A few minutes later, Eva realized how naive she had been in assuming Meryn would be content to stay in the communications hub with her laptop.

Meryn closed her laptop with a click and looked at the twins. "So, what do you do around here for fun?"

Nigel and Neil exchanged glances. "We haven't been here that long; we just moved here from Storm Keep." Together, they looked at Eva.

Eva held up her hands. "Don't look at me, I just got here yesterday."

"When we arrived, they took us to Level Six, the Marketplace, which was fun. Plus, they have yummy food." Meryn rubbed her belly.

Nigel and Neil grinned. "We can take you," they said together.

"Let's boogie!" Meryn stood, looped her laptop bag around her shoulder, and headed to the door.

Eva followed. "What about your squire?"

Meryn shook her head. "He is on a mission of utmost importance and should not be disturbed."

Eva was confused until she remembered that Ryuu was learning how to make that pudding Meryn liked so much. "Whatever you say, squirt; you're the boss."

Meryn stopped and turned. "I like the sound of that. I'm the boss." She turned and kept going to the tunnel.

The twins lifted the four of them effortlessly up the transport tunnel to Level Six. When they stepped on to the level, Eva heard a low hiss to their right. The transport escort from the day before snarled at them, his eyes red. Nigel and Neil stepped between him and where Meryn and Eva stood.

Eva had to admit, despite being small for witches, these two had courage. Over their heads, she left her eyes shift to her tigers and hissed back. The vampire snapped his mouth shut in surprise. Her tiger already considered the twins and Meryn cubs to be protected, and she didn't like the threatening manner of the escort.

"Wicked!" the twins said together.

Meryn pulled on her arm. "Come on! I smell meat kebobs!" Eva gave one last snarl and let Meryn pull her between the vendor stands. They had almost reached the outermost section when a large, richly dressed vampire stepped in their way.

"No shifters are allowed on Level Six; you are to remain in the Grand Hall until our prince has figured out what to do with you," he said, crossing his arms.

"Fuck. Again? Do I need, like, a visitor's pass or something?" Meryn complained.

"Listen buddy, I don't know who you are, but this is Lady Meryn McKenzie. She is a special guest of Prince Magnus," Nigel informed the sneering vampire.

"Yeah! And she's our commander's mate," Neil added for good measure.

"I am Andre DuBois, you pathetic excuse for a witch. And things were fine here before she and her mate came and started changing things. Noctem Falls is a vampire city; we do not need your kind here," he said angrily, waving his arms. By now they had attracted a crowd.

Eva sighed. They really needed someone like Beth, who was more politically savvy, because her solution involved putting this asshole in a body bag.

Around them, half the crowd muttered in agreement with Andre, some were silent, and some spoke out in Meryn's defense.

"You do not speak for all of us, DuBois! I met that little lady and her squire day before yesterday; they are fine people, shifter or human notwithstanding. She is welcome at my stand any day," an old man said before spitting at Andre's feet.

It was as if the old man's words shifted the mood of the crowd.

"Look how little she is and pregnant too; why is he picking on her?"

"Is she not the one who just gave us Wi-Fi?"

All around them, more people were backing Meryn. Eva didn't care who said what; there were too many people crowded around them to keep Meryn safe. She stood on tiptoe and looked for an exit strategy.

"Come here, you little bitch, I'll escort you back up to the Grand Hall myself." Andre grabbed Meryn by the upper arm and jerked her whole body up.

Eva didn't even think; her hands shifted, and she sliced Andre's arm open. Hissing, he released Meryn and stood back, crouching in a defensive position.

Eva pushed Meryn behind her as Nigel and Neil stood on either side of them. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but they soon began to glow a faint green color. Nigel held up his left hand while Neil held up his right. Together, they released their spell that slammed into Andre.

Andre shook his head and then sneered at the twins. "Is that the best you can do? It did not even hurt," he said arrogantly.

Neil smiled devilishly. "Not yet."

The superior expression slipped from Andre's face as he grabbed his midsection. Everyone heard a large gurgle then Andre was grabbing his rear. Panic filled his eyes as he turned and raced toward one of the Level's bathrooms. He stopped halfway there, yelled, and then started running faster. The door slammed, and then there was silence.

It was muffled at first but slowly everyone around them began to laugh. The old man walked up and clapped Nigel on the back. "Well done, laddie, well done." He turned to Meryn. "You were not going to come up here and not visit, were you?"

Meryn was rubbing her arm, a distracted look on her face. "Actually, we were on our way to your stand. All I've been craving since I got here is your kebobs, those little meat pies, and Sebastian's magic pudding."

The old man wrapped an arm around her shoulder and escorted her through the dissipating crowd. He kept walking past the tables set up in front of his stand and sat her down in his small kitchen area. The twins sat on either side of Meryn, filling the small space. The older man pulled two skewers off a cooling rack and put them on a plate for her. He looked at the twins. "After a stunt like that, you can have whatever you like. It has been years since someone has put one of the Noble Family members in their place."