“You felt the magic around you through your steel,” the man declared. “Please believe me, it is far worse when it contacts skin, and with a nod of my head, our witches will shrink it.” He looked to me. “I respect your magic, witch. I truly do. But you are no match to ours. We Zees have been practicing far longer than you Nadirii, as you know.”

This was lamentably true.

Many a Nadirii, alone, without a sister at her side, could be bested by Zee magic, if there was more than one witch in the tribe.

And they definitely had more than one witch in their tribe.

Though, lamentably for him, he had no idea who he was dealing with.

“You really should be on your way,” I advised.

“Should we? Really?” the man mocked.

“You should,” Cassius said in a tone I’d never heard before, and it was disquieting. “Really.”

I took note.

Do not mock Cassius, even if he was arse to the leaves in a dark forest.

“We do not wish to hurt you, Airenzian, even if you are an Airenzian,” the Zee replied.

“I will have no problem hurting you, Zee, and I don’t give one fuck you’re a Zee,” Cassius retorted.

Some of the joviality shifted from the man’s face as he moved closer to the veil.

The others moved closer too.

“Cass,” I whispered, “be calm.”

“I am fucking calm,” Cassius replied, his eyes never leaving the leader of the Zees.

“You aren’t.”

And he wasn’t.

“I bloody am.”

“You aren’t, Cass. Just give him your purse,” I instructed, looking toward the leader. “We must keep our weapons. You understand.”

“I do not,” the man said, his tone having deteriorated too. “You are beaten. Give us what we ask, and we will not harm you.”

“Take my man’s purse and be done, and he will not harm you,” I returned.

“He cannot harm me, Nadirii.”

“Please do not test us,” I requested.

“It is not me on my arse, caged with righteous magic.”

“Lamb,” Cassius growled, and I knew he didn’t use my name because he didn’t want them to know it.

But, damn it all, I liked it that he was calling me “lamb” again.

“Don’t hurt them,” I ordered Cass.

“Are you mad?” he asked.

“No,” I spoke truth.

“They would not hesitate to harm us,” Cassius replied.

“This isn’t harm. It’s just a little humiliation,” I noted.

“Let us loose, my warrior,” Cassius growled.

“I will if you promise not to hurt them,” I returned.

The Zee was again grinning.

“One Nadirii alone? You cannot break this cage,” he shared, then jerked up his chin.

The cage started to grow smaller.

And glow brighter.

Bloody hell.

“Now give us your purse and your weapons,” the man ordered.

“Ellie,” Cassius gritted.

Ellie.

And I liked that from Cassius far more than “lamb.”

I could not dwell on that.