Page 15 of Hexbound

"Aye, lads. Listen to the little dollymop," Zachariah said flatly. "Usin' all them big words, like she's tryin' to prove that she got an ed-u-cay-tion and don't work flat on her back for a bit of spit-and-polish, eh, boys?"

"He's not my lover," she shot back.

"And you'd do well to treat the lady with some respect," Bishop announced, which sent the four of them into gales of laughter.

Verity turned long enough to raise her eyebrows at him—you're not helping—then stepped between him and Zach. "Murphy's got me on a side job, you understand? Mess with us, and you'll bring Murphy's wrath down upon your head. Hex Perkins won't want that."

Zach pushed her in the chest, forcing her to stagger back a step. "Aye, now there's a problem with that little story, there is. Ain't you heard?"

"Heard what?"

He grinned at his boys. "Murphy ain't gonna do nothin' if we have us a little fun with his leashed bitch."

Verity went cold. What the hell was he talking about? She'd only been gone for a day and a night. What had happened?

"That's enough of that," Bishop muttered.

Zach's grin was nasty and he shot his finger under one arm as he dove for cover, shouting, "Crie vexus!"

Curse! Verity punched into nothingness and reappeared five feet away, kicking Zach in the chin as he landed on his belly behind a set of crates. Hearing footsteps behind her, she spun, lashing out with her magic. The world drew close and tight and then power exploded out around her, taking her with it. Two feet to the right. The second she re-formed, she drove the flat chop of her hand into Zach's fat thug friend's throat, and he went down with a groan.

"Step back," she warned the other gang members.

Where the bloody hell was Bishop? She'd been anticipating blood and ooze leaking out of ears, but they were all still standing. A quick glance showed the sorcerer on his knees, breathing hard as he pressed his knuckles to the cobbles.

Realization dawned. She'd been standing in front of him when Zach flung that curse. Which meant that when she'd translocated, he'd taken the full force of the blow. "Bishop, are you all right?"

He grunted.

And Zach laughed, which was when Verity saw red.

A second later she re-formed, shoving a knee into Zach's back to keep him down.

"What did you hit him with?" she snarled, yanking Zach's head back by a fistful of hair and pressing her knife to his throat.

Everybody froze. The Black Cats turned into statues, watching the knife in her hand. She couldn't use it. Not without breaking the Code, but the threat of it made everyone realize just how serious she was.

"Verity?" Bishop said, a strangled sound coming from his throat, as he slowly stood, moving carefully. Sweat broke out on his forehead and he half took a step toward her before forcing himself back into stillness and clenching his eyes shut.

"He'll be... fine." Zach gasped. "Stiff as a corpse for a few hours, but—"

"Whatwas it?"

"A little Lover Boy," Zach bleated, "though it was meant for you."

Lover Boy... or Ladies Luck, as they called it in the vernacular. Because it would be amusing to see the unattainable Madame Noir lift her skirts and try to ride Bishop like a pony in the middle of the alley, overcome by lust. Verity's hands quivered with rage and she punched him in the face. All of the Dials came out in her, cutting through her clean Verity Hawkins persona. "You son of a bitch! What's the counter-curse?"

Zach flinched, shielding his face. She punched him again, keeping an eye on Bishop just in case he lost control of the curse. "Counter-curse him, you little prick, or I'll cut yours off!"

"Can't!" he gasped.

"What do you mean, 'can't'?"

"I don't have a counter-curse," he gasped. "Not for Lover Boy."

God damn it. Verity withheld her fist, trying to mull her way through this.

"It'll wear off in an hour or two." Zach rolled into a ball, using the chance to move away from her knife. He found his hands and feet, resting on his fingertips as he met her gaze. They both knew he couldn't escape her. "Meant nothin' by it, Madame. Just a friendly little hex."