`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 Nikki'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