Gretel bares her teeth at Rap in a way that makes her eyes shine like evil oil droplets.
Hansel reaches in his coat pocket and pulls out a thick wad of cash. “Here, this will be more than enough to buy us some time to bend the rules.” Then he throws the wad at Rap. It hits her, exploding into flying bills before settling on the ground. She doesn’t move an inch, except for the narrowing of her eyes. If Rap’s eyes were knives, he’d be sliced to ribbons. But the bar owner is still assessing her opponent, as am I. This Hansel is dangerous, but I haven’t figured out the extent of his danger.
One of the women near Rap tries to surreptitiously bend down to pick up some of the bills.
“Uh uh uh,” Hansel tsks just before he raises a hand and his magic flares. The woman gasps and claws at her own throat.
“My dear, you look positively parched.” Hansel grins evilly. Most people scuttle backwards as the woman continues to gasp and groan. Her lips shrivel and whiten.
“So thirsty for money that doesn’t belong to you,” he lightly scolds while flexing his fingers, playing with the effect on his victim. Gretel lets out a deranged, hyena laugh behind him, openly delighted by his display of power.
Suddenly I know why Red developed the maddening habit of licking her lips. Hansel’s used his power on her. A lot.
Rage bubbles up in me.
“That’s enough, Hansel,” Red says, quiet and steady.
His dark gaze snaps back to her as if he’s forgotten himself. “Yes, indeed. We have much to discuss. I think you have something you want to share with me.”
Supposedly, this recipe the ice mage referenced.
As soon as Hansel’s hand lowers, the girl gasps in relief, having been released from his hold. She scrambles away, but instead of fleeing for the exit, she runs to the bar and half croaks, half begs Cinder for water. Cinder hastily fills a glass and hands it over. The woman downs it with desperation, sloshing most of the liquid down her shirt. Cinder fills two more glasses and sets them on the counter in a line.
Then the bartender shoots such a venomous look at Hansel, I almost believe Red’s earlier claim. That Cinder can shoot laser, death-rays from her dark irises and explode the mage into red dust.
Meanwhile, Goldie alternates clutching her own throat and covering her mouth. I’m not sure if she means to steady herself or keep herself from launching right at Hansel and Gretel.
When I get her to meet my eye I slowly shake my head at her in warning, in case it’s the second. If she throws herself in the way of these two psychopaths, she wouldn’t be helping anyone. She’d only make a target of herself and that would destroy Red. I can’t allow that.
Thankfully, the situation is too tense for me to take the time to dissect that last, ridiculous thought.
Hansel rubs his fingernails against his chest “Now Red, why don’t you come with us? We have much to discuss.”
Gretel moves around from behind him, advancing toward Red with a menacing grin on her face.
I close the distance and step into Gretel’s path.
“She won’t be going anywhere with you,” I inform her in a lazy tone.
“Brex, no,” I hear a breathless whisper behind me.
Is Red concerned about my safety? AndBrex? The nickname causes warmth to extend out from the center of my chest like sun rays. There is absolutely no way they are taking the redhead.
Out of the corner of my vision, I catch Goldie and Cinder move into flanking positions behind Red. Like me, they are ready to spring into action for their friend.
The slim mage girl looks up at me with the curiosity of a serial killer wondering how I would look with my skin peeled off. I bare my teeth at her in a half snarl.
“What are you . . . going to do about it?” Gretel paused halfway into her question before finishing it with a second.
The bouncer limps away as quickly as he can, released from her evil magic.
I let my power come to the surface and my eyes glow as my fangs and claws elongate. “Care to find out?”
Gretel half sneers, half smiles. The bitch is crazy and I recognize bloodlust when I see it. I growl back at her.
“Gretel,” Hansel snaps in warning. She stiffens and narrows her eyes at me before wandering back to her brother. Circling around behind him, she then drapes herself over his shoulders. Her nose nuzzles the side of his neck while her glare remains pinned on me.
Red might not have been wrong about them fucking each other.
