Demons of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison

            “Hey, short stuff.” Standing on the centerpiece, Jenks stared at Lucy, hands on his hips. “Think you could lower it a few decibels? Your aunt Rachel has to finish her coffee.”

            “Diceuhbulls?” Lucy questioned, the word clearly new to her.

            “He means make your voice softer,” I said. “Supersecret whisper.”

            “Shhhhhhh,” Lucy said, green eyes dramatically wide. Ray wasn’t impressed, quietly eating her cookies, her gaze taking everything in.

            Until it stopped at the door and didn’t move.

            Jenks’s wing pitch changed as well, and I followed his attention to the six heavily tattooed Weres coming in, moving too slowly for this to be their usual hangout. They were studying the ceilings, the floor, the way to the storage room. My grip on my coffee tightened.

            Are you freakin’ kidding me? I thought. It couldn’t be Walter’s people, but I didn’t recognize their tattoos, and I began gathering the girls’ things. “Body count, Jenks?” I prompted.

            “On it,” he said, and both girls silently watched him fly off.

            But it wasn’t until I saw a black van take the spot where my MINI had been that a flicker of fear hit me. Worse, another car with four silhouettes inside had parked on the other side of Trent’s SUV. There was no way I would make myself and the girls vulnerable by trying to get them in their car seats—not with unknowns to either side. I didn’t see Walter or the mage, but it was obvious these weren’t Cincy Weres.

            “Ray!” Lucy suddenly shouted, and I jumped. “Aunt Rachel, Ray’s made an uh-oh!”

            She’d spilled her juice. Flustered, I reached for the napkins as the six Weres at the register placed their orders. “It’s okay,” I said as I gave a napkin to Ray and both of us worked to mop it up. “We will get more at the cider mill.”

            But I wasn’t sure we were going to get to Andie’s Apples anymore.

            “Lucy, sit still. Let me think,” I said as she wiggled under the table. I yanked her up, wishing Jenks would return. For all his diminutive size, he was better with the girls than I was.

            “Lucy, stay put,” I said, voice harsh, and she did, shoving to the bench’s back and thumping her feet. God, what had I been thinking, offering to watch them when I was in the middle of something?

            “Six here, two times that outside, Rache.”

            It was Jenks, and I looked up, exhaling. “Okay. I can’t get them into the car. We make a stand here.” Was it the ring? Had the mage figured out how to flip it, or did he just want me out of the way? Damn it back to the Turn. Trent is never going to trust me with them again.

            “Mark has a good circle behind the register,” I said as I gathered Lucy in my arms, and she clung to my neck, clearly scared. “Let me know if you see the mage or Walter.”

            Jenks nodded, worried. Lucy had quit fidgeting, and Ray was gripping her cookie so tightly that her fingers were white. “Will do.” In a rasping of wings, Jenks flew away.

            “Aunt Rachel?” Lucy warbled, whisper soft as I unbuckled Ray, and the little dark-haired girl practically jumped into my other arm. An odd sensation was tripping through me. I had always been hard on bullies, standing up for the nerd or shy girl at school, often ending up sitting in the principal’s office with a busted lip. The anger coursing through me wasn’t unfamiliar. But the overwhelming need to protect the two people clinging to me in fear was. I was in full mama-bear mode, and it was utterly terrifying what I’d do for them.

            A child on each hip and two bags over my shoulder, I boldly walked past the tattooed alphas scattered over the store as they pretended to sip their coffee.

            “I know you’re scared,” I said, talking to both of them. “It might get even more scary. But I will not let anyone hurt you. Okay? The less afraid you are, the faster I can fix this.” And I was going to fix this. Hard.

            “Aunt Rachel?” Ray whispered, watching Weres. “They’re scared, too.”

            “Are they?” I stood at the counter waiting for Mark to realize what was going on. People were leaving. It had become that obvious. “But you don’t have to be. Mark will be with you. He’s a witch. He can make a superstrong circle. Stay in it for me while I talk to them. Okay?”