The gemstone shrieked as it sensed what was being done to it, but I blocked the noise out and poured even more of my magic into it.
A second later, the ruby shattered with a tiny wail, the pieces zipping out between my hands like shrapnel. I listened to the broken shards, but I couldn't hear the ruby's murmurs anymore-only silence. Sweet, sweet silence.
Everyone stared at me, shocked by my violent outburst.
"Gin?" Jo-Jo asked.
"I'm okay," I said, breathing heavily. "I'm okay now that that thing is gone."
Everyone watched while I dusted the Ice-coated ruby shards off my hand. Without a word, Jo-Jo got the broom from the corner and cleaned up the mess I'd made destroying the necklace. Once all the pieces had been thrown in the trash, I felt myself relaxing once more.
It was over now-finally, truly over.
"We also found something else interesting," Owen said in a quiet tone when I'd regained my composure. "Something that I think you'll like a little better than Mab's necklace."
He handed me another towel. Once more, I carefully unwound the fabric, revealing a sharp, slender weapon. My silverstone knife-the one I'd used to kill Mab.
"I thought you might want it back," Owen said.
I nodded, staring at the metal. I must have done a better job of keeping it in one piece with the Ice magic than I'd thought, because the knife looked as solid and sharp as ever. My spider rune ring, the one that Bria had stored her magic in, had also survived Mab's elemental flames. Bria had slipped it back onto my finger the day I'd woken up for good, and I hadn't taken it off since. The thin band clinked softly against the knife as I picked up the weapon. To my surprise, the hilt felt cold in my hands-Ice cold.
"Your Ice magic is in the blade now," Owen said, seeing my confusion. "I can feel it in there, just waiting to be used. It's silverstone, after all. It must have absorbed your magic during your fight with Mab. Your other knives also contain your Ice power, although not as much as that one, the knife that you killed Mab with."
"Well, I suppose that they'll all come in handy soon enough."
"What do you mean?" Jo-Jo asked.
I shrugged. "All of Mab's men, all of the bounty hunters-they all know that I'm the Spider now. It won't be too long before someone tries to collect on some kind of bounty or reward on me."
"Correction," Bria said. "The ones who lived know that you're the Spider, but there probably aren't as many of those around as you might think. You and Mab took out almost everyone in the courtyard with your magic. The coroner is still finding bodies out there. It'll be weeks before they identify them all-if they can even do that to start with, given how badly everyone was burned."
"And Owen, Sophia, Xavier, Warren, and I took care of some of the other stragglers we found out in the woods," Finn said. "So mostly, there are a lot of rumors going around the underworld, but there aren't that many people around to confirm or deny them. I'd say the damage and exposure to us is fairly minimal, all things considered."
Well, that was something to be grateful for. It wouldn't do any good for me to finally kill Mab only to have a dozen other people show up in Ashland looking to settle old grudges or create new ones. Still, despite the others' words, I knew that sooner or later some of the folks who weren't very happy with the Spider would track me down. But I'd be ready for them-the way I always was.
"The only one who might make trouble for you right now is Jonah McAllister," Bria said in a thoughtful voice.
I frowned. "You mean that bastard got away? How did he do that?"
Jo-Jo stared at me. "Jonah McAllister might be a pompous little weasel, but he also knows how to survive. Don't forget, he managed to keep his position as one of Mab's number-two men for decades, something that wasn't easy."
"Which makes him dangerous in his own way," I murmured.
"But even he's a little busy these days," Finn cut in. "McAllister is a follower, not a leader. Word is that he's trying to find himself a new boss to work for-without getting dead first. Last thing I've heard, he's gone into hiding until things settle down in the city. It's gang warfare out there on the streets. Almost a month after Mab dies, and every shark in the Ashland underworld is still going at it trying to grab as much power as he can."
Bria nodded her agreement. "I know. Xavier and I have been pulling double shifts for weeks now."
"So see, Gin? No one's really even noticed your absence," Finn said in a cheery voice. "They're all too busy killing each other off right now to think about coming after the Spider."
"Terrific," I muttered. "Just terrific."
But after a moment, I started to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Owen asked.
I shrugged. "Nothing much. Just the fact I killed the most unkillable woman in Ashland, the strongest, most unbeatable elemental around, and no one seems to care because they're all too busy mowing each other down in the street with machine guns. It's just-funny."
I laughed again, but the others exchanged puzzled glances. They didn't understand what was going on. I laughed until tears streamed down my face, and my stomach hurt from the force of it. And then I laughed some more.
Irony. What a bitch.
I managed to quit laughing long enough to finish eating. Jo-Jo went to check on something in the salon, while Owen stepped outside to call Eva and update her on how I was doing. Their departures left me alone with Finn and Bria in the kitchen. The two of them sat at the table across from me, not quite touching, but obviously wanting to do so. Being alive had put me in a rather generous mood, so I decided to make things easy for them.
"So," I said. "Exactly how long have the two of you been together? I assume that you've been going hot and heavy ever since that night at Fletcher's house when the bounty hunters interrupted you. Am I right?"
Finn and Bria didn't look at me or each other.
"Right," Bria mumbled. "Although if it makes you uncomfortable-"
"Then Gin's just going to have to deal with it," Finn cut her off.
Bria stared at him in surprise.
"What?" Finn said. "I worked too hard and too long to get you into my bed to just cut you loose now, cupcake."
Bria's eyes narrowed. "Cupcake?"
"Cupcake." Finn grinned at her. "Or would you prefer snuggle bunny?"
Bria's hand drifted down to the gun on her leather belt, as though she wanted to pull it out and shoot Finn with it. Well, it was good to know I wasn't the only one who occasionally had that reaction to him.