policeman strode off. By now, the old woman and the little girl were gone. Emma was shaking, tears in her eyes. “We should go after that bastard and teach him a real lesson.”
“It’s not going to help,” I told her. This time, I was the one who laced my arm in hers. “Come on. Let’s go.”
We moved on to try and find happier things, yet happiness did not appear to be found, because we happened to run into Igor. He was prancing around in the parade in his alicorn form, a long wreath of autumn leaves around his neck. He was trying to show off to a group of women in the corner, who were pointedly ignoring him. A child tried to climb on his back, but Igor bucked him off, and the child went tottering to the ground. He cried as he ran off.
Gods, we all hated the guy. He was deplorable.
Igor saw Odette coming, and clearly panicked. He transformed back into a man and removed the wreath, tossing it to the ground and stepping out of the parade.
“I detest children,” Igor said as we came near. His eyes roved on Odette, before he glared at us. “I thought you were going to spend the festival with me.”
Odette didn’t take the bait. “Why were you showing off for those girls?” Odette asked, crossing her arms. “The only shifters that participate in the parade are the single ones who want to find mates, and the last time I checked, you weren’t single.”
“You make me feel single,” Igor accused. He wrinkled his nose at Odette’s dress, and Theo’s vest. “So now you’re matching with him? That’s cute.”
Theo’s cheeks reddened. Alexei didn’t use his empathy magic to calm him— or anyone else. Kiara grabbed his arm, but he shook his head no.
“We match every year,” Odette protested. “It’s tradition.”
“This is ridiculous! You’ve replaced me with them!” Igor pointed at the lot of us. I didn’t miss that his finger was directed right at Theo.
Odette made an angry sound. “I’m so tired of you being jealous of my friends! It really needs to stop!”
“You know what I’m tired of?” Igor accused. “You lying there like a fish whenever we have sex. If you acted like you enjoyed it, I wouldn’t have to get attention somewhere else.”
Odette stomped her foot. “Well maybe the sex would be better if you actually did something to get me going, instead of just putting it in and having your way!”
“Guys,” I said, embarrassed. They were being really loud, and people were starting to stare. Theo had clenched teeth, and his entire form bristled. He was going to transform any second.
I went to interfere, but Emma held me back. She shook her head, mouthing, Theo needs to get angry.
Is that why Alexei was holding back? To push these three past the breaking point? That seemed dangerous.
But I’d trust Alexei. As a griffin, he knew what emotions were the right ones to have at any given moment, and maybe things needed to blow up before they’d get better.
Igor rolled his eyes. “You know what? You’re too clingy, Odette. I can’t be with a girl who has all these needs.”
“Screw you!” Odette cried. “I’m tired of you! We’re breaking up for good!”
Igor pushed Odette. It wasn’t hard, but it was enough that she tripped and fell backward. She landed right in a mud puddle, splashing dirt all over her beautiful dress.
Everyone gasped. Everyone but Theo, that is, because he had lost his mind. Theo erupted into his alicorn form and put his horn down. He pounded his hoof against the stone before he charged.
Igor saw him coming. He changed into an alicorn, and his horn hit Theo’s as the two collided. People scattered out of the way as squeals and brays erupted from the two stallions. Theo reared on his back legs, and Igor copied him. Their hooves lashed out violently as their heads sparred, horns clashing like two swords on the battlefield.
Theo took his hoof and smashed it against Igor’s nose. Igor fell back, surprised, and squealed as Theo dug his horn into Igor’s shoulder, drawing blood. Theo didn’t hold back with the first blow— he turned around and kicked Igor with his back legs, knocking him down and digging his horn into the alicorn’s sides again and again.
Igor scrambled to get back up, and gave a cry of pain as Theo’s teeth dug into his withers. His hooves slipped on the cobblestone, and blood dripped down his flank as