Page 108 of Bones

Juno gave a firm nod that I could barely make out in the dark. “That was corny as shit and veryLifetimemovie special of us, but I stand by it.”

A door creaked open, and the light buzzed, flickered, and eventually turned on to illuminate the small space.

I wished it hadn’t.

The kitchen had been bad, but double the amount of bugs and rodents scurried in the dilapidated basement.

I need ten showers.

“You.” The man pointed at me. “Let’s go.”

“Good luck with that,” Juno scoffed as she inched over to block me. She gestured to the single bulb that hung from the naked light feature. “I give you points for committing fully to the creeper theme, but have you never heard of a mop? Broom? Raid?” She lifted her chin in a slow, exaggerated show of understanding. “I get it. You use bug spray, you disappear. Makes sense.”

He whipped his suit jacket back like a cheesy magician doing a flourish. His hand hovered over the dagger. “You got a death wish?”

“If I wanted to die, I’d just jump from my IQ down to yours.”

“You asked for it.” He unsheathed the weapon and wiggled his fingers. “Who first?”

Someone started laughing in the face of danger but, shockingly, it wasn’t Juno.

It was Lilith.

She gasped and softly snorted, which just made the other two laugh.

They’ve lost their minds.

“Sorry,” she wheezed. “Do you think this is a bad action movie where we’ll attack you one at a time while the others patiently wait their turn? Fuck that.”

Finally giving in to my brain’s demands, Juno, Lilith, and I charged the man together.

And we weren’t the only ones.

The rats and mice moved, too.

He scrambled as he tried to kick the rodents and lash out at the three of us at the same time, missing each time. Lilith ducked and weaved, easily dodging his lunge. Moving faster than his eyes could track, she knocked his knife from his hand before kicking the side of his knee to drop him.

Red smoke shimmered out of Juno, a tentative tendril to assess for blowback.

And I was also there.

Not that I was totally useless. I’d seen the conversation upstairs. Plus, I’d landed a kick to his shin. It’d probably hurt me more than him, but it’d been a good distraction so the other two could do their thing.

I really need more training.

No more getting distracted talking books with Denny.

Or drinking piña coladas with Juno.

Or bonding over tuna melts with Lilith.

As the red fully encompassed him, the rodents stopped biting his exposed flesh to retreat.

“What the hell is with that?” Denny asked, kicking out her feet like she was worried they’d scamper up her leggings next.

Juno’s gaze darted to me, but she shrugged before focusing on the man. “Who is coming to help?”

“Fuck you.” He spit, but it hit red and bounced back on him. “I die knowing I’m going to heaven while you cunts will burn for eternity in?—”

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