“Lemme go!” the Tenky protested as he swung his fists in every direction. The only thing his fighting succeeded in doing was spin him around.
Enna took the chance in his direction to grab the waistband of his pants and yank down the back half. He yelped and tried to pull them back up but his struggles only caused his pants to fall to his ankles.
“Stop moving or you’re going to lose everything!” Enna snapped.
The Tenky froze and covered his front with his hands. Vargas blushed and turned her face away. “So undignified. . .” I heard her mutter.
Enna turned him around to study his naked posterior. She leaned in and wrinkled her nose. “It looks like a fang sank into him.”
“Step aside and allow me to handle this!” Ware announced as he pushed his way to the forefront.
The Tenky threw up his hands. “Maybe I should sell tickets!”
Ware squinted at the wound on the little man’s butt cheek. “That is most definitely a fang mark and the creature was very small.”
“As small as one of those worms?” I guessed.
He nodded. “Quite possibly.”
Will took the tweezers from Lady Vargas and lifted the skin to his face. He studied the disgusting molting with a pensive expression. “Then whoever bit him is not the same as whoever dropped this.”
A thought struck me and I caught his eyes. “Simon Baddock was a snake.”
Will nodded. “The same idea came to me, as well.”
“If we’re sure Baddock is dead then who else do we know who would be leaving scales everywhere and trying to ruin our lives?” I wondered.
Will clasped the tweezers in his hand and shook his head. “I don’t know but we must find out before they succeed.”
A laugh broke through the tense atmosphere. All eyes fell on Enna who dropped the Tenky back into his glass cage. The embarrassed man quickly pulled up his pants as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Why are we worrying? We could just have you use your magic around us and wipe out any of these black things that come within sight.”
I bit my lower lip and looked up at Will. “I. . .I don’t know about that.”
A dark cloud settled on his brow. “I would rather you didn’t make another attempt at using your magic.”
“Why?” Enna mused as she sauntered over to us and draped an arm over my shoulders. “I’ve never seen anything like it. We may as well use it to make our lives easier, right?”
My hand involuntarily moved to cup my stomach. “I. . .I don’t know.”
Enna shook my shoulder. “Come on. Give it a try. What could it hurt?”
“It could hurt Rose,” Vargas spoke up as she glared at the bounty hunter. “You yourself witnessed her fatigue after using her gift only twice. Another attempt may weaken her into illness.”
Allard caught my attention. “How are you feeling?”
I glanced down at myself. “I don’t think I’d want to try if I had to but I think I could blast off something if I focused on where I was throwing the light.”
Enna turned me to face the door and sauntered toward it. “That’s the spirit!”
The others followed but a little voice gave us pause.
“Hey!” the Tenky spoke up as he pounded his fists against the glass. “Lemme out!”
Vargas rolled her eyes and stepped back to the glass. She lifted the tiny man out and set him on the cluttered floor. Raines looked about him and sighed. “I wish I had known I would make such a mess. I would have removed all the valuables.”
Will grinned at him as he leaned his servant against his side. “I can think of a lot of things in this room more valuable than some trinkets.”
Enna stuck out her tongue. “Old fools.”