White Witch, Black Curse

I doubted that would happen with Holly, and Mia reached up and touched his hand. "Remus, love," she said, eyes on mine. "I'm not turning us in. I'm finding out if the FIB is taking me seriously. She warned them, and if they come, I'll know their answer."

Oh. Shit. Heart pounding, I dropped my hand below the top of the table and gripped my gun with both hands. Show of lethal force or not, if you twitch, I'll down you both. "Think about it, Mia…You broke the law. You either live by society's punishments or live outside it in the abandoned stretches, off scraps. You said you made this city. You're really going to leave it? Killing me won't help you. It will tick them off."

Ford stood, and Remus tensed, held in check by Mia's hand on his, atop her shoulder. "You told me you weren't going to hurt anyone," the psychiatrist said. "I believed you."

Mia jiggled Holly as she fussed. "At the time, I thought the FIB was smarter than that. Clearly the FIB won't listen until scores of them are dead. But they will listen. The witch is shunned, dross I can kill with impunity."

She's nuts! She is freaking insane! Behind me, I felt Pierce turn. It was the eeriest thing I'd ever felt, but I swear, I felt him turn. In an instant, Jenks was before me, shedding hot sparkles. "I wouldn't say impunity," the pixy said, blade pointing at her.

"I'm of a mind to agree with the pixy," Pierce said from behind me.

I watched Remus assess them, but it was Mia who said, "What the devil are you? You don't even have an aura!"

"So I've been told, and if you're powerful smart, you'll pull foot and not look back."

Holly started to whimper, and Mia jiggled her, gaze rising up to Remus. Behind me, I heard the clatter of boots and the jingle of the door as someone left. They were going voluntarily now, and the place was almost empty. I turned to the counter. Junior was there, staring, frightened. "Call the I.S.," I mouthed. This was too much for the FIB. No way.

Remus saw, and in a bellow of rage, he ran at Junior.

I bolted upright, gun tracking Remus, but I didn't have a clear shot. Ford dropped, staying out of the way. A woman gasped and ducked under her table.

Junior's eyes widened at Remus. Shouting a word of Latin, made strong in his fear, he set a circle. Remus ran right into it as he tried to jump over the counter. Blood spurted from his nose as he fell back, bellowing as he hit the floor. Pierce grabbed his arm, and Remus smacked him with an unfocused blow that sent him reeling. Catching his balance, the small man licked his thumb and fell into a boxer's stance. He was going to get himself killed. Again.

"Git the blood out of your eyes and stand so I can row you up salt river," Pierce said, then made a face at me to get on with it. Jenks, too, was shrilling at me to shoot him. But it was too late. I couldn't hit one without hitting the other.

"Don't kill him, Remus," Mia was saying calmly. "I think I know the little man."

"Back up, Rache!" Jenks exclaimed, darting from one end of the shop to the other. "Before she starts sucking on you!"

And Al was laughing, almost choking on his grande latte as he clapped.

A chair scraped as Mia stood. The scent of cold cement and mold flowed from her and Holly. I backed up. My hand had crept up to my throat, as if I could feel cold fingers there. "Killing me isn't going to stop the FIB, Mia," I said, thinking this was a great time to be having a flashback to Kisten's killer.

Mia stood, the table between us, Holly holding tight to her as the baby howled. Behind me, Pierce grunted as he took a blow, and something crashed. "You're mistaken," she said, eyes on me, not the fight behind me. "Killing you will stop everything. Remus, quit playing with that dead man and hold the witch down. Holly is hungry."

Oh my God. That's why she hadn't touched me yet.

There was a thump and Pierce groaned again. I turned to see Pierce slumped against the wall among the remnants of a table. Grinning, Remus came at me with grasping hands. I shoved a chair aside for some room and kicked off my heels. Pissed, I swung the barrel up, and at the bottom of an exhale, I pulled the trigger.

"No!" Mia shouted, but the little blue plastic ball hit him square in the chest. Potion soaked his shirt and splashed up to his neck—and the man dropped. I danced back as he fell into the table, and from there to the floor. Coffee went everywhere. Thank you, God. Now for Mrs. Bitch.

The door jingled, and I turned. "Damn it!" I shouted as Mia's silhouette raced past the window. Ford was tight behind her. What in hell was he doing? "Pierce? Jenks?"

Pierce was getting up, shaking his head from Remus's blow. Jenks hovered over him, dusting heavily to stop the cut on his head.

"Jenks, stay put. Tell them to bring some salt water. I'm downing her."

"Rache! Wait!"