Layla bit her bottom lip as she tried to think of a way out of the situation. The man had a decree by the king that all fae and elvish women were supposed to be tested. If she disobeyed, there would be punishment. It was possible that she would be putting all her customers at risk. She glanced at the FGs. Sprig was still holding Bear’s arm. They looked at her with hollowed eyes. The two girls huddled in the far back corner, both crying. She couldn’t risk them getting hurt further.
She stepped forward.
Bear struggled against his friends as they wrapped their arms around his neck, arms, and legs. Despite his size, the rest of the FGs managed to subdue him. Gooseflesh crept along Layla’s arms at the sound of his muffled shouts. She didn’t look back. She knew if she met his gaze, she would lose her resolve. Now wasn’t the time to be wishy-washy about her decisions.
The king’s man narrowed his eyes at the ruckus behind her. Layla shoved a finger into his chest, drawing his attention back to her. The last thing she wanted was for this man to harm Bear because he was causing too much of a scene.
“None of us are who you think we are,” she said evenly.
“Careful, Layla,” Penny hissed at the back of her mind.
Layla swatted away her PEA’s consciousness as if she were little more than a fly. She knew Penny would reinitiate within a matter of seconds, but that’s all she needed to get the man to focus more on testing her than on the commotion Bear was causing.
“Is that so?” he asked. His eyebrows rose as he spoke, his forehead furrowing. “And who, exactly do you think we’re searching for?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Who else? The lost fae princess.”
“Don’t say anything else!” Penny shrieked at the back of her mind.
Layla commanded her to deactivate again.
Although her heart beat rapidly in her chest, she shrugged and said, “King Renard clearly believes the rumors if he’s sent you here to do his dirty work for him.”
“If you think you can bait me,” the man began.
“You really think the fae princess would end up in this slum hole?” she interjected, gesturing around the bar.
The man shrugged. “I have no idea where filthy little wingers go,” he replied. The racial slur slid from his lips like a slug. His voice became edged with steel as he replaced the vial with a new one. “You magicals are all the same,” he said as he stabbed her with the syringe.
Layla barely felt the prick as she watched her blood flow into the device. He didn’t hand her a healing pad when he removed the it from her arm. She didn’t need it, of course, but she didn’t want him to know that. Ripping off a piece of her t-shirt, she tied it over the wound. She waited for her blood to cause a reaction but nothing happened.
“See,” she thought to Penny, “There was nothing to be afraid of. I’m just a normal fae girl, who’s too weak to even develop her wings.”
Just as the last words floated through her mind, the device began to glow an intense red. Glittering sparks erupted from it. The device shook violently. Molten metal flowed from the barrel and grip. Layla took a small step back. A sizzling sound followed, and the man dropped the device with a loud clanging sound. Angry looking blisters covered his palm. His hand shaking violently, the man fumbled in his breast pocket before finally taking out another one of the healing pads. His face relaxed as he pressed it against the blisters. They faded quickly.
The device continued to emit red and gold sparks as it rattled on the floor. The vial burst, sending a spray of the mixed concoction onto the floor. Where it landed tiny fires erupted.
Layla remained locked in place. Too afraid to question what a reaction like that meant.
“Run!” Penny whispered. “Go. Now. Don’t wait for him to gather his senses. You need to go!”
She stumbled over her own feet and nearly fell to the floor. Bear caught her arm, steadying her. She shot him an appreciative smile. He winked in return.
“You’ll need to come with me,” the man said, drawing her attention. He strode towards her, a grim smile plastered on his face. “By order of the king.”
“Uh, yeah. About that. I don’t think so,” she said. Bile filled the back of her throat. She swallowed it, keeping her face as neutral as possible. “You see, I still have a few hours left on my shift. And if I go with you, how are the lovely folks here supposed to get their drinks?” She smiled at him and batted her eyes.
He glared at her, his hand resting on the gun holstered on his hip. Bear squeezed her arm, warmth spread through her, reminding her that she wasn’t alone.
“You can’t go with him,” Penny hummed in her head. “He’s not safe.”
“Yeah, I got that,” she responded. Her jaw clenched as she tried to think through her options.
“Come with me now, or you’ll face the consequences,” the man warned.
“Oooh, so scary. Consequences,” Layla said, rolling her eyes. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you to at least buy a girl a drink before trying to take her home?”
He furrowed his brow and his eyes took on a haunted, angry look.
“Now you’ve done it,” Penny whispered, receding to the back of Layla’s mind. He drew his gun, aiming straight at Layla’s head. Fire crackled between her fingers as she met his gaze.
“Don’t be rash,” Penny warned. “Think of the innocent magicals trapped here.”
Sweat coated Layla’s brow as she scanned the room. Several of the patrons had made their way closer to the door during her confrontation with the man. Good, she thought. She hoped they would all be safe, no matter what happened next. Exhaling, she took a step towards the man, her hands up.
“Don’t shoot,” she said.
“What are you doing!” Penny yelled.
“Deactivate,” Layla commanded. She didn’t want or need her PEA’s commentary. Although she didn’t break eye contact with the king’s man, she felt Bear shift behind her. She hoped he was preparing to make a break for it. She wanted everyone still in The Wand to leave. She just needed to keep the dragon-masked man talking.
“You can tell King Renard that if he wants to see me, he can come here himself.”
Quicker than she could have imagined, he wrapped his arm around one of the gray-haired men standing too close to him and pointed the gun at his head. He snarled as he clicked the safety off.
Layla blinked several times, trying to keep her frustrated tears at bay. The man he’d taken was a regular at The Wand. He was one of the gentlest men Layla had ever known. And here he was, being used as a shield for the king’s coward.
The flames between her fingers grew as the scent of ammonia hit her. Her stomach roiled as she realized the old man had wet himself.
“Come with me now or I will kill every last magical in this bar,” the king’s man said.
“Kill them and I swear by the draking sister moons I will stop at nothing to take revenge on you and the king,” she snarled.
The man shrugged. “You think a little fae girl who works in a bar scares me?” he chuckled to himself. “You probably don’t even know how to fight.”
He pulled the trigger.
A loud crack split the air. It reverberated through her very bones as she watched silver blood gush from the wound. He dropped the old man’s body on the floor as if he were nothing. A deafening silence stood between them. No one moved. No one spoke.