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“What the fuck is going on!” Ruby shouts through the phone’s speaker.
“They’re at the bar. They’re burning the place down. Get everyone here.”
I whip my bag off and toss it and my phone to the ground as I follow Rhys’s lead and barrel into the woman. I have no idea how to fight, but ramming myself into someone’s body seems like a good place to start. My magic isn’t the kind that’s used in battle and the blonde woman obviously has elemental powers. So, this is most definitely a bad idea, but I can’t just stand in the shadows and let Rhys fight this all on his own.
This is his life. A place he built up from nothing. It’s his home and was quickly becoming mine as well. I refuse to let these assholes burn it all down.
My opponent screeches, throwing me off her with more strength than I expected. I’ve foolishly forgotten how strong the Fae are, beyond whatever other gifts they have. Even though we all have some Fae blood running through our veins, it’s nothing compared to their full Fae strength.
Seraphina’s hand slaps my cheek, whipping my head to the side. Blood splatters from my split lip. I don’t know why that triggers something in me. A hidden beast that has been subdued and pushed down for so long that it’s done, just done, with letting others push me around. I roar, although it sounds more like a high-pitched screech, but it’s my battle cry as I let loose all my anger on my adversary.
I lash out, swinging my fists at her, connecting with random parts of her body while she tries to fend me off. We’re rolling around on the ground, fighting for dominance. She gets in another hit, and tries to scratch her long, dagger-like nails down my face, but I jerk my head forward and crack our foreheads together.
Oh fuck! That was a mistake. A really big one. It always looks so much easier in the movies we’ve been watching. My only saving grace is that she appears to be as dazed as I am.
I have no idea what’s happening around us. Is Rhys still fighting Colton? What are the other Fae doing? Are they just standing here watching the ice bitch and I go at it? Typical.
Arms pluck me off of my opponent and I kick and fight until I realize it’s Rhys holding me. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ve got you.” The fight leaves me, and I sag into him, breathing hard.
“Get the fuck out of here, unless you want this entire town to descend on your asses.” Archer’s standing in the middle of the conflict, shadows swirling around him like a cloak of darkness.
I don’t know if he can really do anything with them against this many Fae, but the rest of us could jump in and start beating people up to help. My forehead throbs at the thought and I touch the spot where I connected with the blonde Fae’s head. Ouch. Maybe not.
Two of the Fae have Colton propped up between them, and my heart leaps when I see his sad state. Rhys pummeled him. Rather than fighting, they drag him away, the ice princess stomping behind them with more emotion than I’ve seen from her. She looks over her shoulder, finding me through the shadows.
“We’re choosing to leave now, but this is far from over. It was only meant to be a reminder. Keep that in mind, drudge.”
“Shut your thin-lipped mouth, bitch,” Ruby shouts after her, moving in front of me to inspect me. I ignore her and turn to look at Rhys. He’s bleeding from a cut on his forehead. It’s a mess, dripping down the side of his face and onto the collar of his shirt. There’s a bruise forming on his jaw and his lip is bleeding, too.
“I’m fine,” he says before I even ask. “You need Lena to check you out. I saw that headbutt. You might have a concussion.”
“Who the hell do you think you are, Bruce Lee?” Ruby scolds, and I sigh. She’s not wrong.
“Never again. I’ll never do that again. And hey, I actually got that reference.”
Behind me Davis is making it rain inside the bar, quickly dousing the flames that Seraphina set off.
“See, I knew you were practicing that rain for something good.” Miri ribs from Davis’s side. I don’t know what she’s talking about, but Davis grunts and then starts to chuckle. I honestly think it’s the first time I’ve heard him laugh. Except, for that time he wrote penis on Ruby’s face.
“Rhys,” I murmur, looking at the damage that’s been done.
He wraps his arms around me, tugging my back into his chest. “It’s minor, Zara. Davis got here fast enough and put out the fire before too much damage was done. This is fixable. Everyone is safe. It’s fine.”
Tears spring up in my eyes, and I try to blink them away. He’s right. Everyone is safe. For now. But how long will that be the case? Lena crosses from where she’s standing next to Archer and stops in front of me and Rhys, elbowing Ruby out of the way.
“Can I try to heal you both?”
“Do Zara first,” Rhys insists behind me, and Lena rolls her eyes.
“Of course.” She snickers, looking toward me for agreement before she lays a palm on my cheek. The warm glow of her magic, that reminds me of Rhys and yet is so different, flows into my skin. I sigh in relief as the pain in my head fades away.
“Thank you,” I murmur to Lena as she does the same for Rhys. I frown at Rhys’s bar.
“Let’s get the window covered and we’ll clean everything up tomorrow,” Rhys says. Archer and Davis immediately figure out where they’ve got some plywood at one of their job sites. Before I can catch a breath, everything’s been sorted.
This night might have ended up with a headbutt, a shattered window, and some other scrapes and bruises, but one thing is crystal clear. These people will do anything for each other. And I’m lucky enough to be counted in their number.
