“The little hell-pup in human form. Look at you, wee hound. Those fangs are really doing something for me.”
“What is it with you old bastards callin’ me puppy?” Louie shakes out her bruised knuckles and suddenly crowds into his space, chin tilted up at the wrakh, her smile razor-sharp.
“And Iain?”
“Yes, darling hound?” Iain says, his voice oddly hopeful.
“Get. Fucked.”
Louie spits at his feet, flips him the finger, and then storms back to the car. She jams her headphones on and cranks the volume so loud I half expect blood to pour from her ears.
“Ah, shite,” Iain mutters, still staring after Louie like she’s a bar fight he wants to marry. “Fucked that up, didn’t I?”
Ezra and I exchange a confused look, stunned by the interaction between the wrakh and the hellhound.
The eddies, however, are thriving. A few slither up my arms, gossipy little shits clearly dying to spill the tea. One even taps Ezra’s collar in full “Did you see that shit?” mode.
Ezra takes a deep breath, wraps a protective arm around my waist, then clears his throat.
One of his shadows lingers near Iain’s feet, curling and uncurling, clearly debating if tripping him would be worth it.
“Iain, as much as I enjoyed watching you get decked by a five-foot-nothing hellhound who weighs ninety pounds soaking wet, we have more pressing matters.”
This is quickly turning into the shitshow we expected.
At least Ezra’s trying to wrangle the circus.
Iain rubs his cheek, gaze fixed on the car, wearing the look of a man desperate to get his ass beat by a miniature human hellhound.
“Yeah, alright. So, you two fucked. She got her powers but can’t control them, or even use them. Is that right? And why’sshehere, too? I thought the hellhound would have returned to her canine form by now,” Iain grumbles.
“It seems Louie’s memories and magic are a little muddled after being under the forgetfulness spell for so long,” Ezra says. “We were hoping you could help her, too.”
Ezra sounds hesitant, and for a moment, I’m confused by his tone. But then I remember Iain’s hands on me and realize he’ll have to do the same with Lou.
I burst into laughter, which causes the two brooding monsters to stare at me like I’ve finally snapped. And honestly, that’s not feeling too far from the truth right now.
“Oh, sorry,” I say, wiping a tear from my eye. “It’s just, Louie’s going to hate having your hands on her, Iain. No offense.”
I snort, and Ezra chuckles at my side.
Naturally, the good-natured teasing immediately turns Iain’s mood sour.
“With all due respect, little blackbird, you can both go fuck yourselves.”
Iain’s face darkens. “I don’t need this shite, and I certainly don’t need a fuckin’ hellhound digging around in my skull!”
His muscular body ripples with frustration. From across the driveway, Louie eyes him with pure lust while pretending to scroll through her playlist.
I step forward and put a hand on the warrior wrakh’s shoulder.
“I apologize, Iain. It wasn’t my place to say anything. Will you please help us? Help me? Ezra has some news you might be interested in, and I need to be able to protect myself. I knowyou and Ezra aren’t close. But I thought you and I were at least friendly.”
The air shifts, carrying the warm, sugary scent of kettle corn. For a moment, I’m back beneath festival tents and buzzing string lights, fryers crackling with funnel cake and the ghost of a first kiss on my lips.
My magic wants to be used. And for once, I don’t fight it.
“You better stop usin’ that magic on me, little blackbird. Fuck, you might be better at this than you think,” Iain says, giving his head a rough shake, trying to knock the spell loose.
