Page 93 of Of Flame and Fate
“And look at you!” I say. “My favorite—never mind. I hate all of you.”
He looks past me, ignoring the slight. “That him?”
I glance over my shoulder to where Gemini stands beside Johnny. To his credit, he tried to help Johnny appear respected by opening his door. I’m not sure it helped given Johnny’s slacked jaw appearance and how he seems ready to move back into the “cave.”
I turn to Hank, nodding. “Yes. That is the mighty Fate.”
“Mighty?” he asks. He smirks when I nod. “More like puny. You serious about what he is? He looks like some Justin Bieber impersonator minus the height and pubes. Shit, Taran, he could pass for twelve.”
“Appearances can be deceiving,” I remind him, waving an arm at what’s left of his costume. “And royalty knows no age limit. Don’t forget, King Tut became Pharaoh at nine.”
He huffs. “And died at nineteen.”
Bren leans against the SUV with his arms crossed. He dances his eyebrows at the she-vamp who greeted me. “Cast your eyes elsewhere, mongrel,” she snaps at him.
Bren chuckles and opens his arms. “Baby, you know you can’t wait to have some of this.”
She hisses, more because he’s right based on the once-over she gives him. I’m ready to hiss, too. It’s like he’s trying to prove there’s nothing between him and Emme.
Hank motions to Johnny. “The tough-guy Fate going to wait by your boyfriend all day?”
And because he doesn’t look like enough of a pussy, Johnny takes a step closer to Gemini. Gemini stiffens. It’s taking everything he has not to roll his eyes.
I clear my throat. “You may call him Johnny if you win his favor, otherwise you’re only permitted to address him as the Fate.”
Hank barks out a laugh. “You’re kidding, right?” He turns to the other vamps. “Did you hear that shit?” he asks.
Hank stops laughing and leaps away when I light up in a funnel of blue and white flames. “The fuck, Taran?” he says.
The vampires bare their fangs, inching back with their nails elongating. They may be immune to sunshine, but unless they’re a master, they’re not immune to fire.
“Do you dare question the Fate’s power?” I demand.
Hank blinks back at me. “Are you seriously challenging me?”
“You’re damn right I am,” I reply, adding another notch to my already scorching flame.
Sometimes, a gal has to be the one with the balls in the room, especially when Fate’s have all but shriveled up.
“Listen, and listen well,” I command. “The Fate is under my protection and that of the Squaw Valley Den Pack. As the most revered and powerful witch among all covens, he is not to be harmed, and as a guest of your master, he is to be welcomed as family and friend without prejudice.” Heat flares as streams of blue and white swirl around me. “You will show him the reverence he deserves or you will suffer our collective wrath. Permit him through, bow as he passes, and for hell’s sake get him something to eat.”
With a snap of my fingers, I switch off my fire. Gemini and Bren flank my sides, their arms loose and ready to act. I turn to address Johnny.
“Are you ready, your highness?” I ask.
At first I’m sure he’s ready to scramble back inside the SUV and beg us to save him. But then he shuts the door, mimicking my strong posture and lifting a chin stiff with determination. “I am.”
He has to stop himself from saying thank you. It’s a good start. What he does next, is even better.
The tattoos along his arms come to life with each step he takes. The vines and leaves of his jungle sleeve snake and move in a makeshift breeze. A leopard stalks through the bright green vegetation, yawning to expose his fangs, the glint in his eyes sparkling as he looks in my direction.
At the same time, lava boils between the cracks in the earth of his Mordor-themed sleeve, spouting smoke as he reaches the first vamp. But when he passes Hank, it’s all I can do not to fist-bump him.
The leopard extends out of Johnny’s arm and takes a swipe at Hank. Hank jumps out of the way, narrowly avoiding getting clawed in the face.
“That was a warning,” Johnny tells him. “Please, for your sake, don’t upset my guards.”
Bren makes this odd choking sound, trying to keep from laughing. I’m worried he’ll give Johnny away, but that’s not how Hank takes it.