The Licensed Mage

34 The Girls

        “The caller…broke deal…demands more. What could that mean?”

        Baylie could only shake her head when they suddenly heard Nony screaming. Both she and Sli looked over to see Nony and Nalia fighting, poor Cat trying to pry them apart. The older girls ran over to the young ones, trying to pull the kicking and screaming kids apart.

        “Shut up! Do you want them to come in here?!”

        The scream was heard from the dark corner, away from the group. It was enough for Nony and Nalia to freeze and stop the fight. Nony sniffled, trying to bite back tears but finally sobbed and collapsed against Sli’s chest.

        Nalia panted as Baylie held her arms, “What did you do?”

        Nalia blew a strand of hair from her face, “I didn’t do anything! It was all her fault!”

        Suddenly Cat appeared in Nalia’s face. She appeared to be communicating to Nalia through her eyes while Nalia’s own became to fill with tears, “But-But she started it…”

        Nalia broke from Baylie’s hold. She ran into the far corner and sobbed. Cat glanced a look at Baylie then went to Nalia’s side. Sli rubbed Nony’s back, trying to calm the sobbing child enough to understand what happened.

        Sli pulled Nony away to look in her teary face, “Nony, what happened?”

        The little elven girl sniffled as she got the hiccups, “She-she said we-we were gonna die. She said that’s why-why they moved us into this room. We’re not gonna die are we Sli?”

        Sli held the girl close, “No, no we’re not. I promise.”

        “We’re only in here ‘cause of you.”

        Sli looked up at the girl from the dark corner, “Quiet.”

        She pointed a finger at her and stomped her foot, “It’s your fault! If you haven’t called for that damn fairy they would have left us alone!”

        Baylie held Nony as Sli stood eye to eye with the girl, “Shut up! I was trying to get us out of here!”

        “You’re gonna get us killed! Just because you’re the granddaughter of some stupid Chief you think you can do whatever you want.”

        She spat at Sli’s feet. Sli glared and screamed as her anger and frustration boiled over. She lunged at the girl, toppling to the ground as they fought. Nony yelled at Sli to stop as Baylie held her back. Suddenly the door slammed open and two burley thugs stormed in, ripping the girls apart. They yelled at them in English to shut up as they started dragging the girls out the door. Baylie yelled as she threw herself at the men, kicking and scratching at them, yelling to let them go. One man lifted his gun and butted Baylie in the head, yanking the screaming Sli out the room.

        The other girl became compliant as the men dragged them down a hall. Sli tried to kick and scratch the man to let her go but a kick to her gut quieted her. The hallway was blinding with the bright lights spilling the hallway. The men stopped at the end of the hallway and knocked on the door. The door cracked and a face poked out. He looked at the men then down at the girls.

        Sli acted like she couldn’t understand their words as they spoke in English, “What is this? Boss didn’t ask for more.”

        The thug holding Sli shrugged his shoulder, “They were bitchin’ so we brought ‘em. Boss said if they ever caused problems to bring ‘em in.”