A Coalition Story

Her Name Is Alice, Not Pretty Lady

"Hey, pretty lady," Merc slurred, approaching Alice with a drunken swagger. She took a large step backward. Merc, or Mercutio, was a trainer, a tall and strong one at that. Alice knew how to fight—she was in the Coalition—but she couldn't take Merc without an advantage. Sadly, since the chaperones had weapon checked everybody at the door, she didn't have her trusty switchblade that she kept on hand for emergencies. And because Ace insisted she keep it nearby.

"Please go away," she requested, trying to be firm. But Merc had only gotten closer and closer, and the cologne he wore almost overpowered the stink of alcohol on his clothes. Alice took another large step backward, stupidly. She had trapped herself in the corner. Well, he had trapped her in the corner. Merc places a hand on the wall above her head, leaning in close to her. Fear paralyzed her, and, with squeezed shut eyes, Alice knew he was about to kiss her. He leaned in, and then he was gone? She heard the deep grunt as he fell backward. Had Ace shown up? Whoever it was had just saved her unimaginable pain. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

Lev.

Definitely not who she'd been expecting.

"You okay?" he asked, his Eastern European accent tainting his words. A shudder shook her spine, and she nodded slowly.

"I will be. Thank you," Alice breathed out in reply. "Seriously, thank you. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't gone here in time. They took my switchblade at the door and he's a better fighter than me and—" It hit her that Lev didn't need to know all of this and definitely didn't care. "Yeah. And yeah," she finished, eyes downcast.

"It's okay, you know. He's not going to hurt you," Lev reminded her, and when she looked up, he gave her a small but hard-won smile. She'd never seen Lev smile before, even with Ravyn. Not that many people smiled with Ravyn beside Atticus and Torin.

"Thanks—" Before she could get more out, her trusty (or at least tardy) brother appeared.

"Get away from her, Lev, or so help me—"

"Ace, back off," Alice demanded, turning her glare on her brother. She appreciated his protection, but this was being overprotective. "Lev got the creep away from me. He's not who you think he is," she insisted. Now it was Ravyn's turn to show up.

"Told you, Atticus. He's not who you think he is. I swear you're even more cynical than I am." As always, Ravyn's sass was accompanied by a roll of her light eyes.

Lev stood there, looking uncomfortable. Ravyn was definitely staring him down, again, as always. Ace was glaring at him with mistrust and wariness. Alice matched his smile from earlier.

"Do you want to dance, Lev?" she asked as a slow song came on, saving them all from the eternal stare down. His expression turned grateful.

"Yes. I'd like that. Thank you," Lev answered, offering his hand to Alice. With an even wider smile, she accepted. Now it was time to dance with the man who turned out not to be the devil.