by David Petrie
“Mana fence,” Corvin corrected.
“Whatever.”
Corvin pulled out his inspector and held it out to display a series of photos he’d taken. Ginger leaned over to see, the others crowding in behind her.
“Damn.” Max rubbed at the scruff on his chin. “Think you two can get through it?”
“No way in hell.” Kegan let out a mirthless laugh. “The beams are too close together for a full-sized player.”
The room immediately turned to look at Kira.
“Blarg.” The fairy slid lower in her seat. “It’s not enough that I have be the honeypot, but now I gotta crawl around on a floor under a bunch of laser beams too.”
“Mana beams,” Corvin corrected.
Max laughed. “At least you’ll be earning your cut.”
“Yay.” Kira rolled her head back and forth on the couch cushion. “One more thing to worry about.”
“Actually, it’s two things.” Corvin swiped to a different image of a metal floor. “Recognize this?”
Ginger squinted at the picture. “No. Should we?”
“It’s the same floor that’s in the Fire Tomb. Kegan and I did it again when I first switched classes.”
“Oh, now I remember.” Max’s eyes rolled up and to the side. “That’s the floor that sets off a fire trap if you step on it.”
“Wait, so I can’t even touch the floor?” Kira sat up straight. “How is that gonna work?”
“Maybe, maybe not.” Corvin fidgeted with his inspector. “The floor seems to have a tolerance, so a fairy might not weigh enough to set it off. I’m going to need to stop by the Fire Tomb to test that theory, though.”
“I’ll come help,” Kegan stood abruptly. “I don’t really want to be stuck on the roof by myself until logout. Can we get a teleport to Thrift? It’s closest to the Tomb.”
“Wait a sec.” Ginger glowered at the pair. “What makes you think the pressure plate has a weight tolerance?”
“Umm,” Corvin froze for a second, “because I kind of dropped my inspector on it, and it didn’t go off.”
Max snorted. “Yeah, that makes sense.”
Ginger shook her head. “Well, on that note, I’m going to make a trip back to Fashion Souls and see what Larkin can do to hook us up with some beachwear. Think I could get a ride in the Cloudbreaker?”
Max got up. “Sure, I actually had something I wanted to ask Larkin about.”
“Thanks. And hey, you can help me pick out something cute out for these two.” She winked at Kira and Farn. They both grimaced as Max made a show of rolling his eyes. Ginger grinned, noticing a pinkish hue that invaded his cheeks to betray him. Her chest warmed at the sight. He was still fun to tease.
Kira snapped open a caster to set up a teleport for the others while Farn remained where she was standing behind the sofa. For a moment, the Shield opened her mouth but then closed it again without saying anything.
“You want to go back and watch the movie, don’t you?” Kira guessed.
Fan nodded sheepishly.
Kira laughed. “Okay, I’ll join you after I teleport the guys. But let’s go find a different theater. I’ve had enough of the palace for one night.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Max struggled to think of something to fill the silence as he walked next to Ginger through the alley that lead to Larken’s shop. They had seen each other pretty regularly in the last year but almost never alone. At least, he knew she wasn’t interested in him. She might’ve teased him every now and then, but he could roll with it, knowing that she didn’t actually mean anything by it.
He shoved his hands into his pockets, resigning to walk in silence all the way to Fashion Souls.
Ginger had other plans.
“So what says Lady of House Lockheart more—a tasteful one piece or something that shows everything?”
“Whatever you think is best.” Max rubbed at the back of his neck as he escaped the question.
Ginger narrowed her eyes. “You know, it kinda defeats the purpose of asking your opinion if you don’t answer.”
Max forced himself to look straight into her eyes. “Go with less. You’ll be more distracting to Berwyn’s Serpents.”
“I agree, just be sure you don’t get distracted too. You might miss a shot or something if you’re too busy with the view.” She punctuated her warning by humming a couple notes.
“I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”
“Oh, really?”
“Absolutely.”
“Not even a glance?”
“Of course not, I have too much respect for you.”
She eyed him for a moment. “You’re no fun.”
“Sorry, we’re friends. Checking you out might give me a really weird boner.”
Ginger burst out laughing. “I take it back, you’re still fun.”
“I know.”
“Well then, how about Kira?” She gave him a playful nudge. “What would you like to see her in?”
Max snorted. “A freaking parka if I have a say.”
“Yeah, 'cause that will keep Berwyn interested. I was thinking something tempting that shows off her finest feature,” Ginger thrust out her rear, “by which I mean her backside.”
“Yeah, I got that. You’re not subtle, and good luck getting her to wear it.” Max thought about the prospect. “Watching her fight you tooth and nail would be entertaining for me, though.”
“You might be right. I should ask Larkin to make her something cute rather than sexy. That would fit her better, and she might not put up too much of a fight if we’re reasonable.” Ginger tapped one finger to her mouth. “But there’s no way I’m gettin' her a one piece. That would be blasphemy.”
Max thought about it from a practical standpoint. “Just make sure not to get her anything with frills to loose strings.”
“That is weirdly specific.” She raised an eyebrow.
“I mean for the heist.” He shook his head. “She’s going to need something form-fitting in order to get through the laser grid without crossing a beam.”
“Mana fence,” Ginger corrected.
Max ignored her. “Kira can’t wear her gear for that. So I figured she would feel more comfortable in a swimsuit than crawling through in her underwear.”
“That’s,” Ginger chewed her bottom lip, “really considerate of you.”
Max shrugged. “She’s been going through some stuff after everything that happened last year. I don’t blame her. She did almost die. Plus, I’m a little worried about the direction this mission has headed in, so I don’t want to make it harder on her if I can help it.”
Ginger stopped walking for a moment before jogging a few steps to catch up. “Okay, but now that we’ve covered that fact that you have no interest in seeing me and Kira in something sexy, I have an important question.” She grinned and rubbed her hands together. “How much of Farn would you like to see?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Max asked, despite knowing exactly what she meant.
“I know she’s acting as Kira’s guard, but she should still get to enjoy the beach. I mean, when are we going to be back there? And you know, you might want to take the opportunity to find out what she looks like under that armor.”
“I don’t think she would appreciate me ogling her.” Max crossed his arms. “Hell, she’d probably kick my ass.”
“True, true.” Ginger waggled her eyebrows. “But you are going to ask her out at some point, right?”
Max just let out a long sigh and stared up at the night sky visible between the buildings. “Kira was just bugging me about this. Do I really need to get it from you too?”
“I’m sorry that we bug you, but we care about you both. Is it wrong to want to give you two a little push in the right direction?” Ginger gave him an affectionate punch him in the shoulder.
Max stayed quiet for a moment, deciding whether or not to let her in on the real reason he still hadn’t asked out Farn. He glanced to the woman beside him, her
eyes pleading with him. It was obvious she meant well, and he did trust her, even if she was a bit of a busybody. Case in point, the current conversation.
He furrowed his brow. Ginger was actually the smartest person he knew. Last year, when he’d been nursing his bruised ego and terrified of losing his best friend, she had been the one that said the words he needed to hear. He respected her for that, so maybe she could help him with the dilemma that he had been worrying about alone for months. It would actually be good to have an accomplice.
He took a deep breath.
“Okay, for starters, I will not be asking Farn out, ever.”
Ginger flinched at the words, like each one hurt. “But I thought you liked her?” Her gaze fell to the ground, crestfallen.
He exhaled slowly. “I do like her. She’s one of the best women I know. She smart, cool, and really fun to be around.”
“But?”
“But I can’t ask her out. Not when I’m not the right person for her.”
“What?” She stopped dead in place, then tilted to the side.
Max placed a hand on her shoulder. “Okay, what I’m going to tell you is something that you can’t tell anyone.”
Her eyes grew wide, suddenly flooded with a curious sparkle. She dragged two of her fingers across her lips and twisted them as if turning a key. Max braced himself.
“As much as I hate to admit this, I have spent enough time in social situations to know when I’m a third wheel.”
“And?” she asked, sounding confused at the sudden change in direction.
“And in the last year, that’s exactly how I feel when I hang out with Kira and Farn.”
Ginger leaned closer. “Wait, what?”
Max thought back over the year, feeling a warm ache in his chest. “For example, remember the other night when you three started Lockheart together. Wouldn’t you say that the two of them are a little too in sync.”
Ginger stared off into space for a moment. “Okay, yeah, they do finish each other’s sentences and play off each other well. But that doesn’t mean–”
Did you see how Kira snuggled into Farn’s hand back in the suite when she touched her hair? Have you seen that little goon that happy without food in front of her? Or how protective Farn is of her?”
Ginger's mouth dropped open. “Do you think they have feelings for each other?”
“Maybe,“ Max sighed, “but I don’t think they’ve realized it. Kira seems dead set on avoiding her personal issues to a point where she’s sworn off dating, and Farn is just an awkward mystery.”
Ginger’s cheeks swelled like she might explode as a growl erupted from her throat. “Oh, that stupid little fairy, why can’t she just be honest with herself? And why the hell has she been trying to help me get you together with Farn?”
“Mostly because she is an idiot and just wants to make her friends happy.” Max lowered his head. “I’ve been single for so long; I think she’s prioritizing being a wingman to help me out. Either way, Kira and Farn have a minefield of problems standing between them, what with one of them having a different body in the real world. I’m not even sure Kira knows what to identify as.”
Without warning, Ginger slapped him in the arm, continuing to do so repeatedly
“Hey! What did I do?”
“You could have brought this up with Kira at any point to help her work through things. But instead, you let months go by because god forbid you talk about each other’s feelings. Not to mention that you never asked Farn out because of the bro code. You’re all a bunch of idiots.”
“Sorry. I didn’t know what to do, and I want them to be happy too.” Max rubbed his arm, noting the loss of a small amount of health.
“Fine, I guess that is pretty sweet of you.” Ginger let her arms fall to her sides. “But you’re still a bunch of idiots.”
“Why are you so hell-bent on getting people together anyway?”
Ginger’s shoulders fell. “I guess because it lets me live vicariously. I missed my chance at love already, so I try to push my friends ahead before they do too.”
Max scoffed. “Now who’s the idiot? You’re only,” he paused to do the math in his head, “nine years older than me. I doubt you’ve missed your shot at romance.”
She smiled, though her eyes still seemed sad. “I supposed I’m not that old, but I’ve had two kids. I love them, don’t get me wrong, but it didn’t do much for my figure. I don’t exactly look like this in the real world.” She held her hands out to draw attention to her body.
“And I’m bald in the real world. Who cares?”
She snorted a laugh. “True, but most guys aren’t looking for an instant family.”
“I guess, but your kids are cool, so you did something right there.”
“As long as they don’t start a life of crime now that I’ve led them down a dark path.”
“Probably keep an eye on Piper. She’s a little too eager to help with this heist.”
“She’s always been too devious for her own good.” Ginger gave a weak laugh before continuing, “When it comes down to it, I may be taking a break, but I did work at a brothel for years. I personally don’t feel like there’s anything wrong with that, but it doesn’t exactly make for good first date conversation. Some people are still little repressed if you know what I mean.”
“Meh,” Max shrugged, not really sure what he thought about it. “That doesn’t really change who you are.”
“And who am I?”
“Someone I respect,” Max answered without hesitation.
“Thanks.” A smile found its way back to her face. “I’m sorry I called you an idiot. You can say the right thing sometimes.”
“Tell that to my love life.”
“Well, if you’re not going after Farn, I’m sure someone will be happy to be with you.” Ginger rested her head on his shoulder with her eyes closed. “I might even snatch you up.” She smirked and jabbed him in the ribs. “Even if you are bald.”
“Ouch, low blow.” Max feigned an injury.
They shared a laugh that Max found strangely comforting. He hadn’t really realized it before, but Ginger was actually the one person he was most honest with. She never held anything back with him, and there was something to be said for that. He appreciated It.
Suddenly, Ginger’s face fell as she raised a finger to point behind him.
“Nice try,” Max resisted whatever prank she had in mind. “I’m not falling for that.”
She stepped away, her bottom lip trembling in fear as a shadow grew across the cobblestone from behind him.
“Oh damn, I’m not going to like what’s behind me, am I?”
Ginger shook her head “No.”
“Great,” Max muttered as he reached for his pistols.
The shadow behind him stretched further until they both were shrouded in darkness. A chorus of voices, like nails on a chalkboard, cried from behind him.
“Fashion!”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“What the shit is that?” Max leaped backward as a mass of writhing bodies slammed into the ground where he had been standing. Hundreds of tiny hands reached for him, many holding tiny knives or scissors.
“Fashion!”
“It’s the dolls,” Ginger screamed as she fired a grappling line at one of the buildings that bracketed the alleyway that lead to Larkin’s shop. She shot upward just as the mass of creaking ball-joints swirled toward her, snagging her ankle before she could escape.
“I knew those things were creepy.” Max took aim and fired at the glob of porcelain bodies that was climbing up Ginger’s leg.
The beast collapsed, sending dolls falling to the ground. They picked themselves up from the stone and started running toward him.
“What did we do to piss off Larkin?” he shouted as he kicked away a pair of tiny assassins dressed in Victorian dresses. More piled on, tripping him as he tried to run. He hit the stone just as a doll in a sparkling, white gown climbed atop his chest. Max did a doub
le take at the thing, it’s violet eyes gleaming with murderous intent through silver locks of hair. It looked like a miniature Kira. He swatted it away.
“What the hell is wrong with Larkin?” Max kicked himself free and stood up.
“I don’t know. The guy likes dolls.“ Ginger clung to a wall. “It’s some kind of weird hobby.”
“That’s the truth– oh my god.”
Pocket-sized Kira leaped into his face, poking him with what looked like a hat pin. Max grabbed her with one hand, ignoring the spikes of damage he took as she stabbed him in the wrist.
“Damn it, stop doing that.” Max aimed his pistol directly in the creature’s face but felt weird about pulling the trigger. Instead, he just holstered his gun a snatched the doll's hairpin away. Ginger dropped down next to him just as the rest of the dolls were reforming into a mass of shabby hands.
“Shit, does that one look like Kira?” Ginger looked sideways at the tiny but considerably more violent version of the fairy.
“Yeah. It’s way more annoying too.” Max tossed it to the Coin.
“What the hell?” Ginger cried as it climbed into her hair and started trying to rip it out. She ran in a circle before attempting to smash it into a wall, doing more damage to herself than the little monster.
Max took aim at the blob of dolls and fired repeatedly, stopping them from reforming into the giant monstrosity that they were before. He couldn’t tell if he was doing any real damage, but at least he was slowing the things down. Then the slides of his pistols locked back empty.
“Shit!”
Max began the process of reloading both guns as the heap of bodies surged together into a towering behemoth.
Suddenly, a familiar voice shouted from the door of Larkin’s shop, “What are you two doing loitering out here? Get inside before the marionettes stab you to death.” Larkin held open the door. “And stop shooting my handiwork.”
Max made a break for the door, followed by Ginger close at his heels. The mass of dolls slithered after them, the chorus of voices screeching.
“Fashion!”
Max looked back, immediately wishing he hadn’t. Tiny limbs worked together to propel the writhing mass of nightmare fuel forward at breakneck speed.