Infected 8: Impulse: A Whole New Day by P. S. Power Page B

really been all that powerful.
    Gravity. It was probably pretty dense over in that part of the store, at the moment, Bridget guessed. The cold case behind him exploded with a pop, as the glass shattered under its own weight. That had to be intense, to make that happen. Glass was both light and strong.
    Mary took a few steps forward, her face holding a grim smile.
    "Perhaps, Devorah. What do you have to share, and what do you want for it, in return? The Keys to the secret wonders, no doubt?" There was a raised eyebrow and foolishly crossed arms to go with the phrase, whatever it meant.
    Bridget wouldn't have taken that pose in a fight, not even with someone as slow as Braid was. It was too closed and tied up to retaliate when she struck. No, she stood with open hands, raised and balanced in front of her, ready to strike or grapple without notice. The witch in front of her didn't even glance in her direction, probably knowing when the attack was going to come and that it wasn't yet.
    The other woman looked at her friend, Tess, who seemed to be having trouble getting a full breath of air for some reason, and then back at the shopkeeper.
    "If you will leave Brian Yi, for one year, only holding yourself away, not breaking his heart, or acting in secret, I will tell you of the Wester plot to retake your Elcampayn wards, and how to thwart it. If you ignore my advice, they will be taken within the month, and not treated well or kindly in the land we come from, as you may well imagine. What their fate will be is even worse than you fear. It would lead to the end of both our kinds, if it takes place. None there can stop it. Only you, and your friends here, can."
    Bridget didn't know what Mary was going to say, but she took a deep breath, and then stepped toward Braid. Not fast, but the woman was smart and well informed, so she moved back several steps, staying out of instant reach. Like a few extra inches would stop a rush at nearly two hundred miles an hour? It was still the smart thing to do, so Bridget didn't scold her for it. Telling your opponents how to fight was a waste of time anyway.
    "How about this, instead. You give us the information, help us get around this Wester thing, and don't ask any payment at all. If you're a good person, then using that information to help your plotting here is low. You'd be honor bound to try and help your friends and family back home anyway, even if you don't live there anymore, right? So, do it or not, and don't try to make a deal using other people's lives as leverage. Innocent lives."
    She waited for the woman to come back with either a few choice curse words, or perhaps a counter offer, but she just winced. Then, looking at the far wall, she seemed... Embarrassed.
    It was visible to everyone, but didn't seem fake.
    "I hate this line of things. I end up looking so... Petty. Fine then, Impulse. I will deal with you . In exchange for my aid, you must listen to one fact about yourself. It will be true, and not impact the coming conflict at all, if you don't allow it to. It may even be of aid to you. Is that sufficient? You will protect all your people here from harm, and at no cost, if you choose to allow it to take place that way."
    Bridget wanted to tell her to go fuck herself and nearly did , but managed to fight that long enough to give a choppy assent, nodding her head enough to be seen.
    The other woman smiled, but clearly didn't mean it. The time for that had passed, it looked like. Now they were going to be into the thick of things.
    Which would be entertaining, no doubt.
     

Chapter three
     
    There was a moment, just about six seconds, when Bridget really almost killed the woman. The only thing that stopped her was the fact that Braid might just be telling the truth about what would happen to Ed and Deidre. Really, Bridgie needed more time to work it all out. Some space to consider everything. A few months to study the situation, get to know the players, and maybe work up a flow chart.