by Ellie Margot
Guy cleared his throat. “Well, if it’s bounty hunters, we’re just screwed. If it’s some kind of local law enforcement, we’re fucked.”
“What the fuck is the difference?” asked Mekhi.
Guy glanced at Corin quickly and opened his mouth to speak, but after catching the look Riette was giving him, he closed it. He let out a shaky laugh. “Well, bounty hunters can be bribed away. We don’t have nearly enough money to tempt the police.”
“Why in the actual fuck would there be police out here?” asked Mekhi.
“Do you really mean actual fuck?” asked Guy. “Because you did have some confusion between the fucked and screwed analogy.”
“Stop messing around,” said Cassian. “She’s in real danger here, which means we all are, and until that’s settled, it’s not time to be joking around.” He stood taller and only met Riette’s eyes briefly before looking away.
“They don’t know how to turn it off,” said Riette. “Besides, maybe I need some humor before meeting my end.”
“You all will be if you don’t keep moving downstairs,” said Billy loudly from the back.
They faced forward and walked to the top of the stairs when Guy spoke again. “There has to be police. People need something to rage against, a force to protect them. Without rules, there’s nothing to break. No law, no fun.”
“No shit,” said Mekhi, nodding as he considered it. “That actually makes some sense.”
Corin grabbed Mekhi’s hand, and he touched her head, quieting himself without her outright telling him to.
Riette was almost touched by it before she felt the breath of Billy on the back of her neck through her hair.
“I said move.” The barrel of the gun was shoved in her tattoo, the impact jarring her forward as she bit her lip and closed her eyes, trying to will the flames from her fingertips before she needed them.
Chapter 19
When they got to the top of the stairs, they could see Ella and Trinity looking at up at them from the bottom of the landing. Ella had her faced pulled tight, void of expression, as if anything shown would give her hand away.
Riette considered that was probably the case, and Trinity looked upset, as if she had been crying. Her eyes were puffy and red, and she didn’t look at Riette once but looked at someone slightly above Riette’s shoulders.
Without turning, she knew that Trinity was looking at Cassian. Billy had gone back to taking up the rear, his threat given.
There was someone else at the bottom of the steps. She had long dark hair, run through with sections of blue. She wore a black leather jacket, and her eyes glowed with a slightly green light that seemed to come from far behind them. The only type of being that Riette had seen that had her features was Alex from the bar and upstairs.
They both had faces like they were formed by an artist who had a delicate touch. They both had wide eyes and full lips, and the energy of being other seemed stamped on them from a part of the world that Riette had not witnessed.
Riette saw the woman watching her, checking her over and assessing if she was a threat.
Riette knew the action well because she would see it on her own face as she considered the stranger in front of her. If there had a been a mirror present, she could have confirmed it.
There were other people behind this woman, but they stood far enough back that one could mistake them with shadows. They wore black leather too, and the group was a mix of women and men, though most were women, all of them on the shorter side but solidly built.
When they got to the bottom of the landing, Billy moved to stand by Ella.
The woman watched him go and saw the gun at his side. “Glock M-600? That seem necessary to you?”
Billy stood taller and half of his face was pinched in a grimace. “Better safe than sorry,” he spat.
“I’m of the mind that guns are what people need as a last resort instead of their first,” said the woman. “Unless that person can’t stand without one.”
Billy took a step forward, but Ella stopped him with a hand over her shoulder. She shook her head and never turned toward him.
“Allison, we’re happy you’re here,” Ella said. “A tragedy of this magnitude must be investigated.”
Allison looked at Ella, and her eyes narrowed. She turned toward the group before facing Ella again.
“Where are we setting up?”
“The Great Hall would be more suited than the entryway, I’m sure.”
“Lead the way, and for the love of shit, be quick about it,” said Allison. She looked at the others, and they geared up with all of the weapons that they had with them.
Ella walked through first with Trinity and Billy close behind her. Allison gestured for Riette and her group to go next, and Allison’s group took up the rear.
Guy walked closely with Riette.
“Well, it doesn’t look like Allison is a barrel of laughter,” said Riette quietly.
“No, but did you see her? Fuck me. That’s what I’m planning on leading with. Just an open invitation.”
“We could be dead soon,” said Cassian. “You do know that.”
“But if I get a ride first—”
“Literally, only you would think with your dick first in a time like this,” said Riette. “I’d be more disgusted if I weren’t trying to figure out who is dead and why the fuck I’m in this.”
“You’re always in something,” said Cassian.
“Really, right now?” asked Riette.
“Yeah, man, Have a little respect,” said Guy. He looked over his shoulder and saw Allison behind them. “I mean, what if Allison overheard you?”
“I wasn’t talking about Allison.”
“Yeah, but she would know the kind of people I hang out with, assume they’re all like you, and like me less because of it.”
“What about Trinity?” asked Corin. “Weren’t you in love with her five minutes ago?”
“Why would that mean something has changed with Trinity because I’m appreciating the beauty in front of me? Trinity is love. This would be solely—”
“I’m about to be charged with legitimate murder for killing you,” said Riette.
They walked through the side hallway to a small gathering place.
Ella stood to one side with Trinity and Billy, Riette’s group took up the opposite end, and Allison stood in the middle with her group behind her.
“It’s like a trial,” said Guy. He turned to Riette. “See, a trial is—”
“I know what a trial is,” said Riette, cutting him off.
“If I had the time to pat you on the head for you finally getting something the first time—”
“Shut all the way up,” said Mekhi. “For the love of everything that is good and right in Esper. Please.”
Guy opened his mouth again, but Allison started speaking. “We all know that Frank was a piece of shit.” Ella gasped. Allison rolled her eyes and continued. “But frankly, I think all Elves are.”
She looked at each of them. Riette bit her mouth and took a step forward, but Cassian stopped her with a hand on her arm.
Allison almost smiled looking at her, and she tilted her head.
“It’s no offense to you,” said Allison to Riette’s group. “You all look like you have slightly more purpose than the normal level of shit Ella is pulling in here, but that doesn’t mean I want to be here or be around any of this.”
Allison shifted her weight to the other foot. “In fact, one of these days, this place is going to be shut down, and that will be a pity.” Ella stood up taller, but Allison shook a finger in her direction. “And that’s not because this place should be saved, but because it’ll be much harder to find the horrible people who think this is a place worth spending their time.”
Riette stepped forward, cutting off the invisible line between Ella and Allison.
“I didn’t kill anyone,” said Riette, her voice a growl. The tattoo burned again on her shoulder, and the flames were seconds from appearing
at her hands.
“We’ll get to that,” said Allison. “When I heard someone was dead here, I honestly thought it was one of your power whores.”
Ella bristled. “Why I—”
Allison cut her off as she turned to face Trinity. “Or maybe I thought it was one of your freaks on reserve payroll.” Allison lifted an eyebrow, and Trinity’s face turned pink.
Trinity looked at Guy and Riette but turned away.
“I’m here for facts and not bullshit,” said Allison. “So, let’s try not to waste any more of my time.”
Chapter 20
“The only one wasting time here is you, talking about my business,” said Ella.
“Grandmother,” warned Trinity.
“No, she comes in here and talks about my place of work, my home, with absolutely no respect. We have lost a loved one—”
“You have lost your place,” said Allison. She took a step forward, and the rest of her group moved with her as if tethered to her every movement.
The one woman on her right lifted part of her lip in a snarl as she stepped forward. She was shorter and had a midnight-black pixie haircut that would have been overly severe on others but fit on her. Tattoos covered almost every surface of her skin that Riette could see, and most of the drawings were cartoonish in nature and saturated with color.
“Don’t forget yourself, Ella.”
“Don’t presume to know me or what I do here,” said Ella, but at that, even Billy pulled her back.
Ella shared a look with Billy, and Riette watched Billy shake his head. They didn’t say a word, but Ella turned and adjusted her sweater closer around her.
“You’re right,” she said. “I’m sorry. I’m just so upset over Frank and what this—this—I don’t even want to call her an Elf—has done to him.”
“Excuse me?” asked Riette. “I didn’t do shit to Frank, and if I had, it would not have been anything he didn’t deserve.”
“Not the smartest thing to say for your defense,” said Guy.
Color found its way on Riette’s cheeks, but she didn’t stop. Riette took a step forward. “I will not be accused of shit I didn’t do.”
Allison smiled at her before answering. “But you see, that’s the problem. You can’t stop someone from accusing you. It’s about what you do with the accusation that matters.”
“You’re saying I have options?”
“I’m saying that I’ve never killed anyone that didn’t deserve it,” Allison said.
“Neither have I,” said Riette, shifting her weight to the other foot.
Allison looked her over before turning back toward Ella. “Why do you think she did it?”
Ella adjusted her sweater again and leaned back toward Billy. Tears started to form at her eyes, and she touched her face with the back of her hands. “Well, it started when she got here. She’s been ungrateful. You should have heard how she spoke to us at dinner—”
Allison let out a noise from the back of her throat. She turned toward the short-haired, tattooed woman and mumbled, “I don’t get paid enough for this shit. The next time Dwight asks for something, tell me to tell him where to go with it.”
The girl smiled at her. “You know you never listen.”
“It doesn’t hurt to try.”
“It hurt me that one time,” said the man on the right side. He was taller than all the rest, twice as wide, and had no hair but wore sunglasses inside that hugged his face.
“It grew back,” said Allison. She turned back toward Ella. “What does her being rude,” she stole a look at Riette, “have to do with Frank?”
“Frank was at dinner,” she started.
“Ella, if the entirety of the conversation is this painful, I’ll leave the fucking body here.”
“This girl has been trying to steal from me.”
“Lying piece of sh—” Riette barked. Cassian held both of her arms.
“Watch your fucking mouth,” said Allison.
“You’re swearing,” said Guy. Allison’s eyes cut to him. “Not that it isn’t its own kind of hotness when you do it.”
Trinity made a noise in the back of her throat, but it went ignored.
“I’m the judge, jury, and the—Fuck, what was the other thing called?”
“The guy who kills people,” said the bald guy. He puffed out his muscular chest, and from the look of his forehead, Riette guessed he was rolling his eyes too, not that she could confirm that.
“Yeah, Tommy, but the job has a name.”
“Murderer?” asked the pixie girl.
“Ha ha, Mandy. Remind me to leave you two at home next time too.” Allison took a breath. “I’m the judge, jury, and killer in this bitch, so I do what the fuck I want. You all need to carry yourself with a bit more class.”
“Class is overrated,” said Trinity.
“Shocking words, coming from you,” said Allison, deadpan. “What did she do at the dinner with Frank?”
“She wanted to steal from me, and then when Frank defended me, she yelled at him,” said Ella. She touched her face to wipe a tear from it.
“Utter bullshit,” said Riette.
Cassian didn’t release her, even though she pulled against him. Flames burst to life on her fingertips, but Cassian grabbed her hands and moved to stand in front of her to block Allison’s view of her.
He wasn’t fast enough.
“What’s this now?” Allison asked. “I knew some of you were fire shits, but I’ve never seen that.”
“It’s nothing,” said Cassian. The steel in his voice was showing.
Allison laughed. “And she has this one trained to lie for her? Cute.”
Mekhi made a gag noise that he pretended to hide behind a cough. “Does everyone have to think he’s cute?”
“I wasn’t talking about him,” said Allison. She paused and checked him over from where she stood. “Even though he’s not bad for an Elf.”
“Blow me,” said Guy. He turned toward Cassian. “You drink catnip at night or something?”
“Excuse me?” asked Cassian.
“It’s like it’s seeping out of your pores. You’re not ugly, but this shit? You get a girl like Trinity and then a girl like Allison?”
“He doesn’t have me,” said Trinity. Her cheeks were pink. “It’s not like that yet. And it’s none of your business.”
Cassian opened his mouth to speak, but Allison spoke first. “And what kind of bullshit is this? Have me? Like I’m a shiny new nickel or some shit? What the shit is that?” She turned to Mandy. “I might kill their lot on principle.”
“He doesn’t speak for us,” said Mekhi. “I’d prefer if he,” Mekhi stuck his thumb in Guy’s direction, “didn’t speak at all.”
“So, you’re not all dumb?” Allison asked.
“Just on the weekends,” said Guy.
“Frank was killed, and you all are acting like we’re talking about the weather,” said Ella. Each word was choked. She pointed at Riette. “She threatened Frank, and then he ends up dead.”
Allison looked around the room before landing on Riette. “This true? Did you threaten him?”
“You can’t ask her,” Ella said. “She’ll lie through her teeth to save herself.”
Allison straightened and turned toward Ella. The air in the room shifted, and Allison looked altogether like a different person. Her eyes glowed stronger green, and the room went quiet.
“This isn’t my first investigation.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“I don’t care what you meant,” Allison said. “How I get to the truth—and I will get to the truth—is my business. You forget that it has literally been a courtesy to not poke this place full of the fucking holes that it deserves. Don’t make me forget that kindness.”
Ella swallowed and stepped back toward Billy. She nodded, words unspoken, and Allison turned back toward Riette. She raised an eyebrow but then Ella spoke again. “Trinity saw her do it.”
Allison looked up at the ceili
ng and turned again toward where Ella stood beside Trinity. Trinity’s eyes found Riette’s, but she looked away quickly.
“Is this true?” asked Allison.
Trinity swallowed and looked at the floor before mouthing something, righting herself, and meeting Allison’s gaze head on. “She said she would kill him.”
“When?”
Riette stepped forward. “This is bullshit.”
Allison snapped her fingers, and Tommy stepped forward. He shook his head twice as a warning.
Cassian pulled Riette’s arm back, not with force, but to remind her of the danger she was in.
“When did you hear her say this?” Allison asked.
“Last night. At the bar. Frank tried sitting with us. He hit on her, I think. And then she threatened to kill him.”
“If he came near my people,” said Riette. She shrugged out of Cassian’s hold and walked closer to Allison, stopping just shy of a couple of feet.
Tommy also stepped forward, but Allison shook her head to call him off.
Allison watched her come, and Riette almost froze at the way the green of her eyes felt like warmth on her face, but she didn’t.
Riette’s hands were at fists by her side, and the flames threatened to return as her palms got hotter.
“You’re denying this?” Allison asked.
“I said it, but I didn’t act on it.”
Allison tilted her head. The green glow pulsated once again. “Threats are very serious.”
“So is saying someone killed someone when they didn’t. I take that shit very seriously.” Riette looked toward Ella. “It won’t be soon forgiven.”
“One could call that a threat too.”
“Then maybe I threaten people, but I don’t hurt anyone who doesn’t deserve it. I wouldn’t do that.”
Allison looked at her again, and her eyes flickered. She turned away to face the others in Riette’s group.
“Did she threaten Frank last night?” Allison asked. She moved across the room to be closer to them, looking at each one of them in turn. “But before you speak, know that I will know if you’re lying.”
Allison focused her gaze on Guy. She stepped closer to him. Her jacket was open, and Guy’s gaze was on the thin black shirt she wore underneath.
