Sofia stumbled back to her feet, watching the chaos with growing concern that one of them was going to kill the other. Chalia shattered the air with a roar so low, Sofia felt it in her blood.
When the roar dropped away, so did any sound. The birds had fled, the trees held their breath, and Flor and Lumi were left on the ground panting. A naked Lumi straddled Flor, hands wrapped around her neck. Flor’s dagger had been dropped somewhere in their scuffle, but Sofia saw the woman was reaching into her belt for the second dagger.
“Don’t,” she said, hoping her voice had any of the tenacity and gravity of Chalia’s.
Flor looked at Sofia, betrayal written across her face, but her hand fell to her side, empty. It also appeared to be the same moment she realized the shapeshifter straddling her was completely naked, because her face flushed a deep red and she averted her eyes, staying focused on Sofia.
Before she could say anything else, a voice she didn’t plan on ever hearing again rang out from the lip of the cenote.
“Lumi, stand down,” Clarita said, stepping forward. She had her bow in one hand, but her arrows were at her belt and her hand was raised in supplication.
Sofia held her breath. Lumi didn’t tighten their grip, but they didn’t let go of Flor’s neck, either.
“Lumi,” Clarita said, again.
“You’re going to let them finish the job? There is probably an army of king’s men coming even now.” Their hands must have tightened because Flor let out a strangled growl and her hand reached out for her dagger again.
“Lumi, stand down,” Clarita said. “That’s an order I won’t repeat again.”
They didn’t move for a moment, but then their hands released Flor, and they stood slowly. The muscle in their jaw jumped.
Clarita turned back to Sofia, lips pinched. “I’m assuming you’re not here to kill us, given that the dragon didn’t simply eat us.”
“I came to talk,” Sofia said. “You’ll have to forgive me for scaring you, but there isn’t an easy way to bring a dragon for a visit.”
“Is that what this is? A visit?” Clarita questioned, shoulders stiff.
“A visit,” Sofia said slowly, “to ask a favor.”
“Fuck that,” Lumi said and Sofia startled at the word coming from such a soft-spoken person and in king’s tongue. She hadn’t heard them speak the language before. Their accent was thick, but it was clear they wanted all three of them to understand their words. “The last time we did you a favor, our entire tribe was killed. And you conveniently disappeared immediately after.”
“We didn’t—we weren’t the ones that killed your people.” Sofia knew even as she said them the words were empty. She and Fox mightnot have shot the arrows, but it was their fault that the soldiers had been there.
“It was my fault,”Chalia said, the shame seeping into Sofia’s body even as she spoke the words.
“I will not pretend that Fox and I being here wasn’t the catalyst. It was our fault they came. I can’t ask for forgiveness.” Sofia felt her throat closing up.
Lumi stepped toward Sofia, finger raised. “You won’t get it. Do you know how many people died that day? And their bodies—there was barely anything left to bury.” Their voice cracked and the raw pain in their eyes made her chest ache.
Clarita was behind Lumi suddenly, a hand on their shoulder.
“Someone put out the fires before the bodies were burned completely,” she said, voice cool, but soft. “I can only assume the soldiers didn’t do that.”
“It was the least we could do,” Sofia said. She tasted blood as her teeth gnashed into her cheek.
“You could have never come,” Lumi said, baring her teeth.
Clarita’s hand squeezed Lumi’s shoulder, and they snapped their mouth shut.
“We don’t have much,” Clarita said. “We’ve been rebuilding and reassessing our supplies, but let’s go talk in front of the fire, at least. Your dragon will have to stay above.”
“She’s happy to sunbathe,” Sofia said, earning a small smile from Clarita.
“Despite our differences, I am honored to meet one of the gods. Is this the one that we saw the night of your arrival?”
“Yes,” Sofia said, stepping to the side so Clarita could see Chalia completely. “I scared her away before.”
“Does she know the dragon that attacked our people? The one that fights for the king?”