I glare at him until they release their grip on my mouth.
"I know the human tongue fine," I spit back.
His long hair falls in his dark eyes as he searches my face. "Perhaps. But it was learned recently. I hear your accent in every syllable.” He looks behind me. “Alberto, Felip,ven?2.”
The man at my back walks forward, and Rodrigo jerks his head toward me.
The one called Alberto cracks his knuckles and stretches his wrists. Then he pulls out a makeshift knife with a broken handle from inside his soiled shirt. It glints in the moonlight.
“You will start telling us the truth, or there will be consequences," Alberto says.
I open my mouth, but he holds out his hand and gives a firm shake of his head.
"No. I ask the questions. You answer," he continues in the common tongue.
I contemplate slaying the five of them right here. They aren’t what I would call good men, but they know something about the rebellion. They might be my best chance to get humans out of Zlosa.
I decide against it just as Rodrigo asks, “I will ask you plainly: do you work for the giants?"
I grit my teeth. "No."
"I saw you visit the foreman's comfort woman while she was in the pit. Do you fuck her?"
I snarl. "No."
The men hold me back tighter, but Rodrigo smirks at my strong reaction.
He chuckles. "What are you?"
For a moment, I keep my lips sealed tight, refusing to dignify any of his crass words with an answer.
"I've come to help," I say at last.
Rodrigo continues to look at me with his shrewd expression. "You really have, haven't you?"
I nod firmly.
He bites his lip. "Rest assured, there is a spy among us. I was sure it was you. Your relationship with the slut would've solidified that for me?—”
My muscles tense. I reach deep into my magic. A tremor rumbles underfoot. I break out of the mens’ grasp. Alberto tumbles over, too, and I grab Rodrigo, pinning his arm behind his back.
"If you want me to let you all live, I suggest you stop saying cruel words. They’ve passed your lips too many times."
Rodrigo's tries to look back at me. "Protective over her? Why?"
"It doesn't matter. Does it?" I yank his arm up, almost to the point where his joint pops.
Rodrigo huffs. “Hostia,?3 no. Let me go, you crazy bastard!”
I do, roughly pushing him away.
Rodrigo looks up at me, angry but he doesn’t attack.
“You started smelling poison when no others can. The giants can’t do that. You don’t have yellow eyes like them, nor do you have the large feet their half-breeds sport. I tried to write off your chopping as a giant trait. But it’s something else, I know it. How many did you help cut today?"
I grit my teeth. "Ten."
Rodrigo lets out a soft whistle, rubbing his arm. “I think you should follow me.”