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“It means that you’re going to continue to hold hands and form your little bonds. And when your Axis is complete, you’re going to do whatever we tell you to.”
I don’t even bother responding because Ruby needs my help. My thoughts tumble and crash around in my head. I can’t best him with magic. What can I do? Illumination strikes and I take a cue from Ruby, only I don’t have any free hands. So I don’t punch.
I kick.
I launch my foot into Colton’s dick so hard that things may have retreated up inside him.
The sound he makes is beautifully pained. It’s somewhere between a squeak and a whine that keeps going until it’s a thin whistling sound. He drops his hold on both Ruby and me, in order to cup his groin as he drops to the ground.
The moment he releases us, Ruby is able to gasp in a breath. I wrap my arm around her waist while she sucks down one gulp of air after the next.
Meanwhile, Colton has melted onto the sidewalk, rocking on his side. Ruby untangles from my side, her face still red and her breathing rapid as she glares down at him. She lifts her shiny red vinyl boot and kicks him right in the dick. Again. Sure, his hands are currently covering himself, but there’s no doubt it still hurts like a thousand fires licking over his skin. I really hope she broke some of his fingers, too.
“If you ever touch me or my sister again, I won’t just kick your balls. I will clip them off with my garden shears while you watch. Then I’ll leave them out in the woods for the animals to eat. You’d better hope Ezra doesn’t find out about this. I’m the nice one out of the two of us. He’s fucking crazy.”
With that declaration, Ruby grabs my hand, squeezing my fingers as we walk away. We may have gotten the upper hand in the end, but I’m scared about retaliation. What will Colton do now?
“We’re going back to Ezra’s. We need to call the others.” Ruby and I walk as quickly as possible. We’ve both been pushed past the point of tired. My feet drag, heavy like there are weights tied to them. My jog is more of a shuffle than a sprint.
Ruby doesn’t bother getting her phone out until we’re out front of Ezra’s clinic once again. I slump against the door while she sends a text message to everyone.
The door opens and I yelp in surprise as I fall back, only to be caught in the solid strength of Rhys’s embrace. Heat from his body immediately warms my chilly skin. When did I get so cold?
“Hello again. Couldn’t stay away.” The smile falls off Rhys’s face as takes in my rattled state. He rips his eyes away long enough to glance at Ruby and then back at me. “What happened? Come inside.”
Ruby’s right on our heels as Rhys wraps an arm around my waist and all but carries me inside.
“The others are still upstairs.”
“Let’s go.” Ruby brushes past him and stomps up the stairs like they’re responsible for Colton’s actions.
“What happened?”
“Zara kicked Colton in the dick, so then I did too.” Ruby’s already at the top of the stairs. She doesn’t stop at the tattoo room but keeps moving farther down the hall. We follow her into a larger room that looks more like a living room, with a couch and some cushy looking leather chairs arranged around a large television hanging on the wall. Archer and Lena are sitting on the couch and Ezra’s sprawled out in one of the chairs.
“Who’d you kick in the nuts now, Cube?” Ezra grins at her.
“Colton Zima, after he magically choked me out.”
“What?” Ezra roars. He’s up on his feet and in front of Ruby before I can blink. His hands are on her throat in the next second as he inspects her for damage. Ruby’s body collapses a little, but then she pushes him away.
“I said magically. You’re not going to find fingerprints. I think.”
Rhys’s hands are gently exploring up and down my back, carefully avoiding my bandaged tattoo. They roam over my arms and brush my hair away from my shoulders.
“I’m okay. Just spooked.”
“What did that cocksucker do? I’m going to rip his testicles out through his mouth and wrap them around his neck like a collar. Then I’m going to drag him through town like the good little doggie he is.” Ezra’s shoulders are hunched, but look larger. His eyes are shimmering, almost like they’re reflecting light.
“I told him you’d do much worse to him than me.” Ruby smiles up at him and a charge of energy sings through the air between them.
“God, you two are fucked up. Zara, can you tell us what happened, since apparently Ruby and Ezra are only going to speak in terms of violence.” Archer puffs out a breath. He and Lena are still on the couch, but they’ve shifted to take in the activity of the room.
I lean into Rhys, letting his strength seep into me and provide the support I need. “Colton came up behind us. He made some comments about how he could smell the magic we were doing on us. Then he said we were going to keep forming the Axis so we could be his puppets. Essentially. After that, he grabbed Ruby and did something that cut off her air. That’s when I kicked him in the groin.”
Everyone grins at me like they’re so proud. It’s an odd moment.
The sound of the door slamming downstairs makes me jump. Rhys stiffens next to me, but then Miri’s voice calls up to us. “Where is everyone?”
