Heart of Vengeance (Alice Worth #6) - Lisa Edmonds Page 0,133
looked supremely annoyed at the interruption.
“Now that is looking resplendent in the blood of your enemies,” Lucy said under her breath. “I’m a little turned on.”
I was too, truth be told. And if Broken World Charles liked dangerous brunettes, he would probably have rolled over at the newcomer’s feet, then sat up and begged.
“Aira,” Tis said in greeting. “You are late.”
“Hardly. The wine has not yet been poured.” Aira pulled a chair away from the table and sat. She whistled.
A small demon scuttled out of the shadows near the rear door. Naked except for a scrap of cloth, the red-skinned creature had long, thin arms and legs scarred from the claws of his own kind. Chittering in his own language, he crouched in front of Aira. She propped her feet on his back and crossed her ankles. He looked up at us and hissed. Esme hissed back.
“Behave,” Aira said, flicking a finger at the demon. He squealed in pain and crouched lower, chittering apologetically.
She reached for one of the jugs, poured herself a cup of wine, and took a slice of bread. She still hadn’t acknowledged us. “Ekto is angry with me.”
Tis sighed. “You killed her favorite pet again. She is entitled to her anger.”
“Ro-nan,” Aira drawled, saluting him mockingly with her cup. “You’ll be glad to know she is not in the city at present. Her many faithful followers would be delighted to present your skinned carcass on her return. I’m tempted to cheat them out of their reward and do it myself.”
“You’re most welcome to try,” Ronan said. “Perhaps after you hear our case, I’ll humor you and give you a chance.”
Her eyes darkened to storm cloud gray. “Pompous hindquarters of a donkey.”
A tiny snicker escaped before I could hold it back. Aira’s gaze focused on me for the first time. The temperature seemed to drop about twenty degrees. “You mock me?”
“Not at all.” My voice sounded too much like a croak, so I cleared my throat before I added, “It’s just that I’ve called Ronan an ass a dozen times in the three days I’ve known him.”
Her eyebrow arched. The surge of power sizzling on my skin faded. “Indeed. We are of one mind, then.”
Ronan made a rumbly sound.
I blinked. Had I just accidentally bonded with a Fury?
A fraction of a second later, I was sprawled on the floor next to Lucy, with Ronan’s arms pinning us flat. He’d taken us down faster than I’d ever seen anyone move—vampires included. He’d even managed to grab Esme from my shoulder so she didn’t fall, and got severely scratched for his trouble. Daisy dropped to her belly beside us.
Several orbs of silver-blue fire blasted over our heads from the direction of the front door. Aira swatted them away, her hands glowing with the same energy. One fireball vaporized a half-dozen tables and left a smoking hole in the far wall. Another took out more tables and chairs and a chunk of a support column before Tis did something with a flick of her hand and the magical fireball fizzled out in midair.
A third woman stomped past us in a floor-length black gown, bare feet, and obsidian jewelry. Her long flame-red hair swirled around her head either with the force of her power or her anger, or both. She raised her hand to throw another fireball at Aira.
“Enough, Ekto.” Tis rose, her palms flat on the table. “We have petitioners. You might have killed them.”
Ekto kicked a chair out of her way. It sailed the entire length of the room and exploded against the back wall. “Fine,” she spat.
Sensing the immediate danger was over, Lucy and I sat up. Ronan deposited a very pissed-off Esme in my hands and stood, radiating anger.
“You always side with Aira.” Ekto dropped into a chair and glared at Tis. “She killed my hound,” she added petulantly. “Again.”
“It pissed on my front steps.” Aira waved her hand dismissively. “You’ll get another one, or you’ll bring that one back. It’s hardly worth fussing about. You’re so dramatic, and so careless.”
“I am not careless,” Ekto retorted, pouring herself a cup of wine. “I didn’t kill the humans, did I?”
“Had I been a moment slower, you might have,” Ronan snapped. “No weapons or magic to be used on the premises, for the safety of all. Is that not the one great rule of your Court, Tis?”
She leveled a withering stare at him. “You quote rules to us, oath-breaker?”