Shadowglass

Chris’ fangs gleamed.

He spat slimy green spit and tossed his cane away, wicked black webs crackling. “What did Sammi promise you, fairy? I’ll rip it from your bleeding hands while you die. This is my score. Let her go.”

Confusion clouded my vision. Sammi? I’d heard talk of her on the street, some renegade demon bitch sniffing around Cerulli. Andy was beholden to Jinxx, not Sammi. Gangsters were so dumb.

I smirked and waited for Andy to laugh, to tell Chris he didn’t know shit from ice cream.
But Andy just smiled, chilling. “Your guts in a cream pie. We’ll eat it together, Sammi and I, once I’ve returned her little glass. Hand it over, or your pretty bleeds.”

Hollow nausea rippled my intestines, and I choked. He’d lied to me. Told me what I longed so much to hear. Blinded the stupid little fairy girl with false kisses so she’d tell him what he wanted to know.

And now he’d give my mirror away to the enemy—for money, no doubt—and abandon me to madness.

Foolish emotion swamped my heart, strangling me, and tears scorched my eyes. I’m so fucking stupid. I thought I interested him. I thought he wanted me. I even thought he liked me.

As if a cold, calculating, loveless metal thief could care about a stupid, ugly, lonely girl like me.
Right.

I blinked, forcing myself to swallow whatever blubbering noise I’d been about to make. Fine. So it hurt. I was used to that, right? I could deal. Salvage some dignity here.

He might be a lying metal prick with a cowpat for a conscience. But I still voted him least likely to kill me out of this lot.

I shook my eyes clear, trying to comprehend the situation. Andy still held Ash before him like a shield. If Chris struck, Andy need move only a little and she’d cop the venom. Smart. Nasty. Sickening.

Ashley thrashed, weaker this time, her pretty eyes bulging. Andy sniffed her hair fondly, spit-dripping fingers still fixed over her nose and mouth. “Better make up your mind, Chris. She smells tired.”

Chris screeched, the grating wail of a reptile in pain, and coiled his flexible body tight. “Get your handsss off my girl.”

Andy chuckled, dark. “Too late. Look, she’s already giving in. Mirror, Cerulli, or she dies for my curiosity. What a waste.”

Chris writhed, green venom frothing from his teeth to stain his suit. Shining fangs clashed together in fury, and he ripped the mirror from his pocket and flung it.

Hard. High. Venom splashing the floor. The ball curved glinting through the air, into the empty space between me and Andy.

Too high. Too fast. Out of reach.

The mirror razored open, screaming like stretching glass as it flew, and overhead, the lightbulb flickered and dimmed in terror.

My pulse hammered my flesh to putty. Crazy impulse clutched at me to let it fall just to spite them all. Andy needed that mirror in one piece, to give to his lousy demon mistress. So did Chris.

But so did I. Without it, I had no cure. If it smashed, we were all screwed.
And I couldn’t catch worth a damn.

Caution melted in a hot flush of terror, and blind reflex jerked me into a run.
My legs stretched and strove. I careered closer, thrusting my wings against warm air for extra speed. The mirror flexed in the air like a gymnast at the top of its curve and started to fall.
I bunched my thigh muscles and launched into the air.

Andy’s hand flashed out, and he leapt.

Ashley tumbled to the dust, screeching for breath. Chris streaked to her side in a scrape of rippling scales.

I stretched my arm for the mirror, wings straining to hold me. It bobbled sharp on my fingerpads. Triumph splashed warm fudge over my heart, and I tumbled back to complete the catch.

But ozone burst fresh in my nose, and cold static snapped the air. My hair sprang taut. My teeth zinged, and harsh magnetic field yanked at my earrings, my belly ring, the zip on my dress.

The mirror careered away like a planet smashed out of orbit, and landed with a metallic crack in Andy’s outstretched palm.

Below us, Jake dived on Chris, cackling like a mad thing with his bloody teeth bared. Chris snarled and fought back, snaky body squirming.

Ten feet above the ground, Andy and I collided.

Breath thudded from my lungs in a hot metal haze, and I fell.

Rough concrete slammed into my shoulder, crushing my ribs together. My wings ripped, agonizing. I rolled over, groaning, and strong blue fingers snaked around my wrist, dragging me to unwilling feet.

I stumbled as he tugged me away into the dark, conflicting emotions blurring my eyes again. I wanted to slap his lying face. I wanted to cling to him and let him take care of me, recover that wonderful mix of freedom and safety I’d felt in his arms. I wanted him to kiss me. I never wanted him to touch me again.

I sucked in air, fatigue already spiking my chest, and together we ran.

Notes

Sorry for the late update my beautiful bats. I promise i will make it up to you :)

Stay Weird
- Grimm