Or they would have if they hadn’t been stopped at the checkout.
The checker clearly recognized Helena, and Helena recognized her and smiled. Only the checker picked up a little plastic sign that said “Aisle Closed” and placed it on the counter in front of the food Helena had just put down.
Helena’s smile faded. “Really? You must be kidding.”
“We don’t do business with your kind.”
“I’ve been shopping in this grocery store my entire life. This store has stocked the pantry of my house and then even after, when I moved out on my own as well.”
“Now we know what you are.”
“A paying customer without which you wouldn’t have a job?”
“We’d like to speak with your manager. Please.” Faine added the please, but it wasn’t sincere and the creature behind the register knew it.
“You need to get out of this store. Your kind isn’t welcome.”
A few customers had gathered, waiting to pay. All listening. Discomfort and anger radiated from Helena and he yearned to make it better. But he knew she had to deal with this in her way. He’d be there whatever the outcome.
“I need to speak with a manager. That’s twice we’ve asked. Do be a dear and make that happen.” Helena’s smile was tight and sort of scary. The checker stared, but she was no match for Helena, who stared back with so much intent it sent a thrill through him.
Her magick didn’t rise and he knew she made a concerted effort to keep it that way. She could have used it to make things happen her way, but then she’d be proving them right. And his female was far too stubborn to prove anyone right but herself.
“You can wait over there.” The checker pointed.
“No, that’s all right. I’ll wait right here.”
“I need to check these other people.”
“You need to deal with my groceries first.”
The checker glared at Helena, who appeared to not have mustered up a single fuck.
“You’re inconveniencing humans. It’s bad enough you have the nerve to come in here. Now go wait over there.”
At this point Helena bristled and squared her shoulders and the checker finally began to understand she wasn’t pushing around any old pretty, well-dressed woman who happened to be an Other.
Her eyes widened and Helena’s narrowed.
The person standing behind them spoke. “Jesus Christ. Just check her damned pie out and keep your opinions to yourself.”
The person behind them agreed.
But the woman with the small child in the next line piped up. “We know what they are now. You heard it yourself from Senator Hayes and Carlo Powers. They’re abominations and no decent person should have to deal with them.”
“Ma’am, I can help you.” Another checker approached and spoke to Helena before turning his attention to the checker. “Nancy, take a break. Take your drawer with you.”
The checker did her business and hustled off with muttered threats and curses.
“Helena, right?”
The new checker began to run the items through.
“Yes. I’ve been shopping here my whole life.”
“I know. We went to school together. I graduated a few years before you did. I apologize for what just happened and I hope you’ll give us another chance. Not all of us are Nancy. Fourteen sixty-five.”
Helena gave him fifteen.
He leaned close and Faine wanted to growl, but didn’t. “I’m a manager here. I’m going to recommend she be disciplined for that. It’s clear we need some storewide meetings about this issue.”
She took her change and nodded. “Thank you.” And then looked around Faine’s body to the people behind him. “And thank you.”
Those who’d come to her defense nodded and the guy immediately behind Faine said, “Shit got real today with that nutty asshole speaking out. I know things are scary but I hope you remember we’re not all that way.”
“I appreciate that. And I’d love it if you’d take a second when you got home to send your legislators a note. We need all the support we can get.”
Faine grabbed the bag and the pie and they headed out.
“That totally sucked.”
He tended to agree.
“It was nice that others spoke up.” Always good to point out positives.
“Sure. Man, I want to eat all the pie now. In the car on the way over.”
He laughed as he opened her door. “I’m sure your mother would understand if you did.”
That’s when they approached.
He was getting in on his side when her door flew open and her attention shifted as she was unceremoniously hauled from the car by three men.
“Stupid whore witch. Someone needs to teach you and your friend a lesson about knowing your place.”
He was mid shift and up over the car before he could even think about it.
SHE’D been pushing her anger and hurt away, stunned, as always, by how good her man looked when her door opened up.
Confusion froze her in place for moments because she was looking at Faine and he was the only one who should have been opening her door but he was on the other side of the car so it couldn’t be him.
Hands grabbed her by her upper arms, sending pie all over the place as it hit the dash.
Her moment of confusion was over quickly enough. Quickly enough to hook an ankle around the calf of one of her attackers and send him to the ground. She pivoted once her arm was free and elbowed another on the face, and the satisfaction of the crunch of a broken nose roared through her. He howled in pain as he stumbled back, blood flinging everywhere, and she used it, drew it around her and strengthened her power.
“You ruined my pie, asshole.” She gave him a roundhouse kick, knocking him into the car the next stall over and to the ground as the alarm went off.
One of them cracked her in the back of the head with a blackjack. Which is why at first when she heard the roar she wasn’t sure if it was real or something she imagined.
She nearly fell over at the wave of white-hot pain. But the blood that had been spilled kept her focus, so she reached out, spooling her power up through the concrete, the air around her crackling with it. Faine, his beast anyway, bounded over and knocked one of them down, landing on him with an
Her vision had stopped doubling enough for her to open her palm and blow a ball of energy right before she pulled her fist back and gifted him with a one-two punch of magic and fist right to his stupid pie-ruining bigot face. His eyes rolled up and he crumpled to the ground.
“Call the cops,” she called out to the manager, who’d rushed to the door to see what the commotion was. “And you be sure your little pal Nancy doesn’t leave.”
“What?”
She turned and the nausea rose quickly. She had to breathe through her nose for a moment. She probably would have a concussion, but her mother could help with that.
“These guys knew what I was. How on earth would some random passersby know that? Someone told them. And that someone is very likely our little white-sheeted friend Nancy.”
She pulled her phone out. “Never mind, I’ll call.”
One of the guys on the ground groaned and started to move and she kicked him—hard—before she spelled him to sleep.
