Shai Soi

Chapter 32

To his credit, Derek reacted as soon as Nathaniel stormed through the door. He leapt from his computer and pointed with his glasses. "Slithan," he said stumbling through the back door. Nathaniel vaulted over the counter. "Slithan, there's no need to cause a scene."

Nathaniel's eyes blazed. "You son of a-" He rammed his fist into Derek's jaw.

"Nathaniel!" I was still mad at Derek, but I didn't want him to get hurt. Nathaniel tackled Derek's torso. The boys tumbled into the work room. Derek's head hit the printer but he didn't notice. He was to busy pummeling Nathaniel's chest. Their jaws were jammed closed. Derek's glasses went askew. Their fists flew. Blood flew from their mouths and noses. Derek's fist connected with Nathaniel's temple and opened a cut in the fragile skin. The boys' brutality shocked me to my core. Nathaniel kept shouting that it was Derek's fault- that it was all his fault. Derek slammed his knee into a sore spot and jumped on Nathaniel's chest. The fingers that were usually so glued to the keyboard were choking the air from my friend's lungs. "You attacked Riley! He almost died!" Nathaniel cuffed Derek in the eye both of them rolling with his momentum. They slammed into the printer and the shelves of newly organized books. The sound ricocheted off the walls making my bad ear ring as bad as the day I'd lost my hearing in it.

I was right before. The lion and  hyena were placed on opposite sides of a meaty carcass. And they both went for it at the exact same time.

Shouting wasn't working. They were too wrapped up in their own hatred. I cursed myself for just standing stupidly in the doorway. If I didn't intervine they were going to kill each other.

Then do something!  For once, Arnold said something useful. And for once, I listened.

It was the first time since the raids that I'd turned into anything but a bird to get home. I lunged, my fingers curled into claws. My nose grew and dampened. Whiskers sprouted from my snout. My black lips curled over my teeth and a proud roar errupted from my throat as I wove in between the writhing boys. I retracted my claws and batted them with my paws. They sprang away, chests heaving and eyes like an owl's.

"Stop!" I said once I'd changed skins. "Just stop." I was breathing hard too. Not only was my shara  fresh and active, but my senses were alive in a way I didn't remember. My skin felt like it was doused in fire and rinsed in freezing water- but at the same time I felt indestructable. My ear picked up the buzzing of electronics from Electronic Express five stores down. The other stayed as static as ever. But my nerves finally stilled from its constant twitching; the twitching I'd suffered from ever since the raids. My head no longer throbbed like a hammer was constantly being taken to it. It was wonderful. I stretched with my newfound energy. Shara  surged into my very fingertips. Nathaniel definitely felt it- and it looked like Derek did too.

"Both of you, enough." My voice rumbled deep in my throat. "Fighting won't get you anywhere. Next time you have a problem, don't resolve it like children. Or I swear to everything that lives and breathes that I will hurt you so bad, you will huddle together and cry like the wusses you are, got it?"

Derek and Nathaniel shared a look. Both had taken a beating; their lips were busted and Nathaniel's eye was already swelling. Derek's nose looked broken. But when they looked at each other for three seconds, they busted out laughing. That was a reaction I wasn't expecting, especially because they were laughing together  after nearly pummeling each other to death.

But I crossed my arms and glared at them. "What? You don't think that I will?"

They shared another glance before cracking up even harder. I started towards them but Nathaniel held up a hand and put his other one... where you'd expect a guy would. He was still laughing-crying even- when he gasped, "Oh no. No, you could no doubt beat both of our behinds, but..." He went off into another round of guffaws.