Sophia nodded, got to her feet, and walked into the next room. I grabbed her bowl to rinse it out in the sink.
I reached for the faucet to turn on the water -
And someone screamed.
I whirled around, one of my silverstone knives already sliding into my right hand. Another scream rang out, followed by some frantic rustling. Sophia sighed and stepped out of the den. A moment later, Violet Fox lurched into view.
The girl looked no worse for wear, despite her ordeal.
The only hint anything violent had even happened was the crusted blood that coated her sweater. And the fact that her black glasses were just a tiny bit off center on her nose. Finn hadn't fixed them perfectly. Or maybe Jo-Jo had straightened the girl's nose more than it had been before. Occasionally, the dwarf would throw in a little rhinoplasty while she was working her healing Air magic.
An added bonus, if you asked me.
Violet Fox stared at the four of us, surprised and further startled by our presence. The girl's eyes fell on a knife on the kitchen table. She darted forward, picked it up, turned, and brandished it at us. "Who are you people?"
Chapter Eleven
I slid my silverstone knife back up my sleeve and ran water in the dirty bowl before I turned to face the college girl.
"Sweetheart," I said in a cool voice. "That's a butter knife. You couldn't even file your nails with it. Put it down before I take it away from you. "
"Who are you people?" Violet Fox asked in a shaky voice, still clutching the pitiful weapon. She stepped back until her body pressed against the refrigerator. If the door had been open, she probably would have stuffed herself inside, like a box turtle retreating into its shell. "Where am I? What do you want with me?"
I sighed and looked at Finn. He was much better at making nice than I was. He stepped forward, his hands held wide. A charming smile showed off his white teeth to their dazzling perfection.
"You're somewhere safe," Finn said in a calm tone that could have soothed an angry grizzly. "We're not going to hurt you. We saved you from that dwarf in the parking lot at the community college, remember?"
Shadows turned Violet's eyes an even darker brown, and she twitched her nose, trying to see if it was still intact.
She remembered, all right. The knowledge bruised her features just like the dwarf 's fists had. Jo-Jo might have healed all the physical damage from the attack, but Violet Fox wasn't going to forget the emotional trauma anytime soon. If ever. Something else I was all too familiar with.
Violet Fox didn't look anything like me, of course, but for a moment, staring at her was like seeing myself at thirteen again, just after the Fire elemental had murdered my family. I'd had the same haunted, wounded look that the other girl did right now. I pushed the memory away.
Finn crept a little closer and turned up the wattage on his smile. "We don't mean you any harm. We just want to ask you some questions about your grandfather. His name is Warren, right? Warren T. Fox?"
Doubt flickered in her dark, haunted eyes. "Why do you want to know about my grandfather?"
"Because your grandfather used to be an old friend of my dad's," Finn kept up his calming tone. "His name was Fletcher Lane. You came into the Pork Pit today asking about him, asking about the Tin Man, remember?"
Some of Violet's panic slackened, and she studied Finn with a lot more interest.
"C'mon," Finn said. "If we wanted to hurt you, we would have done it already. We just want to talk. Promise. "
It was the same smooth voice he'd used to talk so many women out of their panties. Including me in my younger, more foolish years. You'll be so much more comfortable if you get out of those wet clothes. Let me help you zip up your dress. Whoops, did I just spill coffee all over your jeans? Guess you'll have to take them off.
And it worked. Violet Fox never stood a chance against the sheer, overpowering, slightly smarmy charm of Finnegan Lane. She lowered the knife and studied us all again, carefully this time, without fear clouding her gaze. She stared at Finn the longest.
"You look exactly like your dad," she said. "Or at least an old photo my grandfather has of him. Same eyes, same hair, same nice smile. "
Finn grinned a little wider. Nothing he loved better than being told how handsome he was.
Violet nodded at Jo-Jo. "And I've seen you once or twice up at the store, haven't I?"
"You sure have, darling. Your grandfather has the best homemade honey in the city. I always stop and get some when I'm up that way," Jo-Jo said. "Now, why don't you put that knife to good use and help yourself to some dessert while we talk?"
After a moment, Violet nodded, stepped forward, and put the knife back down on the table. Finn gently took her arm, gave her another smile, and sat her down on one of the stools. I made her a bowl of apricot bars and ice cream and passed her a spoon. Violet stared at me.
"And you," she murmured. "I talked to you at the restaurant today. And in the parking lot, after, after - "