“That’s it?”
“That’s all you’ll get from us, precious,” the vampire responded. “If you want to know more, you’ll have to pry it from the mouth of the dragon.”
I rolled my eyes. “Great. I’ll never hear the whole story then.”
“Once we bring Vander home, I’m sure Talon will be more open to sharing,” said Hayden.
Approaching footfalls sent my gaze to the half-eaten yogurt on my tray. I didn’t need to look up to know who was coming. I could feel him with every tiny cell in my being. I sighed as Talon folded down beside me. His winter fresh scent combined with his natural male muskiness made my blood sing. Stupid blood bond. I needed to get a hold of Garrix ASAP. Maybe he had a potion to counteract this mystical reptilian link.
“Anything from Logan’s gargoyles about Vander?” Hayden asked.
“Not yet.” The scowl etched deeper into Talon’s face. “If they don’t have something to us by the end of the week, I’m going down there myself.”
My brows nearly reached my hairline. “Didn’t you just lecture me on not running into the Underworld half-cocked? That I’d never be allowed into the SIA if I behaved so recklessly?”
He shrugged as he shoveled a spoonful of oatmeal into his mouth. “I was talking about you, not me. I have a little more experience under my belt.”
“I’m going to have to side with the little pumpkin on this one, T.” Hayden pointed his spoon at his brother. “I want to find Vander as badly as you but getting trapped down there won’t help anybody.”
Talon’s fist hit the table and the faux wood shuddered, popping my tray up. “I can’t sit around and do nothing while he’s down there. We have no idea why they took him or what they’re doing to him.”
A rush of guilt washed over me. It was my fault Vander had been captured. He’d come after me the night of my soul-suck fest. “Why was Vander out that night looking for me?”
“Because it’s his job,” Talon snapped. Then he tossed his head to the side and released a breath. “Sorry.”
Hayden and Dallas’s eyes bugged out, surely matching the surprise on my face. Did Talon just apologize for his rude tone?
“Yup, blood bond still going strong.” Dallas smirked.
Talon seared his brother with a glacial glare. “It’s a good thing I’m not bonded to you, so I have no problem scorching your vampire ass.”
Dallas tittered under his breath.
“Still touchy though,” Hayden added.
Talon’s arm brushed against mine as he reached for a napkin, and a sizzle of energy crackled over my skin. The tendon in his jaw fluttered as he pulled it back and wiped his mouth. Maybe I should just give myself over to Delacroix. After having a little taste, being this close to Talon without being able to act on my lusty urges was worse than any torture the hellus demon or dark lord of the Underworld could come up with.
“Hey, girl!” Flix waggled his fingers at me from a few tables over. By the daffodil yellow of the jumpsuits surrounding him, he must have been hanging out with his Fae friends.
I threw him a half-hearted wave, and he popped up from his seat. A female Fae stood with him, and the pair sauntered over in our direction.
A deep growl reverberated Talon’s massive chest, making his broad shoulders vibrate as the pixies approached. The two froze on the spot, about a yard away from me, their eyes wide.
“Talon,” I hissed under my breath.
He stood and leveled Flix and his friend with a withering glare. “Who is that?” He ticked his head at the female, and her wings trembled like dry leaves on a wintry day. She took a step back, cowering behind Flix.
My tour guide mentor raised his hands in the air, and a shock of pink hair tumbled over his forehead. “Just a friend, Talon. Harmless, I swear.”
His scorching gaze razed over the girl’s petite form, and she looked like she was a second from peeing herself.
“Enough, Talon.” I threw my hand across my overzealous bodyguard’s chest and shoved him back. Well, attempted to anyway. He finally released the pixie from his death stare and backed off. “Why don’t you sit with us?” I pulled the chair out beside me.
The two Fae gave Talon a wide berth as they sat down on the far side of the table, ignoring the seat I’d offered.
“I wanted to come by to say hi and introduce my friend, Valeria,” said Flix. The cute blonde pixie smiled, her short bob bouncing just below her pointy ears. “She spent years in the human world so I thought you girls would hit it off.”
“Oh, cool.”
“She doesn’t need any friends,” Talon barked, leaning forward to pierce the pixies with another crushing glare.
“Maybe we should go.” Valeria fiddled with her fingers and pushed back from the table.
“No!” The word popped out harsher than intended. “Sorry, I would really like it if you stayed. I don’t have many friends in here and none that are female. I could definitely use a little escape from all the testosterone.” I shot Talon a narrowed glare and sat forward to attempt to cut him out of the conversation.
He muttered something under his breath, most likely a curse, but I ignored him and focused on the scaredy faeries at the end of the table.
“So, Valeria, what were you doing in the human world?”
She swept her pale blonde hair behind her ears, and her lips puckered. What in the world could this shy pixie have done to end up in this place? I decided to ask Flix about that later. “I was one of the Spring Court Queen’s stylists many years ago. Then King Seris was killed, and she vacated the castle to live in the countryside. With no job, I entered the supe visa lottery and won. A few days later, I had a yellow card and a one-way portal to the human realm.”
“Wow, that’s pretty cool. I’d heard about the lottery system, but I’d never met any supes that had actually gotten it.”
“It’s like an urban legend,” Hayden interjected. “Mothers tell their children stories about it. A one-way ticket to freedom in the human world.” He snorted on a laugh, then went back to talking to his brothers.
Valeria fanned herself, her dainty fingers flapping overtime. “I can’t believe Hayden from the Triad just spoke to me.”
Now I snorted on a laugh. Sometimes I forgot how notorious the Triad brothers were. “So where did you live, and what did you do while you were there?” I hadn’t realized how much I missed my normal life before my demon powers started acting up.
“I spent a few years out west: Vegas, L.A., and a few smaller cities in Arizona. I got jobs in hair salons as I went, and it gave me the chance to see the United States. Then I tried Europe next, Paris, Milan, London, pretty much all the big cities.”
My eyes widened. I’d always wanted to travel, but when I became old enough I was shipped off to the Nether Lands with my grandma, Emi. It wasn’t quite the international dream vacation I’d planned.
Flix’s finger reached out and lifted my jaw. “You’re going to let the bugs in.” He smirked. “You see, I knew you’d like Valeria.”
“You better watch out, Flix, she might replace you as my BFFF—best Fae friend forever.”
He chuckled and tossed his brilliant pink hair back. “Not a chance. I’m completely irreplaceable.”