This wasn't right—Xander had brought out these wild and dangerous parts of me, but he had earned that privilege.
As Bes appeared before me, I struggled to keep control of myself, fighting against the explosive emotions threatening toconsume me entirely. I took a deep breath and tried to push back the memories and emotions that Xander's touch had unleashed. I needed to focus on the present.
The taste of copper filled my mouth as I bit down on my bottom lip, trying to physically restrain the emotions bubbling inside of me. My tongue tingled with the metallic tang, a reminder of the sharp edges of the Blade of Bane.
Bes appeared before me as I struggled to control myself. His tiny grubby hands wrapped around mine, trying to wrench Bob away from me.
No.
Bes shot back, his ass smashing into the ground with a yowl.
I didn’t have the bandwidth to make sense of what just happened, I was still fighting against the swirling tornados of emotions. But unlike everyone else around me, I’d gone as still as a statue, slowly but surely reigning it all in.
Bes wouldn’t get the satisfaction of getting any of those parts of me.
Hell, even I didn’t givemyselfpermission to feel like that, not without a pair of stormy cerulean eyes to be swept away on.
The surge of energy that had me nearly clawing my way out of my skin traveled through my veins to where I held Bob until it ebbed.
Just when Bes was in front of me a second time, taking another more careful chance at stealing my weapon, I came to myself.
“Don’t toy with my feelings,” I snarled at him.
Bes’ impish grin fell.
With a swift movement, I feigned a strike to the left and then quickly reversed, catching Bes off-guard. The blade connected, and a look of surprise crossed his tiny face.
He disintegrated into a cloud of golden dust, the Blade of Bane absorbing his essence. The crowd around me had thinned,leaving a few stunned onlookers who were trying to make sense of what they'd just witnessed.
A couple of them clapped, unsure if they just witnessed a streetside attraction.
Vegas was so bizarre, people didn’t question much. They usually just stood back and admired the spectacle.
The people released from Bes’ power either blushed hotly, pulled their clothes on, or helped each other up before joining in the clapping. It was as if they believed they were part of some mass Vegas hypnosis trick meant for entertainment.
Pulling out my phone, I called Fallon. In ancient times, he was known as Horus. He was my contact to help clean up any matters that spilled on the street as he had a hypnotic way with people to make them forget any supernatural occurrences. He’d finish up here.
Clutching my wounded arm, I blended into the less crowded streets of Vegas as I waited for Fallon to arrive. The cut was deep and needed to be disinfected and bandaged, but victory thrummed through my blood. I did it. I really did it. I killed a god, trapped him back in the Blade of Bane.
“Miranda?” A familiar French voice reached into my mind.
I stopped short.
“Bob?” Emotion hit me like a tidal wave, as relief and surprise nearly swept me off my feet.
The adrenaline of victory still coursed through my veins, but the sudden return of Bob's voice brought a different kind of rush, one of poignant relief mixed with the unexpected sting of tears threatening to breach my defenses.
“How long have I been asleep? Uck, and what is that taste? Whose blood did I just eat? Blech.”
“It’s good to hear your voice.” My own words, betraying the depth of my concern for the pacifist blade who had been my constant, albeit reluctant, companion.
“Oh, please, don't get all sentimental on me now. You know I abhor melodrama almost as much as I do bloodshed. And speaking of, could we perhaps avoid any more… gory encounters in the future? My constitution is simply not built for such… barbarity.” Bob's attempt at maintaining his usual demeanor of complaint couldn't fully mask the warmth underlying his words.
The corners of my mouth lifted in a wistful smile. “I missed you too, Bob. More than I thought possible.”
“Missed me? I was merely dormant, not on a holiday in the French Riviera. And now, look at the state I'm in. I feel like I've been used as a… a… kebab skewer at a rather bloody banquet.” Despite his grumbling, there was a lightness to Bob's tone that I hadn't realized I'd been missing until now. “And do clean this nastiness off me, if you please. Maybe you could rub Tic-Tacs on me.”
“Tic-Tacs?” That threw me.
