“I don’t think I like your attitude,” said Marina. “I don’t think I like the way you disrespect my house.”

Marina’s tattoos began to glow. It was like she had embers under her skin, the way the lines lit up and flared, like they’d burn you if you reached out and touched them.

“Drusilla, if you don’t mind,” said Boss Authority.

She licked her lips, her tongue forked like a snake’s. “My pleasure, darlin’.”

Drusilla Fey floated up off the ground, her bare feet lifted, her toenails scratching the floor. Her fingernails grew, they stretched out like bone claws. She clacked them together and it sounded like a snake’s rattle. For one moment she hovered, strange and fluttery, in the air. We all held our breath, everyone in the room, as the two witches squared off, waiting.

The next bit all happened at once.

Drusilla Fey let out a shriek and flew toward Marina.

Mr. Hugo and Cecily Bob drew knives and came for Pop. The coward tried to run, he did. I was never more ashamed in my life.

Harlen snapped at Boss Authority and Boss backhanded him down, that clockwork hand dinging through the room.

Me and Tally backed up to where the pianist crouched hidden behind his piano. Tally was full spider and ready to fight, and so was I as much as that was worth, but neither of us knew quite what to do.

“We could probably get Pop free from Mr. Hugo and Cecily Bob, but I don’t want to risk those knives,” I said.

Drusilla Fey had Marina on the ground, three of her fingernails snapped off and stuck through Marina’s clothes like daggers, fixing her to the floor.

“It’s the tattoos, ain’t it, Drusilla?” said Boss Authority. “It’s the tattoos that’s the source of her power.” Boss Authority’s face grimaced like he’d been sucking on a lemon all day. “I want her power. I want those tattoos.”

He ripped the sleeve off his jacket, his pale, scarred arm all muscles and veins, not a thing natural about it.

Lawrence stepped creakily toward Boss Authority, his war blade drawn and ready. “You have disturbed the peace of my old age, fiend!” he said. “Unhand Miss Marina!”

“Give him what’s coming, Lawrence!” said Johnson.

Boss Authority grabbed the blade in his fist and snapped it in half. Then he pushed the old man backward onto the floor.

“Lawrence!” hollered Johnson. He hobbled over and knelt by his friend.

“I can’t just sit here and watch,” said Tally. She skittered herself up the wall of Marina’s Place. In a second Tally was up on the ceiling, hissing at them, her fangs out and ready. She was way braver than I was, and that was a fact.

Cecily Bob and Mr. Hugo pinned Pop down, had him hogtied, with a bucket ready, like they were going to string him up and drain him right then and there, gather every last drop of his lucky blood. Tally leapt off the ceiling and landed right on Mr. Hugo’s back, sinking her fangs deep in his neck. Cecily Bob whipped out a knife and came after Tally, trying to stab her off Mr. Hugo’s back. That just about did it for me. I picked up a wooden stool and came charging at him, screaming loud as I could. I chucked it at Cecily Bob and it smashed right into his back.