Mason flexed his hands as he headed after Ruth. Tendrils of a familiar darkness crept through him, radiating a danger that made the women move out of his way.
Ruth reached Nikki.
Mason felt his skin harden when the blondes turned to Ruth, and he tasted her anger. Her hand moved and moved again. A signal. He understood.
Mason circled around and melted into a dark corner. The darkness swirled in him, mixing with his excitement. Working with Ruth was different. Exhilarating. His hearing sharpened as he waited, watching. Ready.
CHAPTER 9
Ruth knew Mason was close; she could feel his eyes on her as she reached Nikki. But he needed to wait so she signalled him to stay back, hoping he saw it.
`The freak does not belong here,' the shorter girl shouted and spat at Nikki. Ruth clenched a fist.
`Renee is my sister, Rose.' Nikki stepped closer to the girl. `And you will show her respect.'
`She has no gift. Is not even a full blood.' Rose said. `How can you think she belongs here tonight?' She shoved Nikki.
Ruth glanced at Renee, whose face was tight with anger although she did not move.
Something hard grew inside Ruth. Its touch spread into her flesh. She knew they did not truly see her and Ruth took advantage. `Touch her again and I will break your arm,' she warned, stepping in beside Nikki and enjoying the moment of surprise on Rose's face.
`Ruth, no.' Nikki grabbed her arm, fear in her voice.
`Oh, what? You've got a girlfriend who thinks she can speak to us?' the taller girl sneered, moving in. `You can't even control your woman, let alone the freak. You don't deserve to be Magi here. It is a mistake to have you leading us tonight.'
`Shut your mouth, Lilly!' Renee exploded, pushing past Nikki and Ruth. `You don't speak to my sister like that, ever!'
`Renee!' Nikki reached for her.
Ruth looked past Rose and Lilly to where Mason's presence rippled in the darkness. A thrill ran through her. `Back off, Flower girls,' she said, stepping forward to stand beside Renee, right in Rose's face.
`Or what?' Rose lashed out.
Ruth stopped her arm with one hand, as strength surged through her body. `Not very smart, are you?' She squeezed Rose's arm and heard bones snap.
Rose screamed. Everything slowed.
`Bitch!' Lilly began to move but Mason melted out of the darkness. `You'll pay for tha—'
Mason's hand found her throat, cutting her off. She thrashed around, trying to loosen his grip. He lifted her one-handed.
`Wrong again.' Ruth pulled Rose in, driving her palm into the girl's chest, using the momentum to snap her sternum. She let Rose collapse onto the floor.
`Nice,' Renee nodded, not taking her eyes off Lilly writhing in Mason's grip. Lilly's eyes bulged as his hand tightened.
`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.