He was graced with a half-smile from the glamoured visage, but the thin lips of her fae face were pressed flat and her red pupiled eyes were filled with malice for being shot down.
As he walked out of the art gallery, Carrick had concluded a few things.
Fallon was already surrounding herself with other dark daemons, indicating she was up to something as they tended to be solitary by nature. He felt reasonably sure Finley’s sister was gone, and he loathed having to break that news to her.
More importantly, he felt confident this Dark Fae was incredibly dangerous. While she didn’t seem overly interested in Finley, if word ever filtered to her that Finley had special abilities, he had no doubt Fallon would kill her.
It was imperative Finley come back into his fold so she could be adequately protected.
CHAPTER 5
Finley
Mondays at One Bean are always a little hectic, being the start of a new business week. Except I’m not at One Bean. I’m sitting on the Fantasia at the kitchen table where I can periodically look out the large windows at the Fremont Bridge.
My day-shift manager, Lisa, was a gem this morning and did an inventory count for me, emailing me a spreadsheet I could work from to reorder stock. It’s not lost upon me that she’s stepping into the role that I had once upon a time when I was working for Rich, and I’m grateful to have someone dependable like her.
Who knows… maybe one day I’ll sell One Bean to her.
Maybe that day is soon, seeing as how it might be safer for me to move far, far away as Veda suggested was an option for me.
Except I know deep in my heart it’s not. I can’t walk away from a business I just bought, nor do I want to. This is my future, and I’m not giving it up.
It’s quiet and peaceful, seeing as how my roommates left for their own jobs a few hours ago. Adira is at One Bean, perpetuating my flu story to explain my absence. Rainey’s at the department store where she puts makeup on women, and Myles is doing his computer mojo in his downtown office. Rainey actually gave him a ride as he always takes the bus, and, let me say, that has been quite the turn of events with those two.
After Veda burst into a shower of golden sparkles—something I hope doesn’t fade from my memory as it really was quite fabulous—I went inside to the kitchen, having momentarily forgotten that Myles and Rainey’s secret admiration of each other was now out of the bag.
I found them in the kitchen, Myles behind the counter chopping tomatoes and Rainey sitting opposite him on a stool. Myles was talking animatedly, waving his knife sometimes for punctuation. Rainey was actually leaning way forward on the counter, hanging on every word in a way I’ve never seen her listen to Myles before.
It was weird and sweet at the same time. Myles had this geeky lopsided smile that popped just one dimple the whole time, and Rainey laughed a little too hard at the things he said. Then she started flirting by giving him compliments that turned his face red and threw him off his game, forcing him to stammer at times and almost cut his finger. It was beautiful to watch, and painful at the same time, so I felt the only thing to do was ply them both with alcohol.
That night we dined on Myles’ delicious pasta and slammed beers. Rainey and Myles drank to loosen inhibitions, and I drank to find oblivion for a little bit. I was so very tired of hurting for Fallon and wondering if there was still a way to save her.
The next morning, I stumbled from my room into the kitchen—hungover and desperately needing coffee. I found Rainey in her robe at the counter before the coffee pot, and Myles standing behind her wearing a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. His arms were around her waist, his head bent to kiss the side of her neck.
My heart fluttered with romantic joy. It was something good I very much needed.
“Good morning,” I’d said, and they both jumped apart like they’d been electrocuted. I waved them off and ordered, “Don’t be weird. I’m fully aware you like each other, and I’m just glad you both figured it out.”
And just like that, they settled.
Sort of. I mean, they’ve known each other for four years, and are the best of friends. Not much else to learn about each other, but they did need to navigate their new intimacy. I have every faith in the world they’ll figure it out.
It was funny, though, when Adira came into the kitchen not long after, gaping at Rainey, who had parked herself on Myles’ lap at the kitchen table. I merely poured her a cup of coffee, leaned in, and whispered, “Just go with it. I’ll fill you in later.”
That was yesterday, and we all hung out on the Fantasia. I had some work to do, of course, but, in between, we ate good food, laughed, drank a few beers, and, for some blessed moments, I had normality.
But they were only snatches of time where something would remind me that my life is far from normal. Like walking into my room and seeing the eye drops Veda gave me on the dresser, which is an opportunity for my friends to believe my story.
Or the sketchpad I’d brought with me from my house. Inside lays the drawing of Carrick I had torn out and thrown away. After I had packed Saturday and before I left my house, I had pulled it out of the garbage can. I couldn’t say exactly why I wanted it, but I spent some time smoothing out the edges as best I could without smearing more of the drawing than I already had. I’d marred some of his face when I’d crumpled it, giving a very hazy, distorted look to the expression of loathing I’d managed to capture. I wonder if it’s even a metaphor that perhaps I didn’t see what I thought I did. Or maybe, I can’t see him clearly now.
I shake my head to snap out of my memories. It’s been happening all morning where I’ll get absorbed in work for a little bit, then I’ll get distracted. I’ll think about Rainey and Myles’ new relationship, or I’ll wonder if Titus has gone back to Semper Terra, and the worst distraction of all… I’ll wonder about my sister. I haven’t heard a word from her, and I sure as hell haven’t reached out to her because I’m terrified of how that conversation might go. Luckily, it’s not out of the ordinary in our relationship that we go days without speaking or texting, so suspicions shouldn’t be aroused.
Right now, however, I’m too damn scared to even think about approaching whatever the abomination is that took over my sister’s body.
With a sigh, I push up from the chair to get another cup of coffee. My back is aching from sitting here for a few hours straight, and I take a moment to lift my arms up high and arch backward into a stretch.
Groaning in relief, I grab my cup for a refill and my gaze goes out the window as the Fremont Bridge is opening up. And there, standing on the wooden dock to which the Fantasia is tied, stands Carrick. He’s not performing any voodoo spell I can see, instead standing casually with hands tucked into his pockets. He’s wearing dress pants and a button-down shirt undone at the throat.
He looks non-threatening, but I don’t take that for granted at all.
I have choices. I could ignore him to go get my coffee. I’m reasonably sure when Adira left this morning I locked the door that leads out onto the dock.
Or I could go out there and reiterate to him again that I’m not interested in this prophecy or in having anything further to do with him.
The vast majority of me wants to ignore him, but the tiny part that still reminds me that he is my business partner pipes up. I cannot cut all ties with this man. It is absolutely my choice whether to participate in averting some apocalypse or whatever, but I still have a business to run that’s integrally tied with him.