Light surged along the nerves in Liya's face and filled her eyes. "Let go a' me," she snarled, "or I'll break your neck."

The glowing symbols on the leather strap binding her wrist to her neck flashed, and in return the magic seemed to drain, unbidden, from Liya's face. The monster barked a short, humorless laugh.

"Ha! That's fuckin' funny. I know that uniform, you're a Palace healer." Her snake's mouth was twisted up into a smile; the inside of her jaws, like her eyes, seared brightly against her dark scales. She went on, mockingly, "What would you do without that dampening strap on? Heal me to death?"

As the moonlight passed through the membrane of her wings, it skittered off her talons--the foot that was not gripping Liya's leg was held up, out of her reach, curled into a fist. The talons were long, and curved, and looked very, very sharp.

Liya stared at them for a moment, the wind rushing past her head. Then she took a breath and bent double, swinging her free leg down and the upper half of her body up. She grabbed the monstrous foot that was gripping her leg, righting herself, as the monster came flapping to a halt in the air, somehow startled.

"What--let go, you stupid bitch!" she barked, recoiling, so that her free foot with its sharp talons was out of Liya's reach; she held Liya out a from her as much as she seemed able, and opened massive fanged jaws that blazed, hissing. "I'll rip your little arm off!"

Liya wrapped her free arm tightly around the feathered leg, breathing puffs of steam in the cold night. "Try me," she growled.