Her eyes went so wide, a burning in the pit of her stomach that left her breathless, her hands shaking until she clenched them and turned. His face was so tight, the colour draining from his cheeks as he gritted his teeth and continued to stare over that Master's shoulder, but she wouldn't let him stare like that for long. She was already reaching, her face scrunched up in a scowl, that burning reaching up and blazing in her cheeks, but another hand got there first. She saw a flash of white and heard a sharp crack, knowing that he had somehow struck bone and one more squeeze and it would break.
The room went so quiet, all of them turning to watch the two Masters, some of their faces bright and hungry, some of them burning, some of them just stiff, but she had eyes for only two. That Master with the sour smell and his pink eyes was so slow, his face scrunched up in something that was almost a scowl, almost a wince, but Master Gabriel's eyes were so cold, so cold and sharp and dark, the Implants in his temples flickering so quickly.
"There are rules," Master Gabriel said, his voice just barely above a whisper, the closest to a whisper she had ever heard it before.
"Get your hand off me, you filthy-,"
"There are rules," Master Gabriel said, his voice somehow so soft, somehow so crisp and sharp, those Implants flickering even quicker. "He's mine."
"Damned Quarter-Master! Who do you think you are?" that Master swayed. "Take your hand off me and get your Fighter ready! I'll-,"
"I won't fight you," Master Gabriel cut in, that hand squeezing tighter, so tight the other Master's face scrunched up in a wince. "But this is your last chance to let my Fighter go before I take offence," he said, and then he jerked that Master's hand free, Belfire gasping a quiet gasp as that knife jerked in his chest, not even moving to take it out himself. "You come into my home," Master Gabriel said. "And you damage my slave, go back to your seat before I make you regret it."
That Master swayed, stumbling a few steps backwards, his forehead furrowed into a deep crease that turned into a fierce scowl. "You put an Offender in here and you think I'm insulting you?" he shook his head. "Do you have any idea who-?"
"I know who you are," Master Gabriel cut in. "And a few things you don't want me to know, Sextus. I'd be careful if I were you."
Those pink eyes flickered clear, only for a moment, that scowl turning into a frown before Master Sextus shook his head. "I have nothing to hide."
"You have a lot more to hide than anyone else."
"I-," Master Sextus shook his head, but Master Gabriel only smiled, stretching his neck and turning around to go back to his seat with his hands clasped behind his back.
He was stronger, stronger than Phoenix had given him credit for and she realised then that if he'd been with her that night, she never would've lost Iris and knowing that almost made her want to laugh, to shake her head and cry, her heart somehow so light and heavy all at the same time. Her eyes flicked, watching Master Sextus fumble for something in his robe, his face a terrible, pink scowl, his eyes so hazy. She knew what he was going to do then, her arms whipping up to block that knife from digging into Master Gabriel's back and she gasped, feeling the blow all the way down to her bones, tears springing to her eyes as she bit back that cry.
He was so strong too, so impossibly strong, that knife in his hand shaking as she fought to keep it from digging into her shoulder. That knife was meant to kill, she could see it glinting in the corner of her eye, so long and sharp, and she knew it would hurt, but it never struck home. She felt someone brush up beside her, throwing himself at that arm, his mass of dreads shining gold in parts from the warm candle light. For a moment she didn't think that even the two of them could keep that blade from digging into her and that this was it, but finally Master Sextus swayed, stumbling and tripping over his own feet and falling to the floor. Her chest was heaving, her arms aching, and she heard Belfire breathing just as heavily beside her, his skin glistening and shining with sweat. It took Master Sextus a moment, his eyes so big and wide, his cheeks so pink and going red, but then he sat up and pointed.
"Kill them," he said, and Phoenix stared at him, at that finger, a part of her wanting to run and hide, a part of her just wanting to laugh and dare him to try.
"I've called for your car, cousin," said a voice.
"I'm not leaving, Quintus."
"It's time, cousin, let's call it a night. I'll help you to your car."
Master Quintus was beside them, lifting his cousin and helping him to his feet, the room still so stiff and quiet and staring at them all. Phoenix watched him go, stretching the muscles in her hands and feeling her arms ache, but then Master Gabriel was in front of them, those Implants flickering so softly, his eyes fixed on that knife still in Belfire's chest.
"You let your slaves attack a Master?" someone asked, and she watched him smile then, a small, soft smile, the corners of his lips twitching like he was fighting back a grin.
So slowly he reached a hand up, wrapping his fingers around the hilt of that knife, his eyes flicking to Belfire's face and she watched Belfire go stiff, his face tight and pale, his lips a thin line, but then he nodded and with one quick jerk that blade was free, fresh blood running down the blade and staining the Master's sleeve. Master Gabriel held it there for a moment, his eyes fixed on Belfire's face, watching and waiting for him to open his eyes, and then he twirled it between his fingers, holding the hilt out to Belfire and handing it to him.
"All of my slaves are trained to protect me," he said, turning to face the others in the room. "Aren't yours?"
No one answered him, some of them eyeing that blade in Belfire's hand, their faces grim and tight, but most of them only watched Master Gabriel, the light in their eyes a little sharp and cold. He smiled at them, his head tilting to the side, his hands clasping behind his back, and then he said, "Back to your place, Belfire."
It was only the two of them then, facing that roomful of Masters, her heart beating a little quicker, a taste in her mouth that she couldn't quite place. She felt them watching her, fighting back that crease, fighting back the urge to shake her head and run. She didn't even hear that House-slave come come close, only noticing her when Master Gabriel took her crossbow from her and held it up for them to see.
"Do you want to see something?" he asked, his voice so soft and quiet, and then he handed it to her, leaving behind fingerprints in Belfire's blood on the slick, silver surface.
She felt that burning then, a burning that made her heart race and her mouth go dry. So quickly she took it off him, pressing her fingers to the scanners beside the trigger and hearing it hum. She could shoot them, no doubt about that, she could kill quite a few before something happened to her and that would make some of this right, not everything, not nearly enough, but some of it, she could make them pay for what they'd done to everyone she had ever known.
They went so stiff, even stiffer when she lifted her crossbow and stared down the barrel. How many could she get, three, four? How many would be enough to ease that burning in the pit of her stomach? They stared back at her, some of them reaching into their robes, some of them hiding behind others or slaves, and she hated them even more. She heard him laugh then, a soft, quiet laugh, his voice almost a whisper when he said, "Stand down."
It was so hard to lower her weapon, one of the hardest things she had ever done, harder still when she saw their faces soften and ease, that burning in the pit of her stomach growing brighter.
"I hope you didn't think she would actually shoot you," Master Gabriel said. "My Fighters are trained better than that." There was a bitter taste on the tip of her tongue when she heard them laughing, awkward, little laughs that turned into something much louder the longer it went on. "Phoenix," he said, and she turned to look at him. "You see that pitcher over there?" he asked, and she followed his finger, seeing it on the other end of the room.
"Yes, Master."
"Shoot it."
So quickly she raised her crossbow, pulling the trigger, already hearing that pitcher shatter before she had lowered it again and turned to look at him. He smiled at her, a soft smile, a smile that didn't waver when the room filled with loud gasps and deep murmurs.
"That candle," he pointed.
It was almost too much to have her weapon, to have them all there and only shoot a candle, but she bit it back, that burning reaching up and tickling her throat, making her want to scream and shout and shoot so much more. He smiled again, turning to the others and clasping his hands behind his back.
"What next?" he asked, and they started shouting, each one of them louder than the last, their eyes so bright and hungry, their fingers pointing.
"This pillow!"
Her eyes flicked to him, watching and waiting, only lifting her crossbow to shoot after he'd nodded. That pillow burst, her bolt lodging in the stone chair behind it, the room laughing and shouting and cheering like she had just done something great.
"This table!" she heard and she waited for the nod.
"This vase!" one of them said, and one nod later and it shattered.
"My slave!"
Her mouth went dry then, her eyes flicking to stare at a boy, not quite grown, not young enough to still be a child, but too young to be a Favourite, that much she knew. His eyes went wide, his cheeks so pale as he turned to stare at his Master, and her eyes flicked to her own, not knowing what he would say, not knowing what he would do, but she hadn't expected his face to go so tight, for his Implants to flicker so quickly and his eyes to go so cold.
"Are you challenging me?" he asked, and that Master's eyes shone bright as he shook his head.
"I didn't mean it like-,"
"How else could you mean it?" Master Gabriel asked, those Implants flickering even quicker. "There are rules."
"I didn't mean it like that," that Master said.
"Give him a sword," Master Gabriel said, nodding his head towards the boy and that Master went quiet then, his lips and thin, tight line, his eyes never blinking, and then he shook his head.
"He's a Favourite, not a Fighter. I wasn't challenging you."
"Hmm," Master Gabriel hummed, those Implants flickering so quickly. "You ever shot a Citizen before, Phoenix?"
"Two, Master," she answered.
"Two's not that far away from three," he said, his eyes narrowing into slits.
"Now, listen here," that Master said, getting to his feet. "I understand I've offended you, but you're going too far. I have Fighters with me if you want to make this a Fight."
Master Gabriel smiled then, his head tilting to the side, his hands clasping behind his back. "Let's make this interesting, shall we?" he asked. "One shot that has to hit but not draw blood and I'll forget this ever happened."
"One shot at what?" that Master asked.
"You, of course, or are you scared, Colton?"
He went so still then, his face so grim and tight, his eyes fixed on Master Gabriel's face. "You want me to let a slave shoot me?"
"Only somewhere it won't hurt," Master Gabriel smiled. "If she draws blood, I'll consider it a loss and you can do what you want to any of the slaves I have here tonight."
Phoenix fought back that frown, her eyes flicking to him to try to understand what it was that he wanted from her, but he only stared at Master Colton, that soft smile on his lips, his eyes never blinking.
"You can't seriously expect-," Master Colton started.
"Come one, Colton, what do you have to lose?" Master Gabriel cut in. "Either way you'll be the bravest Master in The City by tomorrow morning, no one will be able to deny you that," he said, and Master Colton stood a little straighter then, his face a little stiffer as he stared at Master Gabriel.
"One shot," he said. "No blood."
"You can't move, though, Colton, move and I'll count it as a forfeit," Master Gabriel warned.
"I'm not going to move," Colton said, his forehead lining in a crease as Phoenix looked back at Master Gabriel, still trying to understand what he wanted, but he only nodded.
She stared at Master Colton then, not knowing how she could shoot him without hurting him, her eyes flicking to glare at the other Masters when some of them started laughing. It would have to hit, that much she knew, but how? She studied him again, then knowing what she was aiming for, but not knowing if it would work as she lifted her crossbow, pulling the trigger, waiting for it to be over and hoping she wasn't wrong. There was a crack, a little fizz of current and a few loud gasps, and she watched that bolt lodge itself into that armband on his wrist, hoping it would be thick enough to block her bolt from reaching his skin. Master Colton stared down at it, his forehead lining in a crease, his eyes then going big and wide, but then he laughed, shaking his head and looking back at Master Gabriel.
"No blood," he said, and Master Gabriel smiled.
"You can keep the bolt," he said, holding his hand out to Phoenix.
She almost didn't hand it over, she didn't want to, that much she knew, but she pressed her fingers to the scanners, feeling it go still and quiet and gave it to him. Something lifted from her shoulders when he took it, a weight she didn't realise she'd been carrying until it was gone, her heart easier and lighter when she couldn't shoot them even if she wanted to.
"So," he said, his voice bright and easy, his eyes and fingers running over her weapon so smoothly, so quickly it was almost like he had made it himself. "I guess that's it, Colton, let's just leave it at that. Back to your place, Phoenix."