Free Shadowglass by Erica Hayes Page B

and—Oof!”
    Azure elbowed him in the tummy, grabbing the mirror as he twisted away. “Nuff of that. I’m prettier than you. Look, there I am. Ugh. Wrinkles. No wonder he wanted the light off. That’s it, I’m getting Botox—hey! No fair!”
    I trapped her wrist with one hand and tickled her skinny rib cage until she let the mirror go in a squirming giggle fit. “Mine, I told you. Don’t scare the poor little thing.” I peeked inside, the pretty glass shimmering, and my heart tumbled happily, home. “There, there, squidgy. Don’t let the scary fairy upset you. She’s just jealous.”
    Azure wriggled and reached for it again. “Am not.”
    “Are too.” I held it away, laughing and dodging, our limbs thrashing in tangles.
    “Am not.” Her voice took on an insistent, childish tone, and I decided not to press it.
    “Are too,” chimed in Blaze, pulling her hair.
    Az shoved him away, hard, and he tumbled wailing to the floor. She scowled. “Am not, I said. What scumbag did Ice screw to get it, anyway?”
    “What?” My heart stung, and I squirmed away and sat up, clutching the mirror in my lap. She sounded nasty, petulant. Like she meant it.
    Blaze laughed and whacked me in the head with my pillow, dust flying up my nose. “A hot dirty demon lord, that’s who.”
    Azure sniffed, haughty breeze lifting her hair. “That’d be right.”
    Ire seared away my restraint. I struggled to keep my voice even. “Lobster telephone! What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “You know what it means. You always get everything.” Her eyes narrowed, her chin tight.
    “Do not! Where the hell did that come from?” But I knew where it must have come from, and I swallowed again, desperate not to look at Blaze.
    But Blaze laughed, nasty, and flung the pillow at Az’s head. “Jeez, Az, why are you such a bitch? Didn’t you get off last night?”
    She batted the pillow away, and her face darkened, blue leaching deeper in her cheeks. “And what do you care, slut boy, off screwing everything with a pulse?”
    A cruel grin twitched his lips. “Except you. That what this is about? You jealous?”
    Her forehead crumpled, and tears blotted her lashes like green ink. He’d scraped too close to the truth.
    My cheeks scorched, sour water flooding my mouth. “Let it be, Blaze. You don’t have to rub it in—”
    “Shut the fuck up, Ice.” Azure rounded on me, green hair whipping her face. “You don’t fool me. I know what you’re doing. Always putting on that clumsy dopey-girl act to make people look at you, always trying to show me up. You’re just jealous because I’m prettier than you.”
    “Yeah?” Her peach-scented wind lashed my hair, and I yanked the knots back, ire stinging my skin. The mirror hissed warmly in my hand, and spite gnawed my blood like a hungry rat. I let it chew. “Good thing you are, or no one would ever put up with your whiny-ass shit. At least I can still get laid after I’ve opened my mouth.”
    The silence scraped loud. We stared. Tears streaked her face like verdigris, her mouth quivering. Her wings drooped, and abruptly her breeze died.
    My breath hurt, like I’d run too far, and my eyes stung hot. Not true, what I’d said. Nasty, thoughtless, an envious so-called friend. Christ, what’s wrong with me today?
    Blaze gave a shaky sigh and dragged sheepish claws through his hair, his wings curling. “Fuck. Sorry, ladies. I’m a bitch. Guess it was a rough night.”
    Remorse cramped in my belly. “Jeez. I can’t believe I said that. I’m sorry, Az. I didn’t mean it.”
    She wiped her nose, her voice indistinct. “Really?”
    “Really. It’s not true, what I said. I don’t know why I . . .”
    “Me, too.” She sniffled. “I feel weird. Like someone made me. Please, can we forget it?” Her eyes shone, pleading.
    Cool relief filtered my blood. I hugged her, and she hugged me back. Blaze whispered something in her ear, and she laughed and swatted him, and he winked at me over her