The street was silent as the other thugs stared at us in stunned shock. “One Brokeback vampire, served cold. Sooo cold,” I chuckled.
Clairebear made an amused chuffing sound.
I pointed at the teddy bear – miraculously still gripped in Claire’s massive claw. “We’re not really into foreplay, but we did try to give you a heads up,” I said, shifting my finger from the teddy bear to Claire. “Practically a flashing sign, really.” I was mildly surprised that the werewolves in the back hadn’t noticed her scent. Maybe they hadn’t ever met a shifter bear.
“And what the fuck are you? A Ninja Nun?” a squat bald man asked me, his jowls quivering like a wet plate of tapioca Jell-O as he indicated my Crucifix. A few of his crew chuckled, but the rest frowned thoughtfully.
I let my hood fall back to reveal my unique white hair, and the single braid hair extension I had chosen for the night’s activities. Most Freaks in town had seen a video of me kicking demon ass with my long white hair and recognized me by it. Those who hadn’t initially laughed along with their pals froze, their previous hesitation now confirmed horror, but the leader just stared, not noticing their reaction or recognizing me. At least some of them recognized me.
“Have you heard about our Lord and Savior?” I asked in a soft tone, shaking out the thick, white braid. I had cut my hair off at the jaw recently, and the familiar weight of the extension made me feel more… me, I guess. I missed it, so had picked up an extension for nights like this when I was bored.
I took a casual step closer, my polite smile turning menacing as I flashed my teeth.
“Because he sure as fuck’s heard about you,” I said.
The three furthest away turned and ran. “It’s her!” one of them screamed as he fled, tossing his brass knuckles to the street in a sign of surrender.
Sometimes, it was nice for a girl to be recognized. To have a reputation.
Claire didn’t let them get very far before tearing after them on all fours, her teddy flopping in her paw at the sudden motion, splashing through the puddles and ruining the beautiful white fur. I smiled at the remaining hoodlums.
“Oh, no. Whatever shall I do?” I said in mock fear.
Chapter 2
The three formed an arc before me, brandishing fangs and claws. A motley crew of the unwashed – tapioca-face looked like a werewolf, a bearded blonde guy that sported fangs from his lips looked like a vampire, and the last was a short, stunningly handsome Fabio lookalike with long, blonde hair below his shoulders, and… pointed ears? A Fae? Huh. Color me surprised.
Faebio, not Fabio.
I hadn’t ever run across one of his kind before. Faebio was the heavy, in my opinion – the unknown variable.
Proving my suspicion, Faebio flung out a hand in my direction and a swarm of strobing lights zipped through the space between us. My black fan appeared – a defensive spell I could call up by instinct – and slapped most of them from my vicinity, but a few struck my coat with a hissing sound. I felt the impact, but it wasn’t any harder than if someone had thrown wads of crumpled paper at me. I glanced down, watching as the embers puffed out like pinched candle wicks to reveal… finger-length pixies. Several of them lay dazed on the wet pavement, gasping and wheezing, eyes dazed. They were female, naked, and had butterfly wings.
I glanced up at Faebio, who had retreated closer to Claire’s Brokeback vampire on the windshield – who was still emitting whimpering wheezes, if it mattered. Faebio seemed stunned that his fiery sprites hadn’t burned through my coat. I knew I was. “Would you look at that,” I murmured, carefully stepping around them so as not to crush their tiny bodies under my boots. “Naked and flat on their backs,” I laughed, repeating Brokeback’s comment from before Claire had sent him hurtling into the windshield like a piece of wet laundry.
I smiled at Faebio. “My turn…” His pixies had given me an idea.
I flung my hands wide, tilted my head back, and then clapped them together before me, the rain making the slap of skin on skin crack like a whip – or a Sister’s ruler on a rebellious church boy’s wrist. A dozen silver butterflies exploded from my fingertips like droplets of water. The quicksilver butterflies tore through two of the thugs like hot knives through butter – especially the werewolf – emitting a pleasant chiming note with each strike.
The vampire and werewolf collapsed, gasping, whimpering and groaning.
With the others down, my butterflies had latched onto Faebio, forming what resembled a chrome feather boa around his throat – except one made of slowly flapping butterfly wings. Right over his vital veins and arteries. He stood as still as a statue, knowing anything else would mean execution by butterfly – a potential cautionary tale he would never be able to live down, ironically speaking. Razor-fly? Butter-flay? I thought to myself. I’d think on it.
I slowly approached, locking eyes with him. I accidentally stomped on the werewolf’s hand as I made my way closer. I might have even ground my heel a little, judging by his gasp.
The ground rumbled as Claire came bounding back up beside me, claws skidding on the wet pavement. She stumbled, clumsily slamming into the car holding Brokeback vampire. The blow knocked him off the windshield and…
The poor bastard struck a fire hydrant.
With his face! I winced instinctively.
Then his legs knocked over a nearby lidless trashcan, spilling the goopy muck all over his chest right as he opened his mouth to gasp in pain from the blow to his face.
I frowned at Claire. She managed to look a little embarrassed – even for a bear – but maybe that was just because all the blood on her muzzle resembled a comical blush. Her lips curled back as she gave Faebio a low warning grumble. He looked properly terrified, but also incredulous. These two women had taken down more than half a dozen of his fellows? I saw his face pale and realized he was staring down at Claire’s lower body. I followed his gaze to see Claire still clutching the teddy bear, which explained her clumsiness with the whole brakes thing.
Teddy was liberally coated with blood. He had also lost one of his eyes and his arm was ripped at the seam, a bit of stuffing hanging out.
I turned to look at Claire’s face again – at all the blood.
“You ate one of them?” I asked her, frowning in disapproval.
She shook her head no, but lifted the teddy bear to wipe across her muzzle as if to tamper with the evidence. She glanced down at it afterwards, letting out an indelicate snort. Then she lumbered over to Brokeback vampire. His prognosis now included a shattered face, and he was probably a high-risk for infection from all the slimy trash painting his body. Well, he was a vampire, so maybe no on the infection. He appeared to be unconscious or heavily dazed, because he didn’t react as Claire lovingly tucked the bloody teddy bear under his arms, folded them, and then grunted, somehow sounding amused.
I jerked my chin for Faebio to go stand beside… Count Brokeback Trashula.
“On your knees, Faebio,” I purred.
His face darkened at the nickname I had given him. The butterflies around his throat abruptly ceased flapping their wings, and his defiance coincidentally evaporated as he sensed their grips tightening on his flesh.
He couldn’t get on his knees fast enough. Right beside Count Brokeback Trashula.
I studied the street, tapping my lips thoughtfully as I pulled out my phone. Then I shook my head. “No. This just won’t do.”
Faebio’s face paled in terror. “I’ll do whatever you want. Please, don’t kill me. I was only with them for the protection they offered! The only safety these days, is in numbers!” he looked about ready to cry, and a distant part of me frowned in disappointment at his lack of dignity. He was Fae, and he was so scared of being alone that he joined a local gang? The streets weren’t that bad.
But I didn’t really care, all things considered. He’d been robbing the poor and innocent. He was scum. “Lie down. You’re the big spoon.” He blinked in confusion, not understanding. I sighed, then pointed a finger a
t Count Brokeback Trashula, explaining. “Little spoon.” Then I pointed my finger back at Faebio. “Big spoon,” I said. With utter shame on his face, he did it, clutching the vampire like they were long lost lovers. I circled them, glancing at the street thoughtfully for a few breaths.
“That was all of us,” he pleaded, assuming I was checking for threats. “Please, you proved your point. Don’t give us to them,” he begged.
My lips tightened, but I didn’t really care about whatever rival gang he was so scared of. I found the perfect spot and smiled reassuringly. I crouched down, finally meeting his eyes. “Say Thank you, Callie, and then give your friend a smooch on the cheek.” And I lifted my phone, ready for the money shot.
Suddenly understanding that I wasn’t going to kill him, he let out a sigh of relief and obeyed. I snapped a few pictures. Claire let out another chuffing laugh. I climbed back to my feet, scrolling through the images. The streetlamp gave off the perfect ambiance – the chaos of the fight and the beauty of love. Like a rose growing from a crack in the sidewalk. One of the pictures had a perfect angle for one of the butter-flays, showing the ever-beautiful Faebio kissing Count Brokeback Trashula on the cheek.
The bloody teddy bear clutched in the vampire’s arms really brought it all together.
Chapter 3
I showed it to Claire, who actually doubled over. Then I showed it to Faebio. “This goes public if I ever see you in my city again. Even if it’s at the beauty salon getting a blow out, getting a fresh manicure at the mall, performing community service at the homeless shelter, or helping a little old lady cross the street.” He nodded adamantly. I knew he was embarrassed, horrified, and distantly angry, but his gratitude vastly outweighed those other emotions. He must have really pissed off this other gang to prefer my treatment to handing him over to them, but I hadn’t heard about any other gangs in town since I got back from St. Louis.
“You’ll also find a way to pay for damages to this car,” I said, indicating the probably totaled vehicle. “And reimburse whatever you stole from the others. How you do that is up to you. But you have forty-eight hours. Or else my butter-flays will get you.” I blew him a farewell kiss and motioned for Claire to follow me.
I took off my backpack and passed it over to Claire, guiding her towards a nearby alley that might provide a modicum of privacy, even though she likely didn’t care. Shifters were very comfortable in their skins – no matter how they had felt when merely human. Like some switch was flipped turning them into a nudist the moment they became a shifter.
Proving my point, Claire was suddenly naked as a jaybird before we hit the alley, chuckling as she reached into the pack for the pair of sweats and hoodie I had stored inside. We pretty much carried spare clothes everywhere, now, since she was a shifter and her changings forced her clothes to rip beyond salvation. She tugged the replacements on, still laughing as her head popped through the neck of the hoodie. “Faebio!” she muttered.
We left the alley after a glance back at our fallen foes – who were still on the ground, probably waiting until they were confident we were gone.
“Bye, Teddy…” Claire murmured sadly as we left the alley, sounding entirely sincere.
I felt myself smiling satisfactorily. “Let’s go shower up. You can crash at my place.”
“This is way more fun than bar hopping,” Claire said, skipping down the sidewalk on bare feet, aiming for every single puddle. “And at least my walk of shame isn’t during the morning commute!” she chuckled, tucking her arm into my elbow. I inspected her outfit and the blood on her face. Then sighed, nodding. “No happy ending, though…”
“It was happy ending enough for me. More pleasurable than most of the guys I’ve tussled with lately,” she added, sounding annoyed.
I grunted. I didn’t want to talk about her sex life. I was in my own purgatory of a dry spell. “You did text Beckett earlier, right? To let him know we were going on a walk tonight?” She nodded, smiling at my codename for our occasional girls’ night out. Beckett Killian was a local detective, and it was easier to give him a little warning ahead of time so that his cops didn’t walk up on a scene they couldn’t explain to internal affairs later. “Good. Send him an update. His secure cellphone.” Whether it did any good or not, it made me feel more responsible. Working with the only police officer in Kansas City that I was certain knew about supernatural events and beings. And didn’t blindly hate us for it.
Claire rolled her eyes at my micro-managing, but nodded. Or maybe her eye roll was due to the fact that I didn’t just text Beckett myself. Claire seemed confident that there were tangled sheets between the detective and me, but nothing could have been further from the truth. Maybe I had considered it at one point. But that was before… well, I had different prey now. But I didn’t want to even think about that right now. Let alone talk about it with Claire – who could extract details faster than a lifelong-vegan-turned-vampire could break his diet regimen.
Simply put, Beckett was better left in the friend zone. I hadn’t spoken with him in months, anyway, only just now beginning to reach back out to him via Claire, who had remained in contact with him in my extended absence.
“Just do it, Claire. I’m tired. No lip,” I warned her.
“Sure thing, Sister—” The sound of slapping feet made us both stop and spin around, ready for round two. But it wasn’t a rematch.
A woman darted out of an alley behind us, running straight for Faebio who was still lying where we had left him, stiffly cuddling his buddy. Count Brokeback Trashula was only just now struggling to get up. Faebio looked suddenly conflicted. Seeing the woman suddenly running straight at him seemed to put him in a very awkward position. Did he dare move out of her way and possibly risk my wrath?
She saved him the trouble, launching over the two just as the vampire was finally propping himself up on shaking elbows. The woman’s foot clipped Count Trashula in the jaw, snapping his head sideways. She stumbled a bit, not having anticipated him trying to get up in the middle of her jump, but she caught her balance and resumed her flat-out sprint, brown hair fanning out behind her.
Whether conscious or not – Count Trashula squeezed the teddy bear and let out a pained whimper, as if hoping Teddy would keep him safe from further pain.
Any other time, I would have burst out laughing. But then I heard pounding feet from the same alley which the woman had just fled. Three figures burst from the shadows, eyes flicking over us with a quick threat assessment, but then one of them spotted the woman they were obviously pursuing fifty yards down the street, and still hauling ass. They turned to chase her down like a pack of wolves.
The first man accidentally stomped down on Count Trashula’s hand before hurtling over him. The vampire gasped, head rising up instinctively, and was in the perfect position to get clipped in the nose by the second pursuer’s boot, sending him skidding into another trashcan.
Faebio, sensing the cloud of misfortune surrounding his buddy, had wisely scooted away to squeeze his back against the broken vehicle, consequences of my anger be damned. He looked absolutely petrified as he stared at the three men racing past him. The three new strangers paid them no mind, sprinting after the woman.
I shared a look with Claire. Then she exploded into her bear form, ruining her spare set of sweats, and we gave chase.
If I had ever seen a woman in need of protecting, it was this one right now.
The trio rounded a corner, disappearing from view as we poured on the speed. When we got to Count Trashula, he let out a shriek, clutching his hands and – incidentally, the teddy bear – to his chest. Faebio was whispering something to himself, but all I caught was them… as he visibly shook with fear.
I ignored him, eager to reach the woman in time to help her. We rounded the corner, Claire using a lamppost to slow her momentum, but only managing to tear it loose from the concrete with a squeal of bent metal. The man in the back of the group glanced behind him at the sound, sneering hatefully before slipping into
an alley ahead of us. I heard him shout out a warning to his pals, his voice echoing off the alley walls. I ducked into the alley, ready for a sword to decapitate me or something, but found no enemy. I pressed on deeper into the gloomy, putrid alley until I came to a brick wall.
I skidded to a stop, jerking my head to either side, trying to find out where they had all gone. There was no exit. Not even a fire-escape. I quickly checked the doors leading inside some of the buildings, but they were all locked tight. And there had been no other intersections for them to take.
Claire was sniffing a small pile of broken glass near a wall. Then she snorted, backing up a few steps as she shook her massive head. I approached warily, taking in the earthy scent that only barely masked the scent of nearby trash dumpsters. Blue vapor rose up from the glass shards. I shared a long look with Claire.
“Where the hell did they all go?” I said.
Claire glanced up at the walls towering over us, shook her shoulders as if annoyed, and then shifted back into her naked human form, having destroyed the second outfit for no real benefit.
There was no way they’d had time to climb their way out. Unless the three men had scaled a fifty-foot wall in record speed… they had just disappeared. I scooped up a few larger pieces of the glass and noticed an inky blue substance staining the surface. I wrapped them up in a slip of fabric from Claire’s sweat suit lying on the alley floor and shoved the bundle in my pocket.
With a tired sigh, I gave up. We only had one change of clothes for Claire and I didn’t want to risk calling a taxi with my friend naked and covered in blood. I opened a Gateway on the spot – a ring of fire illuminating the dark alley. Through the center of the fire was a hazy view of my apartment. Wizards knew how to travel in style.
I was ready for bed. Claire hopped after me through the Gateway in silence, letting out a tired sigh as I let it close behind us. I let my backpack drop to the floor, wondering what to feel about this bizarre night.
Feathers and Fire Series Box Set 2 Page 2
