Page 85 of The Mermaid's Bubble Lounge
“Sam!”
Bracken and I exchanged a glance and then moved. Clive was silhouetted in the front doorway. He raced toward me and then got body slammed by someone coming out of the kitchen. They grappled a moment and then Clive had Clive by the neck, trying to separate his head from his body.
Bracken threw a spell. One of them screamed but they both crumpled to the ground, continuing the high-speed brawl and barreling into the front room. The sounds of wood splintering and glass breaking followed.
Bracken and I ran, both tense and ready. I felt the other vamps closing in on this hobbit hole. They sent a buzz through my blood.
Envisioning my magic uncoiling in my chest and then dancing down my arms to my fingertips, I readied one of the few spells I had in my arsenal, one I’d stolen from my aunt when she tried to kill me. I didn’t know if it’d work on the fae, but it was worth a try; Bracken’s spell barely slowed the pooka down. I wanted to disorient him, hoping that might give me another moment to swing my axe.
I slid into the front room, axe poised at the ready, and found Clive with his arm around Clive’s neck, crushing it, though he seemed frozen in the act.
“Sam, help me.” The Clive in front tore at the immovable arm around his neck. He had Clive’s British accent and his gray eyes.
Too many things happened at once: The vampires burst through the door, Bracken threw his spell, both Clives convulsed, Vlad sprung forward to pull the Clives apart, and Thi shouted to kill them both.
Blood dripped into my eye. I knew my blood called to the vampires assembled, but I couldn’t deal with them right now. The pooka was wearing my husband as a disguise, taunting me to kill my love. I’d give it to him. He was a quick study. This new Clive glamour was much better than his previous attempts.
“I’ll do it,” Pablo grumbled, trying to take Vlad’s place.
I shoved both men out of the way. Pablo went flying into the desk under the front window. Vlad caught himself and stepped out of my way. When I felt Thi and Joao readying to attack me, I held up my free hand. Over my shoulder, I growled, “If either of you makes one move to stop me, I will kill you. Do not doubt my ability to do it.” I was past caring.
I stepped closer. The Clives were identical, but I knew my husband. I threw the spell I’d been holding, the one that felt as though your brain turned to glass and shattered. It was hopefully raining glass in his mind right now.
“Samantha, don’t!” Cadmael shouted.
Clutching his head, the gray-eyed Clive gasped, “Sam, no. Darling, it’s me.” He even had Clive’s accent down.
My Clive, eyes black, stared back at me, unmoving. I threw Abigail’s death spell at the pooka, hoping to force a shift to stop the pain and heal.
“She’s killing him,” Joao hissed. “Cadmael, stop her.”
I saw more movement by the door and then heard Vlad tell the others to shut up.
I wiped my hand on my dress. I didn’t want the blood running down my arm to make the axe slip. “Bracken, the one in front. Spell him again.”
“My dear, are you sure?” Bracken thought I had the wrong Clive too.
“I know my husband. Spell him.”
Bracken flicked his fingers and the gray-eyed Clive’s back bowed in agony. Finally, there was a flicker. Please, God, please. Don’t let me be wrong.
The gray-eyed Clive flickered, barely keeping his form, and then he began to shift. I surged forward, swinging with all my might. There was a loud, percussive pop, and then he was gone. For good this time.
I dropped the axe and flew to Clive. His arms came around me.
“Everyone out,” Vlad said. “You, too, old man. Give them a minute.” He ushered them out and away from the door.
I held Clive as tightly as I could. “Are you okay?”
“Darling.” He brushed away my tears with his thumbs. “You’re the one ripped to shreds, not me. When you killed him, the spell he’d put on me lifted.”
I looked down all the trails of blood running down my body. I was bleeding badly, but I didn’t really feel it. It was more like I was watching a movie. “Can you close them up? The others are far too interested in my blood.”
THIRTY-SEVEN
Well, Shit
Clive got to work, lapping up the blood and closing the cuts.
