Sera shrugged. She hadn’t wanted to go shopping. Naomi, being of the same mind as Kai, had talked her into it. Right now, Sera was missing out on dissecting more vampiric tapeworms with Mayhem’s disposal department. Yes, that was every bit as disgusting as it sounded, which is why it hadn’t taken much convincing from Naomi.

“My life has recently taken a complicated tur—”

A shrill shriek split through the room. Before Sera could turn to see what it was all about, a chorus of screams echoed the first, followed by a stampede of fleeing footsteps. Towering high over the panicking crowds, their heads nearly bumping the chandeliers, a horde of centaurs stomped across the store. Their eyes, gleaming with hate, glared at a second centaur horde galloping down the wooden escalator. Armor covered the centaurs’ chests, arms, and backs, clinking like a bundle of tin cans as the two factions clashed.

“See what I mean?” Sera said to Naomi over the clamor of hooves and clang of steel.

“You always seem to be in just the right place at the right time for trouble,” her friend agreed.

They watched the battle that had taken over the store. Centaurs leapt and galloped and hollered. The shoppers were hollering too. They ran in erratic, panicked zigzags, squealing at the top of their lungs. Speckled here and there between the chaos, a few calmer shoppers had hunkered down behind overturned clothing racks and were shooting videos of the fight.

“Do you think we should do something?” Naomi asked as a centaur galloped after a fleeing group of humans. “All the screaming is riling them up.”

“Centaurs are always riled up,” Sera said, drawing two knives. “Drama queens.”

She picked out the two leaders in the crowd, who were entangled in a hoof-to-hoof brawl. How convenient. A knife in each hand, she sprinted forward and slammed a blade into each. The centaurs reared back, but they didn’t stop fighting each other—not even to kick her away.

“Hit them harder?” Naomi suggested, stepping up beside her.

“I didn’t bring my sword.” She hadn’t expected to need it while shopping. Wishful thinking. She always needed her sword. “But I can try something else.”

Focusing on the knives inside the two centaurs, she drew on fire. She poured the magic down the blades, searing flesh and burning blood. Through the crackling snap of her magic, something was humming. The raw song tickled her ears and buzzed down the back of her neck. A hand tore Sera out of the trance. She looked back into Naomi’s horrified eyes.

“Sera.” She pointed.

The two centaur leaders were rolling on the floor, screaming out in agony. All the others had stopped fighting. They were hardly moving. They watched their leaders, the same horrified look that was in Naomi’s eyes was in theirs too. Sera severed her magic, pushing it back down where it belonged. The centaurs’ screams died, and a moment later they stood.

“You are a powerful warrior,” one of them said to Sera, respect in his eyes. He glanced back at the knife sticking out of his flank. “What kind of enchantment is on that weapon?”

Sera gave the knife a rough tug, and it tore out of him. Coddling a centaur was a surefire way to send him into a rage. They believed in strength and bravery, not hugs and kisses.

“A warrior doesn’t share her secrets,” she said and yanked the knife out of the second centaur.

“Indeed,” the first said, laughing.

Sera sheathed her knives. “What are your names?”

“Apollo,” said the first.

“Thor.”

Wow. Someone had delusions of grandeur. Sera turned to the second centaur.

“You only have a sword,” she pointed out.

Thor gave her a perplexed look. Or maybe that was annoyed.

“Thor is supposed to have a hammer,” she said.

Apollo let out a snort worthy of a stallion.

Thor’s grip tightened on his sword. “My other weapon is a war hammer.”

“That would make a great bumper sticker,” Sera said, glancing at his flanks.

Beside her, Naomi slapped her hand against her forehead.

Sera frowned at her. “You did not just facepalm my joke.”

“That was supposed to be a joke?” Naomi asked with a sassy smirk.

Sera sighed. “Never mind.” She looked at Apollo and Thor again. “You two will need to take your lovers’ spat elsewhere. This establishment is under my protection.”

“Since when?” Thor asked, a challenge in his eyes.

“Since now,” she told him. “So if you two don’t want to end up squealing like pigs on the floor again, move on out.”

Apollo grinned at Thor. “I like her. She’s spunky.”

Thor’s frown deepened. “You can’t take all of us at once,” he told Sera.

“You’re welcome to find out,” she replied. “But I have more than just knives at my disposal.”

Thor glared at her, like he really was going to test her. Even at their calmest, centaurs’ magic was heavy and musky, which wasn’t all that surprising considering that they were essentially part horse. Right now, Thor’s magic wasn’t just heavy and musky. It was as thick as butter—but not nearly as tasty. He stared down at her, his eyes dark and cold, his magic a storm of thunder and fire.

Then, just as his anger was reaching the boiling point, it deflated. He turned and walked away. Apollo gave her a brusque nod, then he headed for a different exit. The other centaurs streamed into two neat groups and followed their leaders.