Page 74 of The Mermaid's Bubble Lounge
Nerissa appeared behind Clive, her hands around his neck yanking his head. Clive did a backflip over the top of her, breaking the hold. Knees on her shoulders, he wrenched her neck and she disappeared, leaving him crouched on the ground.
I pounded the ground beside him again and then we heard a grunt. Vlad went flying by us, but he flipped himself over and landed already running back, sword up, to fight the huge grizzly bear that had appeared in the parking lot.
Clive pushed me behind him. Vlad was mesmerizing with a sword. He was so damn fast, it was like a threshing machine was attacking the bear and then he, too, was standing alone in the parking lot.
A gray-haired man walked down the darkened alley between the nightclub and the property fence. “Oh, dear,” he said. “Terribly sorry to interrupt. That nice valet said my car had been parked back here. I’m in an awful hurry I’m afraid.” He tapped his pockets, like he was checking he had his keys and his wallet.
Vlad moved forward, sword raised, but I held up my hand for him to wait.
“Sam, don’t,” Clive said as I moved closer.
The harried man looked up and I saw kind, green eyes. “Oh my,” he said. “Your face is perfectly symmetrical.” He patted his chest, his fingers trembling. “That helps.”
Meri appeared around the corner, brow furrowed. Her gaze jumped from my axe to Vlad’s sword to the strange older man.
“Meri, go in. You can’t be out here.” I rushed forward to move her along, but the older man grabbed my arm.
Clive and Vlad moved as one.
The old man pushed me behind him, unaware of his imminent death. “That’s the pooka, my dear,” he said, fingers twitching at his side.
Shocked, I studied Meri and realized he was right. Her eyes were wrong. Who was this guy? I pulled him back with me, right into a vampire wall. Clive and Vlad separated and then stepped around us to put themselves on the front line.
The older man tried to move up beside Clive, but I held him back.
“Stay here,” I whispered.
He turned to me and paused a moment, just staring. “So very lovely,” he murmured, “just like my grand-niece.”
The Meri thing started crying. “I need help,” it said in an un-Meri-like way.
The old man tapped Clive on the shoulder. “I know what I’m doing. If you’ll allow me…”
Clive took a step to the side just as the Meri-thing grew huge, sharp teeth and leapt. The man dropped into a crouch, the fingers on his empty right hand flicking in the pooka’s direction. The pooka howled in pain, trying to shift.
The old man waved me forward. “Hurry. Hit him with your axe now.”
I raced toward not-Meri and swung the axe, but the pooka disappeared as the axe hit the gravel.
“Damn it!” I checked the blade to make sure I hadn’t bent or dulled it. It was perfect. Fae bladesmiths were just that good.
The old man stood, brushing himself off. “We were hoping that spell would have slowed his shift longer. Disappointing.”
THIRTY-THREE
In Which Mustaches Are Discussed
Clive, Vlad, and I shared a confused look.
“We?” I asked.
“Yes. Oh.” He patted his pockets again. “Sorry. How rude of me.” He moved forward holding out his hand. “I’m your great-uncle Bracken.”
I shook his hand and felt steadier. “I’m so glad to finally meet you in person.”
“And you,” he said. He looked between Clive and Vlad before holding his hand out to Clive. “And you must be Clive. It’s good to meet you.”
Clive shook Bracken’s hand, his expression amused. “How did you determine which, if either of us, was her husband?”
