“You don’t belong here. Go back to your hovel, you dirty Dark rat!” The taller of the two stepped forward, and she frowned at the shadow of a beard along his jaw. Older than she thought then.
When he shoved against the child before him, the body still blocked to her vision by their own, a muffled cry of rage rang out.
Disturbances in the Light drew attention, and Lux wasn’t surprised when the Shield charged around the corner in quick response, baton drawn in a threatening wave. Lux’s back, remembering its injury, throbbed. The party was oblivious, but rather than intervening, the guard slowed, observing. Then smiling. His eyes found Lux’s, and his grin turned taunting.
Did he know who she was?
With a flourish, the baton was swallowed by his uniform once more and, following a mocking nod of respect toward her, he disappeared from view.
“Useless.” Lux let the word ricochet against the brick walls and observed the boys’ spines straighten only to curve again. A shout rang out from the squat one as a small boot stomped upon his own. The cornered rat was a fighter it would seem.
The taller boy, older than even Lux, turned toward her as the shorter wound his hand through a clump of thick, blonde waves.
Aline growled, punching him in the gut with as much force as she could muster while nearly bent in half.
“Can we help you?” No recognition showed on the taller boy’s face.
“No. I won’t be needing your help.” Lux drew the winding blade from her corset. “Kind of you to ask, though.”
His eyes widened, regarding the dagger’s progress as she played with it. The shorter boy had Aline on her knees now, pushing her head down with all the strength he could gather while attempting to avoid her thrashing fists. She connected now and then, but other than a grunt or an oath, the boy refused to release her.
Lux pitched her voice so the one restraining Aline could hear. “It’s rather embarrassing to admit, but I’ve not been practicing as I should. My aim is poor. I do know I won’t hit the girl, but I’m not sure if the blade will sink into your thigh as I’d like. It’s just as likely it’ll bleed you out through your gut. Or stop your heart.” She sighed dramatically, pulling back, raising the handle high. “I’ll try my best not to kill you. My sincerest apologies if I do.”
Aline came up swinging upon her release.
Her small fist just reached the jaw of the squat boy, and though he didn’t stumble, his head rocked back with a jerk. She kicked him in the groin. She kicked him in the shin. She punched him square in the eye.
“Aline.”
The older bully had already fled at Lux’s threat, abandoning his friend. And judging from the whimper of the boy knocked to his bottom on the stones, he longed to run as well.
Brown eyes swung to her own, narrowed and searing, and it was enough time for the boy at her feet to rethink his prospects. Clutching a swollen eye, he took off down the street.
“What?” Aline straightened, smoothing her hair even as her knuckles bled into the light waves.
“Nothing. Only wanted to distract you from beating that boy to pulp on the street.” Lux replaced the blade, tucking her hands in the pockets of her skirt.
“He deserved it.”
“Probably. But then I’d be forced to revive him after his parents dumped his smelly body on my table.” Lux wrinkled her nose. “I really did it to spare myself.”
Aline snorted, trying, and failing, to coax her knuckle to clot.
Lux continued past her, the sun breaking through the clouds for a second to embrace her skin before retreating once more.
“Don’t tell Shaw.”
Lux smiled. A little thoughtful. A little annoyed.
A little sad.
“I don’t tell Shaw anything.”
Chapter thirty-five
“Lucena!”
Riselda’s voice rang from the doorway of a shop that Lux had never possessed the desire to enter. From the displays alone, the floor to the ceiling must be compiled of the brightest, most expensive dresses and fabrics in existence. She recoiled from the mass bulging behind her aunt’s form.
