing on the sofa, Mother patted the cushion next to him. Zenna shook her head. Mother arched an eyebrow and squeezed Malik, and an anguished caw exploded from his beak.
“Stop it!” Zenna darted forward.
“Sit.”
Perching on the farthest side of the cushion, Zenna folded her hands in her lap, her eyes on the raven. Mother loosened his grip and pried on wing free, stretching it out.
“Now, I’m going to ask you a few questions, and if I don’t like your answers, I’m going to pluck out a feather.”
“Please, no!” Zenna leaned forward, her hand halfway across the sofa before she realized her action. She leaned back and dropped her hand. Mother grinned. He pinched a feather between his fingers.
“What did Malik promise you?” Mother asked, his black eyes on Zenna.
“I asked her to marry me,” Malik replied.
Mother glanced down and frowned. “Marry you? You’re engaged to Tessa.”
“You made that arrangement, I never agreed to the union.”
“And where will you and your lovely bride live… in the tower? She owes me quite a debt, and I have no intention of freeing her before that obligation is settled.”
“She’s paid her debt,” Malik said, a hard edge in his voice. “As a wedding gift, let this go.”
“Let it go!” Mother leapt to his feet, Malik gripped tightly in his fist, and strode to the window. “What do you think pays for all of this?”
“We have enough.”
“It’s never enough!” Spit flew from Mother’s mouth. His wild eyes landed on Zenna, and a horrifying grin appeared on his face. “I’ll make you an offer Malik, one which will return you to your human form and allow you both to have your happily ever after.”
“Which is?”
“I want your first-born child.”
“Never!” Zenna pushed off the sofa and crossed her arms over her chest. “I refuse.”
Mother launched across the room, releasing Malik in his rush to reach Zenna. He backed her against the worktable, his finger gouging her chest.
“You have no say in this matter. Your only decision is whether the child will be Malik’s or mine.”
“Let her go,” Malik said, landing on top of Mother’s head. “Back away, or I will peck your eyes out.”
“I’ve had enough of this fairytale bullshit.” Mother snatched Malik from his head, separated one wing from his body, and crumpled the wing in his fist, the tiny bones cracking beneath his fingers. Zenna screamed, but her voice was drowned out by Malik’s cries of anguish. Prying apart the second wing, Mother repeated his previous action, crushing the bones. “Is there anything you wish to say to your true love before I throw you to your death?”
“Nothing holds you to this place,” Malik said, his voice laced with pain.
She nodded, understanding his message.Her parents were free.
Mother spun and whipped his arm forward, flinging Malik through the window. Zenna ran across the tower and leaned out. Malik plummeted, his broken wings unable to prevent his raven body from smashing into the harsh ground beneath the tower. Placing his hand on her back, Mother’s fingers closed around her shirt and pulled her back into the tower, shoving her toward the shelves.
“You have work to do.”
Walking to the worktable, her spine ramrod straight, Zenna lifted the mortar from the table. She spun around, returned to the window, and offered Mother a giant smile. Mother’s eyes narrowed.
Before Mother could react, Zenna hefted the mortar out the window. It tumbled to the ground, hitting the stones with a resounding crash, and deep purple powder exploded across the compound, glistening in the morning sun.
“What did you do?” Mother shrieked. He lifted Zenna by her shirt and thrust her out the window. She dangled above the courtyard, her hands hanging loosely at her sides. She glanced down, her heart pounding.
