`Mason,' Ruth warned him and his grip eased.
`Shit, shit and shit,' Nikki cursed, pulling Ruth back, as Rose gasped for air on the floor. `And I thought it was Mason I was going to have to watch tonight.'
`Why isn't anyone looking at us?' Mason asked. Women walked past, unconcerned.
`Nikki's doing that.' Renee stepped closer to Lilly. `One thing these smart-mouthed bitches didn't consider. It means we're just about invisible to everyone.'
`Get...him off...me,' Lilly gurgled, no longer struggling to escape but clutching at Mason's arm, to hold her own weight up. `Sister Ivy, do something.' She glanced behind them. Ruth turned with Nikki to see an older woman watching.
`No,' the woman said softly, her eyes on Mason as she slipped past Ruth towards Lilly. She smelt of flowers and had a fluidity that made Ruth watch her closely. `You were foolish to provoke the house of Eleanor.' She glanced at Renee. `Even if I agreed with you, I would have not been disrespectful.'
`Sister Ivy.' Nikki touched the woman's arm with great care, `please accept my apologies.'
Ruth understood Ivy was someone of importance, so she took Nikki's hand in support.
`These children, my younger sisters, from the House of Flowers have done a great disrespect to you and your house.' Ivy turned her eyes to Ruth, then to Nikki. `Punish them as required. If it were me, I would.
`But it is a dangerous path you are on, Magi.' Ivy glanced at Mason. `Is it true that he is here as your guest?'
Ruth felt Nikki tense. `Yes. They both are, Ivy. The House of Eleanor has no quarrel with the Douglas clan.'
`And I wish that were the case for my own House as well.' Ivy half-smiled at them both. `Lilly and Rose are young, and uneducated in seeing what is right before them. They will learn from this mistake, but I ask they still be at tonight's ceremony.'
`They will,' Nikki said, letting go of Ruth's hand. `But they must be punished.'
`So be it, Magi.' Ivy stepped back, then addressed Ruth. `You are not as I expected. Nor is he.' She nodded at Mason. `I saw him in London once.'
Ivy touched her chest, her lips tightened. `Even from a great distance I could feel his hatred, but now…' She shrugged and shook her head. `Here I stand, not ten feet from him, unharmed. Tonight is full of surprises.' Ivy nodded to Nikki and moved off without a backward glance.
`Come here, you little bitch!' Renee lunged at Rose struggling to her feet. `You're going to be the freak now.' She slapped Rose hard then grabbed a fistful of long blonde hair with one hand while her other hand went around Rose's throat.
`Let me go, you— Ow fuck!' Rose screamed as a fistful of hair and scalp came free. Rose lashed out but Renee punched her hard. Teeth flew, one bouncing off Ruth. Excited by the violence, Ruth didn't care. Renee had come alive. Mason watched, an odd grin on his face.
`Renee! That will do.' Nikki tried to stop her.
`No, let her go. I don't even know Rose but I want to hurt her.' Ruth pulled Nikki back as Renee grabbed another handful of hair, laughing. The back of Nikki's neck was so close Ruth wanted to kiss it. Long fingers dug into Ruth's thigh.
`We'll try slow this time.' Renee hauled and Rose screamed. A long strip of hair and scalp peeled away with a wet tearing sound. The bloody mess fell to the floor as Renee reached for some more.
`Stop her.' Lilly writhed in Mason's grip, legs lashing out at Renee, who caught one in her free hand.
`Here, hold this, Mason.' Renee shoved Rose at him. He caught her by the neck, and Rose joined Lilly in mid-air. His easy acceptance of Renee's request quickened Ruth's heart.
`Don't kill her,' Nikki said. She pressed back into Ruth.
`You like this?' Ruth whispered, slipping a hand inside Nikki's blouse. Hard nipples greeted her.
`I've never…felt like this before.'
Renee smashed her fist into the side of Lilly's knee. Bone punctured the skin. Lilly howled, twisting against Mason's grip. Renee let her go.
`Renee is enjoying herself.' Ruth didn't say what she saw on Mason's face.
Rose's head snapped back as Renee drove a fist into her face. Ruth let Nikki go as Renee grabbed yet another handful of hair.
`Mason,' she warned as he squeezed Rose's throat.
`Crush her throat. Shut the little bitch up,' Renee snarled.
Flecks of sweetly scented blood sprayed across Ruth. Mason's fingers dug into flesh, blood seeping around them.
`Mason,' Nikki ssaid, moving towards him. Ruth held her breath. Would he listen? `Please stop. No more with Rose. She is punished enough.'
`She's still got some hair left,' Renee said and tore out two more handfuls of blond hair.
`Treaty. Please stop.' Lilly sagged in Mason's grip. `Treaty.'
`Enough!' Nikki grabbed Renee. `She has called treaty. No more. Mason, let Rose go. Please.'
Rose crumpled onto the floor and Ruth let go of the breath she didn't realise she was holding.
Renee poked the girl with her foot. `Not so smart now, are we?'
`Lilly too, Mason.' Nikki touched his arm and Ruth saw her flinch. `Let her go. She's called treaty. You can kill her if she tries anything.'
Renee wiped her hands on Lilly's dress, leaving stark smears against the pastel blue.
Mason looked down at Nikki's hand on his arm. `What's the magic word?'
`Magic word?' Nikki looked back at Ruth, her face creased in a frown. Mason winked.
Ruth sighed, relieved that he was in control. `Please. The magic word is please.' Ruth waved her hands at him. He smiled.
Lilly staggered when Mason let her go. `Well. That was fun, girls.' He stepped across Rose towards Ruth. `You okay?'
`I'm fine,' she said, `more than fine, actually.'
`Good. You looked a bit crazy when you snapped Rose's arm. Otherwise you were amazing.'
`You're sick, the lot of you.' Lilly dragged the bloodied Rose to her feet. `There's something wrong—' Lilly's head shot backwards and she dropped Rose.
`Renee!' Nikki stamped her foot at Renee, who was standing over Lilly. `Enough. Stop punching her.'
`I didn't hear an apology, so every time she opens her mouth and it's not one—' Renee smacked her fist in her hand.
`Good point.' Mason grinned when Ruth poked him. `They seem to be slow learners.'
`Stop it, Mason. Let Nikki handle it now.'
`Like you were going to stand back and let Nikki handle it?' Mason raised an eyebrow.
`About that,' Nikki said. `Your help was unexpected, but thanks. I think. Renee, move away from her, will you?'
Renee stepped back and Lilly staggered to her feet, blood covering her face.
`We,' Lilly pressed her lip, `We may have been hasty in our words.' Rose made a gurgling sound.
`Hit her again, Renee,' Nikki said.
`No! Wait!' Lilly shrank back from Renee. `We, um, didn't understand how much we offended you. I'm sorry. Please.'
`Getting better, Flowers.' Nikki stepped in closer. `But understand this: I love my sister and I don't tolerate anyone who treats her like you did. Not here, not ever again, do you understand?' White energy formed over Nikki's hand and Lilly shied back.
`Yes, Magi.'
`Next time, I will kill you.'
`Y...yes, Magi.' Lilly's eyes went wide. Ruth could feel the lethal edge of the energy gathered in Nikki's hand.
`Good. Go sit over there until you can walk properly.' Nikki pointed at chairs and table and Lilly obediently dragged Rose across and sat down.
`We need to wash the blood off. Come on.' Renee grabbed Mason by the hand. `There are toilets out the back.'
Ruth nearly snorted at the look on his face as Renee pulled him away. He looked back, unsure. `Go on, then, get yourself cleaned up.'
He blinked, frowned and let Renee lead him away.
`Is he all right?' Nikki joined her, watching Renee and Mason leave through a door at the back of the club. `I mean, they both seemed to be in control but—'
`He is in control.' Ruth rested her head on N
ikki's shoulder. `Renee seems to be more alive since, well, earlier on.'
`Hah,' Nikki snorted. She waved her hand, and a cleansing energy raced across the floor eradicating the mess they'd made. `Let's hope she doesn't get any more alive.'
`There's a bit.' Ruth pointed out a lump of bloodied hair and skin and Nikki's energy cleansed the floor. `I love how you can do that.' Ruth put her arm around Nikki's waist as the last flecks of blood vanished.
`Thanks.' Nikki warmed under her touch. `It's odd. You don't see this as a bad thing, do you?'
`Bad?' Ruth bumped Nikki with her hip. `You haven't seen bad yet. Wait until you see Mason dance.'
`Ruth.' Nikki shook her head with a smile. `I mean us, what we are and what is happening to us.'
`We could worry about what happened today,' Ruth said after a while. `We could worry about what is going to happen and what the big bad is going to be.' She squeezed Nikki. `But it wouldn't change anything. Mason once said to me that accepting is better than worrying. You live longer.'
`He can do that? Accept?'
`Most of the time. It just takes him longer than it does me.'
`He didn't take what Gaia said today very well.' Nikki sighed, watching Rose try to stand.
`No.' Ruth let her fingers trail across Nikki's back. `Gaia keeps calling him Hunter, not Mason, and he seems to like it. Gaia even calls him that in my dreams. Hunter.'
`Can we go?' Lilly stood supporting Rose, eyes downcast. Ruth smiled.
`Go and get ready for tonight,' Nikki said, lifting Lilly's chin up. `You will have time to heal, mostly.'
`Yes, Magi.' Lilly and Rose shuffled off.
The air hummed and suddenly the club throbbed with music. Women stepped closer, some looking at Ruth with real curiosity.
`You do that?' She shouted over the noise.
`Not so loud,' Nikki said and Ruth grinned.
`Sorry — forgot you could hear like me.'
`I like what we have in common. Dance?'
Ruth took a look at the half-naked, seething mass on the dance floor. `Your idea with the music has worked.'
`Yes, I like my dance floor decadent.' She held a hand out. `Shall we?' Nikki cocked her head and wet her lips.
`We shall indeed.' Ruth took her hand. Any concerns about Mason disappeared as Nikki pulled her close and into the chaos of the dance floor.
CHAPTER 10
Tashia kept her eyes on Renee leading Mason away from the Flowers sisters.
`So strong.' She felt her neck, aware of how flushed she was. `Mmm. Violence. Lust. And now something old has awakened.'
She moved to keep Renee and a reluctant Mason in sight.
`Oh, my little fighter, you already know, don't you?' Tashia whispered, slipping after them. `He's done it and has no idea? Yes.' She stepped into the harsh lights of the service corridor, reaching the access door just as Renee stepped through.
`The toilets are down this way.'
`Okay, okay,' Mason muttered, stepping into the corridor. He glanced back, hesitating when he saw someone behind him.
Tashia smiled. `Mmm. Hello Mason.'
Renee spun around and Tashia felt it, a wildness rustling in the energies surrounding Renee.
Renee relaxed. `Oh, it's only Tashia. Hi.'
`Been having fun, have we?' Tashia moved closer, trying to feel it again.
Mason glanced back into the club. `The Flowers girls bit off more than they could chew.'
`Mmm.' Tashia felt his excitement but saw no sign of Butcher.
`Come on.' Renee pulled Mason away.
`Have fun.' Tashia reached out a hand to him but Renee's eyes flashed. Tashia felt Renee's savage energy rise again to brush against her. Ownership. Tashia pulled her hand back and let Renee lead Mason away.
`Mmm, delicious,' Tashia smiled. `It is a Huntress unleashed. Tonight will be very interesting.' She stepped into the club, seeking out the Flowers sisters.
Renee scrubbed at the blood on her hands, its scent still strong.
`What's with the scrubbing?' Mason leant against a wall, drying his hands.
`What?' Renee didn't stop scrubbing. She couldn't get the smell of blood off.
He reached in and grabbed her hands. `This is wrong. You fought well. Out there the blood wasn't a problem, but now it is. Why?'
Renee stared at his hands holding hers. `Let me go.'
`Whatever.' He moved away.
She could feel his eyes on her. `What do you care, anyway?' She scraped blood from under a nail. What if he did care?
`I don't.' He cracked a knuckle as she checked her hands, blood-free at last. She was in control again.
`So why ask, then?' She glanced at him. Was he aware of her?
He shrugged, looking away. `Forget it. Let's go.' Mason walked towards the door.
Not yet, she thought. Stay. `Did Ruth make you come here tonight?' Oh crap, why had she said that?
He stopped, looking back at her. `No.'
`You're limited to short answers, then?' Anger licked at her. Was he just going to ignore her?
`Okay, then.' He faced her, arms crossed. `I wasn't party to the big secret that Gaia shared with Ruth, and I don't feel the thing — whatever it is — that she feels for you both. I came tonight because it's my business to know what's happening in my own back yard. As for the Flowers,' he shrugged, `I had no choice once Ruth stuck her nose in.'
`So that's it?' Her ears began to warm. `You're here to keep an eye on us, and Ruth obviously.'
`Yes. We're supposed to find out more about what happened today.' He shrugged, waving a hand at her. `But you and Nikki seem to be busy trying to prevent that.'
`What's that supposed to mean?'
`Oh, come on. Nikki's all eyes for Ruth and,' he waved both hands at her, `you're dressed like a hooker with a leather fetish.'
Noise thrummed in her ears. `A hooker!' Her hair responded to the anger, moving back over her shoulders. `You know nothing about me.'
`You were obviously pissed off when Nikki dragged you away today. Still pissed off later when you were patrolling the island.'
`You followed me?' How had she missed that? How much had he seen?
His eyes narrowed as he watched her. `Of course, you're right. I don't know you, not at all. For all I know you're an assassin in a hooker's outfit.'
`Stop calling me a hooker!' Renee slammed her fist into his chest. Caught off guard, he cannoned back into a concrete wall.
Renee stared at her fist. How had she done that? How had she surprised Mason? And with no pain, no mark—
Cold, vice-like hands grabbed hers, the room blurred, her back slammed into cool concrete. Her hands were pinned above her head.
`What are you?' he growled, eyes black and close. Hard flesh pressed against her chest. `You're different from earlier today.'
`Get off me.' She pushed back but he leant his body hard into hers. It felt good.
`Talk first. What's going on? You're harder now, like me.' As he breathed her scent in, warmth spread through her body. No one had ever done that before.
`Now you want to talk?' She realised his black eyes were filled with golden flecks. Her mouth went dry at his touch, a strange intimacy to her.
`You even smell different,' Mason said. His grip eased but the darkness stayed as he scanned her face. `Not Darkells or Bloodells. Not even human.'
Renee swallowed. The new strength and energy she had begun to feel moved in her. His breath brushed her neck. `I think you need to let me go.'
`No.' His hands tightened on her arms as his face hardened. `What are you?'
Show him, her mind whispered to her. You want to. He can sense it. Show him.
`This,' Renee let it come, surging up from inside. `I have always been strong.' She pulled her arms down. Mason strained against her.
`But now I can do this.' Her skin hardened, matching his own. She pulled harder against Mason's grip. His elbows trembled under the strain. `I'm faster and my senses are…' Renee closed her eyes, hearing his h
eart boom so close. `Everything is so clear.'
His grip eased. He let her go, hands resting flat against the wall.
`I did this — to you?' His didn't move off her. Renee had to wet her lips as she felt herself grow warmer. Mason stood so close, his body against hers.
`Not really.' She touched his shoulders and, when he didn't react, let her hands rest on him. `It's a gift, one that isn't common. It was probably triggered by what happened today.'
`A gift?' His eyes softened.
Reneed felt him roll a strand of her hair against the wall. Goddess, it felt good.
`What?' he asked.
`Sorry?' She blinked. Had he heard that?
`It's a gift then, this change?'
`I'm becoming Huntress,' she said, smiling. It felt good to say it. `It's been ages since one of us has had it.'
`Huntress?'
`Yes.' Renee smiled further, letting him see her teeth.
`Teeth?' Mason's skin softened. `Anything else?' He shifted but did not move off her. Renee felt his heart quicken.
`Nails.' She called them out and held her hand in front of his face. `I couldn't break one earlier.' Renee ran a single black claw down his chest, stopping over his heart. `Satisfied?'
Mason frowned at her. She shrank back as his lip curled but then she felt it. Sound vibrated from deep within his chest. His whole body hummed against her.
Goosebumps exploded across her. `Mason?' Concrete shards fell on her, and she saw that at his fingers were digging into the wall.
`We need to...' He closed his eyes as blue static raced across him. Mason's breath came hot on her neck as the static bit into her.
Yes, he felt it too.
The door to the toilets slammed open. `That damn bitch is a psycho,' Rose cursed. `Wait until I—'
The woman froze as Renee looked at her. `Oh fuck.' Her eyes widened. Renee smiled, not caring what Rose saw.
`Flowers?' Mason growled as he hardened under Renee's hands. `Still shooting your mouth off.' He winked at Renee. Cool air raced in where his body had been. `You really have to learn to keep that mouth of yours under control.'
`Mmm, it appears so.' Tashia slipped into the room and Lilly peeked around the door. Tashia's smile widened. `We can leave.'
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