Faira spun around as the gentle tapping sound echoed around the room. She raised the sword once more. A meager flame sparked from her fingers as a figure emerged from the shadows of a hall and introduced himself.
Who in their right mind-- Before she could finish the thought, she gasped and jumped aside as Adrian lunged at the newcomer, his body shifting into his demonic form. She tripped on her own feet and stumbled to the floor, landing hard.
An open-mouthed grin spread over Soren’s face at the demon as he stopped on the last stair, Nikolai stepping beside his brother to get a better look at the happenings. In a single swift movement as the demon charged, Soren drew his coat from behind has back and gripped it in both hands. As soon as his fingers touched the fabric, the coat tore apart at the center and retreated into his hands, changing into a set of pompoms of the same color as the jacket.
“Go, demon-guy!” Soren shouted, standing on one leg and thrusting the pompoms into the air above his head.
Twenty bucks on the demon, Soren thought.
Nikolai snorted. You’re on.
Faira’s stomach churned as she watched the fight. She scurried to her feet and called out Adrian’s name, horror on her face as Free brought Adrian to his knees. She took a couple staggered steps back. Her free hand rose to her mouth and she looked quickly away from the bloody mess of Adrian as Free struck his final blow.
With a smug look, Nikolai grabbed one of Soren’s pompoms, and it morphed into a boxing bell of similar colors. Its loud, metallic ding rang through the room in a quick succession of three.
“I vote a rematch!” Soren pulled a bill from his pocket, handed it to Nikolai, and took the bell from his brother as Free spoke his icy warning. He crossed his arms loosely over his chest and a mischievous gleam entered the fae’s eyes as he slowly stepped onto the room’s floor, his gaze on Free. “Well. Aren’t you mister high-and-mighty?”
Before he could take another step forward, Marianne drew his attention. Nikolai glanced over as the child collapsed before shifting most of his focus to the woman who had suddenly appeared.
Faira swore her heart stopped a moment, a chill crawling down her spine at the sound of the woman’s voice, and anger creeping around her at the words it formed. She swallowed hard as the eerie pale arms drug the demon’s corpse into the floor.
Soren grinned as the woman addressed him and Nikolai, mock flattery at being recognized settling on his face. He clapped the bell and pompom together, and the two items meshed before turning into an overly large top hat.
“The ones and only.” Soren gave an over-dramatized bow, brandishing his hat to his side. He straightened as the woman continued speaking.
A sense of unease crept over his skin at the woman’s grin, and Nikolai spared Soren a quick glance. Even so, both hid their discomfort well.
“That's mighty kind of ya to say," Soren answered in a country accent, "but I make no promises, ma’am." The hat reverted back into his jacket, which he swung over his shoulder by the collar. "Now who," he continued, his voice normal, "pray tell, might you be?"
A slight sense of relief of no longer holding the item’s change settled in his already empty stomach, which grumbled as soon as Scarlet mentioned the kitchen.
“To be continued.” Soren glanced between Marianne and Free, smirking at the Magister before he and Nikolai bounded after the others heading to the kitchen.
Keeping an eye on both Marianne and Free, Faira stepped back toward Rosaline. She hesitated as she noticed the unconscious child, the thought of the other, now missing young girl crossing her mind.
She wanted to kill Ann before. Taking a deep breath, Faira tilted her head toward Marianne, not wanting to look directly at the woman.
“I don’t suppose you know where Little Ann’s gone, do you?” she asked quietly, her words stiff and holding a slight air of accusation despite her attempt at making the question sound innocently casual. The thought of whatever ill fate Marianne may have bestowed on the child made Faira’s skin prickle. The last thing she wanted was to find out that they had lost someone else, let alone one so young. That she might have been lost to Marianne... She shook her head, hoping to dispel the thought.
Anything could have happened, she told herself. She could have wondered off somehow. Maybe running away from the danger.