Save Aether (The Trinity Key Trilogy Book 3) by L.M. Fry Page B

beau oiseau! We’ve missed you,” the woman squealed.
    When she moved, her ample breasts threatened to leap out of her low-cropped chemise and cinched purple corset. The woman grabbed Eli and buried him between her cleavage. Julia gasped. He came up for air and turned to his friends. His face was visibly redder than before the woman’s hug. He looked at Julia and grimaced an apology. Valera stifled a laugh. If Eli wasn’t careful, Julia would skin him alive.
    “Madame Blackbird, my friends and I need a place to stay.”
    “Of course, bien venue. Come in, please.”
    She opened the door wide and smiled at everyone. When they were all inside, she looked up and down the street before shutting her door. She clapped her hands and a teenage girl rushed into the room. The girl smiled coyly at Eli, wrapping her hands around his bicep and giggling. Valera peeked over at Julia, and saw pure venom.
    Don’t do anything rash, Julia . Valera said. We’re guests here.
    Theo looked between Eli and Julia and added, We don’t know that there’s anything between them.
    Julia scoffed, Why would I care. He can do as he likes. I don’t care… I can’t stand him.
    Valera sighed. Julia was always so hard even when her heart must be breaking. If it had been Gideon, Valera would have turned the girl to ashes… or at least singed her eyelashes off her fluttering eyelids. Madame Blackbird cleared her throat, and the teen girl released Eli.
    “This is Alouette, my daughter. She’ll show you to your rooms, where you can freshen up.”
    Alouette twisted the end of her braided blonde hair that hung like a fishtail over her shoulder. Perfect ringlets of hair framed her high cheekbones. Her violet colored eyes flicked back to Eli before she ushered the girls upstairs. Valera had the sudden urge to blacken those pretty purple-tinted eyes. Even if Julia denied her feelings for Eli, Valera couldn’t take Alouette’s utterly flirtatious behavior.
    “You are friends with Eli?” She asked in a thick French accent.
    “Yes, he’s our friend,” Valera snapped at Alouette.
    The way she purred Eli’s name irked Valera. The girl was clearly trying to size them up. Valera noticed Julia ball up her fists. She touched Julia’s shoulder. It was ice cold. Julia grit her teeth and shrugged Valera’s hand away. Alouette stopped and turned with her hands on her curvy hips. Her violet eyes flickered over the girls one at a time. With her nose upturned, her pouty lips grinned.
    “Humph, I too am his… bonne amie,” she simpered. She continued down the hall muttering, “Mais, je ne savais pas qu'il aimait les chiennes hideux ausi.”
    Even though Valera had a French tutor, she’d never picked up the language. However, she knew enough to know that Alouette was insulting them – something about Eli liking dogs. She felt Julia draw on aether.
    Easy, Julia. She’s not worth it, Theo said.
    Julia huffed, Why not? The tramp deserves a good beating.
    She does, but now’s not the right time, Valera said, scowling at Alouette’s back.
    Theo moved to Julia’s other side and linked arms with her. The gesture seemed casual to an ordinary onlooker, but Valera knew Theo was holding Julia back. Valera felt Julia release aether, but saw that she kept her fists in tight balls. Alouette opened a room with three small cots in it. A small cracked washbasin sat on a square table, and a dingy lace curtain hid a view of the alley. Valera stepped onto a damp spot on the threadbare rug and cringed.
    “Désolé, we had a small incident in here a few days ago… blood stains are quite difficult to clean.” Alouette feigned a frown. She shrugged, and her smirk returned. “This is our finest room. Nice and cozy, oui?”
    Valera doubted that this was anywhere near their finest room. She was about to complain, but Alouette slammed the door on her way out. Valera approached one of the cots and lifted a corner of the blanket, expecting to see stained sheets covered in creepy