Again, I got the impression the blond was more pleased than not with their reactions.
“A thousand apologies,” he sneered at Draken.
“I meant toher,you twat. As you no doubt know.”
“Apologize to the mongrel?” The blond sniffed. “Didn’t realize you were such an activist, Hollywood. That mouth of hers must really be worth defending. Or is it some other part of her that’s got you this worked up?”
Draken lunged towards him, and I stood up.
“STOP,”a loud, ringing voice commanded.
The world seemed to swivel to an odd, timeless stop.
Draken froze.
Much more surprisingly, the blond mage froze, too.
Then, slowly, both of them turned their heads.
They stared at me, wide-eyed, as if I’d suddenly sprouted horns.
I realized only then that the harsh, ringing, commanding voice I’d just heard had come from me. It hadn’tsoundedlike me, at least not to my own ears. Even now, the lingering notes vibrated the air, turning it faintly gold and silver. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw what looked like gold butterflies anddragonflies fluttering up to the ceiling and around the walls of the cluttered shop. I didn’t turn to look at them directly.
My teeth vibrated. I clenched them briefly, dialing back the fire I felt leaping and writhing in my chest. Gods. What the hell wasthat?
When my voice came out next, it was calmer.
It also sounded like mine.
“He’s enjoying himself,” I said to Draken. I nodded towards the platinum blond. “Can’t you see that? You’re only giving him what he wants.”
Draken stared at me, his eyes briefly uncomprehending.
Then he looked at the blond. As he did, his eyes changed.
Draken assessed the other mage openly, his expression harder, more closed. I watched him look at the blond’s magic, not just his face. Draken’s expression slowly changed as comprehension dawned around what I was telling him. By then, I could almost feel my new friend seeing what I’d seen. He realized he was being toyed with, and his anger returned, although maybe for a slightly different reason.
His face also flushed bright red.
Slow clapping from next to him drew my eyes.
“My, my. Youarefull of surprises. Very good, mongrel.” The blond smiled, but it looked more like he bared his teeth. His voice dripped with venom. “What a good little bitch you are. Smart, too. I bet you know all kinds of lovely tricks.”
I faced him directly.
The flat, empty look had returned to his molten-gold eyes.
Strangely, though, I saw past it this time.
I saw something else there, beyond the vacant stare, but couldn’t for the life of me define it, or even make sense of how it made me feel. Before I’d made up my mind, he averted his gaze. He glanced towards the counter, where the barista had left his tea. The two people working in the shop had backed awaywhen the encounter started, and were watching the interaction between the five of us with wide eyes.
The blond mage scooped up his tea.
Without another word, he walked out of the shop.
It struck me, oddly, that he hadn’t even paid for the tea.
He didn’t look at any of us as he left. Stranger still, the hatred leeched out of his eyes as soon as they no longer focused on me. What remained appeared entirely, well,blank,like he’d erased himself, leaving nothing but an empty mask.
