Yara dropped to her knees, breathing hard, eyes wide as she gulped for air.
Phinehas clenched his fist, then loosened it, seizing Eki's right wrist in a crushing grip. With a sharp twist, he forced Eki to bend toward his own right knee, teeth gritted against the strain.
In one swift motion, Phinehas brought his left palm down hard on the side of Eki's neck.
Eki lunged for his sword, but Phinehas yanked it from its sheath and tossed it to the ground beside Yara.
Recovering quickly, Eki twisted his wrist free and caught Phinehas's left hand with his own, pressing down hard. Phinehas released Eki's right hand and pivoted away, narrowly avoiding a strike aimed at his chest.
Phinehas's left hand slipped free, sending Eki stumbling backward. Eki's fingers lifted to his temple, his heartbeat quickening. A low humming filled his head, and his breath came heavy and ragged.
His vision blurred. He blinked rapidly and Yara was suddenly in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Phinehas behind.
"You rely on drugs to win?" Eki rasped, sweat beading on his brow.
"We try not to waste too much physical energy," Yara replied coolly, locking her gaze with his.
In a flash, she drove her palm into Eki's chest. The blow sent him staggering several meters, yet he kept his footing. His eyes dropped to the sword lying on the ground. He snatched it up and charged.
Yara drew a dagger from beneath her dress and sprinted forward. At the last moment, she ducked under his swinging blade.
Her hand shot out, catching his wrist. She twisted it once, then again until the sword dropped from his grip. In a fluid motion, she spun behind him and struck the back of his head with the flat of her dagger.
Eki collapsed. Yara stepped forward, ready to finish him, but a verse flashed across her mind:
Anger is the death of many but Self control builds many walls.
She froze, then stepped back, eyes fixed on Eki. Sliding her dagger into its sheath, she stood as Phinehas joined her side.
"Let's get out of here," he said.
The moonlight faded quickly. Halfway to Yara's home, Phinehas veered off, sprinting down another path.
Inside, Yara found Zera in the sitting room.
"I hear you're seeing someone worthy of marriage," Zera said after Yara greeted her, a smile spreading as she looked her grand daughter over from head to toe.
"That is not true, Mother," Yara replied, eyes lowered, hands folded neatly in front of her.
"It's not a bad thing, as long as you love each other." Zera's smile widened.
"Come here."
Yara stepped closer. Zera handed her a neatly folded cloth.
"I bought this dress for you. Wear it any day you like. You've grown so much."
"Thank you, Mom." Yara's face lit with joy. The fabric was smooth yet thick, rich beneath her fingertips.
"I need to rest now," Zera said, stretching her neck.
"Good night, Mom. Thank you so much." Yara rubbed the cloth again, her smile widening.
In Zera's room, Walda massaged her shoulders.
"I think they'll get along," Walda said. "Such a dress is rare to find."
"There was no other girl in the house to have it," Zera replied with a small laugh. The two women giggled.
Yara moved through the darkened house, blowing out lanterns. When she touched her doorknob, the door swung open.
A soft snore came from the corner of her room. Yara's brows furrowed. A sour, milky smell clung to the air. She glided across the floor and stepped on something small. Picking it up, she felt the shape in her hands.
"A baby's shoe?" she murmured.
She reached for a matchbox on the nearby shelf, lit the lantern, and turned toward the voice that came from the corner.
"Oh, Yara you're back."
"Be careful," the voice added. "Your sisters are sleeping on the floor."
Yara's jaw tightened. "Why did they put them in my room?" Yara murmured as she set the lantern on the bedside table and walked closer to the corner holding her hands together.
"Hi, Mom. I didn't recognize you. What a surprise. How are you?" Yara asked as she kneeled down to extend a handshake as per the cultural norm.
"Fine. We're too sleepy. See you tomorrow," Asha said, extending her hand briefly before tucking the two girls in.
Yara walked back to her bedside, slipped the new dress under her bed and blew out the light. The sour smell lingered in the dark.