Page 23 of Looking Grimm

“No running, Farrow!” He had to shout to be heard over the din.

Panic tickled down my spine, and I leaned close to him. “Don’t say my name in here,” I hissed.

Ripley bucked back. “When did you become such a coward? You’ve been wanted before. Hunted. How’s this any different?” Bold words, but I didn’t see him taking his hood down.

I’m alone now, I wanted to protest, but not to him. He was here, doing the work, backing me up. Arguably more of an ally than Grimm or the others had ever been.

Turning again, I searched the crowd of chumps andwannabes I’d made examples of at the recruitment rally. There was no sign of the “top brass” as Charlie had called it. No Grimm, Vinton, or Avery. That was who I really worried about. Not these bottom feeders. Not even the Capitol because Ripley was right, they had hunted me before. And failed.

“Lemme look around,” I told Ripley. “Then we’ll see about that tour.”

He nodded. “I’ll be here. Holding up the wall.”

The waifish teen faded into the corner of the room, and I forged into the tangle of bodies. I wasn’t certain of my objective. It would be difficult to single anyone out without drawing suspicion, harder still to question someone or hear their answers with the stacked speakers blasting synth-pop.

I thought about getting a drink to soothe my nerves, but the awareness of Ripley watching kept me away from the bar counter.

People jumped and waved their arms to the music. I ducked and wove between them. I missed the typically mellow atmosphere of the Bitters’ End and wondered if this was the gang’s answer to being banned from there. If so, it was a sad substitute.

Someone coasted by overhead and I glanced up to identify Ezrah Everett, the aeromancer, lying on his back as he floated lazily above the crowd. A few origami creations joined him, paper cranes and doves flapping their wings in slow synchrony. I rolled my eyes and returned my focus to the ground level, unsure of what I hoped to find.

Scattered applause signaled the end of the DJ’s set, and the track rolled over to autoplay. The mood settled to a slower vibe, and I could move more freely through the crushof gang members. Thus far, I’d traveled undetected and had covered most of the dance floor, finding nothing of note.

This wasn’t Grimm’s scene any more than it was mine. If he was in the area, it would be at a reasonable distance, which made Ripley’s offer of showing me around the building the logical next step. But, if I ran into Grimm in a building full of his enthusiastic acolytes, what stand did I hope to make? Would it be like an animal kingdom showdown in which I killed the leader and inherited the pack? Or would the rest of them turn on me instead?

I’d come to a stop in the middle of the throng when a man slid in behind me. His chest pressed against my back and his hands dragged down my sides to hook onto my belt loops. The stranger jerked my hips against his, then hung his head over my shoulder. Notes of pipe tobacco and Avery’s musky cologne wafted to my nose as his warm, wet tongue snaked up the side of my throat.

“God, you’ve gotten bony.” His hot breath rushed into my ear as he chuckled. “I always liked you that way. Scrawny and easy to pin down.”

My whole body tensed. Everything felt cold and heavy, making me slow to react as Avery tugged on the waistband of my jeans.

“Grimm’s put a price on your head, you know,” he continued while grinding against me. “Big money for whoever brings you in. But I’m rather happy to see you, so I’ll make you a deal. You keep quiet and be a good boy while I have my fun, or I’ll let all these people know there’s a traitor in their midst.”

His teeth sinking into my neck made me hiss. Old feelings and memories anchored me in place, taking me backto a time when I’d been helpless and powerless. Scrawny from subsisting off vending machine food bought with whatever pocket change I could scavenge; easy to pin down because I was too afraid to fight back.

He’d gotten away with it, even established himself as the least despicable of my peers. Why? Because he was funny and shared his smokes? I wasn’t laughing now.

Bracing, I shoulder-checked him in the jaw, then threw an elbow backward and struck the center of his ribs. It didn’t have the gut-punch effect I was going for, but I managed to stagger him. As he fell, the room began to empty. The DJ booth and bar counter were wiped away, and the music was swallowed by abrupt silence. Drinks vanished from outstretched hands. Even the flashing lights disappeared, dousing the room in blue-black darkness.

My eyes adjusted rapidly as the crowd cleared around me, and I found Avery sprawled on the slick cement floor. The DJ mask lay beside him, red lights forming a smiley face with X’s for eyes. He smiled, too, his teeth straight and white in the faint moonglow.

“Bold move coming here,” he said. “Stupid. Possibly fatal. But bold.”

He lifted a hand, wordlessly calling one of the onlookers to step forward and pull him to his feet. Once he was standing, he made a sweeping grab to snatch the beanie off my head.

“Was this supposed to be a disguise?” he snorted. “You couldn’t even bother with the Clark Kent special?” He produced a pair of black-framed spectacles and offered them in exchange.

I swatted at the glasses, sending them sailing through theair to dissipate in a puff of smoke.

The conjurer chuckled and twirled the beanie around one finger before tossing it into the crowd. “We are in the presence of greatness!” He swung an arm in reference to me. “Fitch Farrow, ladies and gents.”

My name spread through the gathering like a disease. It echoed a dozen more times, first as a question and then a condemning shout. I strained to see through the mob to where I’d left Ripley, not that I had any hope of reaching him with Hex members pressing in on every side.

“I don’t stand to gain anything from killing you,” Avery continued, “so I’ll leave it to these fine folks.” He raised his hand again. “Ezrah? Can I get a lift?”

The towheaded aeromancer coasted by, catching hold of Avery’s forearm and hoisting him into the air. Avery lifted off as gracefully as Mary Poppins holding her umbrella, leaving me in the center of an incidental pit of combat.

I searched for Ripley one more time. The fleeting hope of finding him was dashed when the innermost ring of Hex rookies rushed me in unison.

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