They were caught between a rock and a fiercely venomous snake. If they lied to Lord Siss, he might kill them. But if they told the truth, the poison absolutely 'would' kill them.
The oldest hyena, swallowing a lump of pure terror in his throat, squeezed his eyes shut and decided to follow Kaya's script. It was the only way to ensure the poison in his stomach stayed dormant.
"M-My Lord," the hyena stammered, his voice cracking pitifully. "We... we bring grave news. The Free Clan... the human woman..."
Lord Siss stopped swirling his wine. His slit-pupil eyes, the color of glowing, toxic amber, narrowed slightly. "Speak clearly, mongrel. Did you capture the human, or did you fail the simple task I purchased your miserable lives for?"
