by Nicole Hall
Jake looked incredulous. “You don’t think it’s a danger now? Why wouldn’t the Fae have left the Wood in a mass exodus after such a long time being contained? And what about you? Why would your magic have been stripped?”
“I don’t think it was stripped until I was ejected the trod. I left the Wood, and I was deposited in the human world in my human form as powerless as a human.”
“Hey,” said Jake.
Sera patted his arm. “No, she’s right. Humans are pretty powerless when compared to the Fae.”
“Says the girl who’s half-Fae.”
Zee’s head shot up. “You know?”
Sera nodded. “I found out on Samhain.”
Ryan shifted away from the window, and Zee speared him with a look. “I’d be interested in knowing how you found out.”
Ryan didn’t back down. “She’s a master detective. Sometimes people use their brains to figure things out instead of only relying on brute magic force. Also, the spell broke so I wasn’t bound not to and she deserved to know.”
Zee glared at him and ignored the last bit, which was entirely accurate. “What would you know about brute magic force?” She ruined the impact by yawning.
Jake shared a look with Sera, then got up to thump Ryan on the back. “I’m sure your brute force is fine, but Sera and I have an appointment. If you guys want to stay here and fight…or whatever it is you’re doing, it’s cool with us, but we’re out.”
Sera stood up to join him. “Zee, I’d lend you some clothes, but you’re a good four inches taller and in way better shape than me.”
Jake grinned at Sera. “I like your shape.”
She waved him away. “Not the point. You’re welcome to Jake’s clothes though, and of course you can stay here as long as you need.”
Zee was increasingly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. She needed to focus on returning to the Glade, but they had a point. She couldn’t walk around among the humans in scarves and sweatpants. It would draw too much attention. Before she could comment, Ryan pushed away from the wall and approached her.
“She’s staying with me.”
Jake glowered, but Sera only shrugged. “Whatever works.”
Ryan met her eyes and offered his hand to help her stand. Zee ignored it. She was capable of standing on her own. She stood, eye to eye with him, and immediately got dizzy, swaying on her feet. Ryan reached out to steady her, and the contact rippled through her in a warm rush. The feeling persisted well after she’d settled herself and he’d let go. She’d known Ryan for years, and she’d always been able to compartmentalize her reactions to him, but her new human body seemed to have a mind of its own. That’s inconvenient. It would be a terrible idea to stay with him, even for a short while.
She opened her mouth to refuse his offer, but he smirked, raising an eyebrow in challenge. He thought her weak and afraid. Pride pushed aside common sense, so she straightened her spine and changed her mind. She could control her human body long enough to figure out how to return home and fix the mess they’d made without her. How hard could it be?
“I appreciate your hospitality, and I accept.” Her voice was regal, her mastery of this human form complete. As her first act of control, she chose to ignore the look of triumph in Ryan’s mischievous blue eyes.
2
RYAN
Ryan had gone insane. His brain had short-circuited at the thought of Zee staying with Jake and Sera. Yeah, he’d remembered the feel of the soft skin on her back, and yeah, the scarf dress had done very little to cover her very long legs, but she was dangerous. All Fae were dangerous. If she was going to be wandering around causing havoc, he needed to keep an eye on her. Sure, keep telling yourself that, buddy.
Besides, they had personal business to discuss.
All of them filed out of the house and stood in the driveway. Full night had fallen, and the temperature was dropping, but despite the conversation in the kitchen, none of them were eager to leave. The porch lights shone off the two cars parked there, and Ryan noticed Zee was sure to keep the others between her and the vehicles. He knew why he was stalling, trapping himself in a car with a volatile Fae was his idea of hell, but what was going on with Jake?
While Sera locked up the house, Ryan nudged Jake. “What’s going on, man? You’re quiet and acting weird.”
Jake barked out a laugh. “I’m acting weird? You strong-armed Zee into staying with you.”
Zee spoke from behind him. “I’m standing right here.”
Ryan ignored her. “I have my reasons. Are things okay with Sera? Something wrong with Evie?”
“Nah, things are great with Sera, and Evie is…Evie. She’s slowly losing her mind being cooped up in her house. She keeps saying she wasn’t meant to be a hermit. There’s a lot going on, and now that Zee is back, it means more life-interrupting weirdness.”
“Well, now that Zee is back, maybe we can finally do something about the mess she caused with Evie’s dead double. I’m sure she’s eager to fix her mistakes.” Ryan could practically hear Zee’s teeth grinding together. He grinned and clapped Jake on the back. “You know if you need anything, just ask.”
“I can hear you, and I’m capable of responding on my own.” Zee’s tone made it clear she did not like being ignored. Ryan didn’t even glance her way.
“And for once, she can’t put the whammy on us if she doesn’t like what we’re doing or saying.”
Jake laughed, and out of the corner of his eye, Ryan watched Zee’s hands clench into fists. Another minute and she’d have probably decked him, but Sera came hopping down the stairs with a bulging tote bag slung over her shoulder. She sidled up next to Jake and popped up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. His arm came around her, and Ryan had never seen him look so happy. Guess it wasn’t his relationship with Sera bothering him.
“Why are we all standing around here?” Zee still sounded pissed, but she’d buried it under icy control. Ryan considered it a small payback for all the times she’d done as she pleased with his life.
Sera shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m ready.” She poked Jake. “If we don’t leave soon, we’ll be late.”
He nodded. “Right. Into the car then. Ryan, don’t harass Zee too much. Zee, don’t murder Ryan. We need him mobile.”
Zee raised a brow. “I can murder him and still keep him mobile if you’d like.”
Ryan hid his smile, and Jake whistled low. “Necromancy joke…nice.”
A secret smile bloomed across Zee’s face, lighting it up with joy. The sheer power in it knocked Ryan back a step. Zee’s voice was dry. “Joke. Yes. Right.”
Jake looked back and forth between them as Sera climbed into her car. “You guys need to work out your issues.”
He gave them a mock salute as he closed the passenger door, and Sera pulled out without turning on the headlights. Ryan shook his head. It was a miracle the woman was still alive.
Before they’d made it to the end of the street, another car came around the corner from the opposite direction. It was driving too slow for one of the locals, and Ryan could see the dent in the side where Sera had hit it with a magic energy ball. Will gave him a smile and a wave as he drove past the house. Ryan was glad Sera had already left. That asshole drove past her house at least once a day, and none of them knew what he was up to.
His taillights shone red as he took the left back to town, and Ryan wondered again where the creep was staying. They’d checked all the local hotels and spread the word Sera’s abusive ex was hanging around. Everyone loved Sera, so he figured Will had to be hiding out in one of the neighboring towns. He certainly wasn’t going to get any service in Mulligan. It was a mystery Ryan had planned to put some effort into once school got out in another two weeks. If the Fae would just leave him alone long enough to actually use his free time.
He turned back to Zee, still standing back from the cars with her arms crossed. Her smile had disappeared. “Shall we?”
She took a deep breath and ca
me around to the passenger side. Ryan couldn’t help messing with her. It was a disease. “Sure you don’t want to drive?”
Her hand fell away from the door handle and her shoulders straightened. “I’ll drive if you need me to.”
Ryan chuckled and climbed in behind the wheel. “Relax. I’m not hoping to die tonight in a fiery crash.”
Zee’s eyes widened. “Does that actually happen a lot?”
What was with her? “No. We’re in the middle of backwoods Texas after nightfall. We’ll be lucky to see another car on the road at all. Get in.”
Zee settled into her seat stiffly and held her hands in her lap as she stared straight ahead. Ryan watched her for a second, and then it hit him. She’d never been in a car. He’d never claimed he was a genius, but he was usually faster on the uptake.
Her shoulders twitched when he leaned across her to grab the seatbelt, but she held her ground. His arm just barely brushed her warm body as he pulled the belt back, and his inhale was ragged. The click was loud in the silence. He wanted to reach for her, reassure her there was nothing to be afraid of, but her body language very clearly shouted ‘do not touch’.
Ryan cleared his throat, but she didn’t break her staring contest with the driveway. “It’s a short drive to my place, and I could do it in my sleep. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Zee was quiet so long he thought she’d decided to ignore him, but then she spoke quietly. “Thank you. It’s disconcerting to know my life could be in danger and I have no power to protect myself.”
Ryan scoffed. “I’ve seen you spar. I wouldn’t say you were powerless to defend yourself.”
“A sword does little good against an oncoming car.”
“You’re not wrong about that.” Ryan started the engine and pulled out of the driveway with more care than usual. She was right in one respect. A car accident could easily kill her, and it would be his fault.
Less than a minute into the ride, Zee relaxed enough to ask about the buttons on the dash. Ryan explained the radio controls and winced when rock music suddenly blasted from the speakers. She lowered the volume, but left it on.
Her head tilted to the side as she listened. “I’ve heard this song before.”
“It’s played a lot. I would have thought you’d be more familiar, or at least comfortable, with the human world once you got Wi-Fi. Wasn’t that the point?”
Zee tsked. “We got Wi-Fi because I refuse to let my people wallow in their ignorance, but there’s a difference between watching The Fast and the Furious and riding in an actual car.”
Ryan glanced at her, surprised. “The Fast and the Furious? That’s what you’ve been doing with all my hard work?”
Pink tinged her cheeks. “I don’t have a lot of time for entertainment, and Lana is a fan of one of the actors.”
“Vin Diesel?”
“Yes, she likes his broad shoulders. The name’s confusing though. I understand why it was fast, but why was it furious? Most of your human stories don’t make a lot of sense to me.”
Ryan shrugged and tried not to wonder if she preferred muscle heads like Vin Diesel too. “I’d argue they don’t make sense to a lot of people, but it doesn’t take much to entertain us. I thought you liked Downton Abbey.”
“I do, but you have to admit the cars were a bit different in that show.”
Ryan grunted. He hadn’t seen much of it, but he remembered a Model T Ford, so yeah, a bit different. They turned down Magnolia Avenue, one of their two main streets, and the one he happened to live on. Every once in a while, he was surprised to find himself happy living in Mulligan. It usually happened in early December when the town started putting out Christmas decorations. This year was no exception.
He pulled up to a stop sign, and a soft gasp from the seat next to him made him look over. Zee was leaning forward, her lips parted as she gazed at the lights. Amazement shone on her face, and a tightness developed in his chest. She really was out of her world.
“You haven’t seen Christmas lights before?”
Zee didn’t look away. He wasn’t even sure she was blinking. “Not like this. It’s beautiful in person.”
Ryan couldn’t take his eyes off her face. “Yeah, it is.”
Someone honked behind him and made him jump. How long had he been daydreaming like a dumbass? The lights had gone up on the first, but he was still surprised every time he was greeted with the bright, twinkling display. They’d used blue and green LEDs on the trees and soft white on the buildings and the gazebo in the park. Rosie’s had changed out their lights to match, but the open sign flashed red as usual. His mouth watered, and he reminded himself that he had chili in the crock pot at home. He couldn’t have every meal at Rosie’s, unfortunately.
Ryan drove through the intersection and into the parking lot for his building. It was a huge old farmhouse that had been saved from demolition by a local couple that converted it into four two-bedroom apartments. His was on the second floor.
What had he been thinking bringing Zee here when they were barely civil to each other? The short answer was that he hadn’t been. He just knew in that moment that he couldn’t leave her with Jake and Sera. It was going to be a long couple of nights. At least there were only two weeks left of school. After that, he’d be on winter break, and it wouldn’t matter if he missed a bunch of sleep. The kids were crazy at this time of the year, but he secretly loved it. His dad had always said that kids had more passion than their bodies could handle, but it was never a bad thing to be passionate about what you love.
Ryan parked the car and frowned. He hadn’t thought about that in years. Zee didn’t immediately jump out of the car, transfixed as she was by the decorations, and Ryan wanted to get a few things settled before they went inside.
“We need some ground rules.”
Zee glanced at him in surprise. “I’m a guest in your home, of course I’ll follow your rules.”
Ryan blew out a breath. “That’s great. First rule, no magic.”
“That one should be easy since I can’t seem to access my magic right now, but if I regain access, I make no promises.”
“You can’t agree to one simple rule?”
“Magic is a part of me. It’s unnatural to hide it away.” Her hand pressed into her stomach. “I feel like I’ve lost one of my senses in addition to my home.”
Her tone wasn’t confrontational, but he felt like an ass anyway. “We’ve had this argument before. I’m sorry you’re locked out, but magic isn’t the best path for everyone. In the wrong hands, it’s dangerous. Even in the right hands, it causes more trouble than it’s worth. Look at Sera.”
Zee rotated in her seat to face him fully. “Yes, look at Sera. She was blessed with power and everyone around her spent years hiding it from her.”
“Yeah, and when it finally broke through it nearly killed her.”
“But it didn’t. She learned control, and her life is better for it. Or would you deny her the relationship she’s built with Jake?”
Ryan leaned forward. “Are you saying that it was magic that caused her and Jake to get together?”
“The evidence speaks for itself. They were bonded magically, and that bond grew strong on its own. Without magic, they’d likely still be avoiding each other.”
Ryan laughed without mirth. “You are so wrong on that one. They were dancing around each other, yeah, but it was only a matter of time before the clothes started flying.”
Her brows drew together. “I’m not familiar with that term.”
She’d leaned even closer, and he could see flecks of gold in her green eyes even in the darkness of the car. “It means sex. They get naked and nature takes its course.”
“Ah, I see.” Her voice was low, and he couldn’t keep his eyes off her mouth. “And so magic is made.”
It would only take a small movement to bring them into contact. Heat washed through him, and his hand itched to dive into those complicated braids to see if they were as soft as they looked. The
contrast between the warrior braids and the gauzy top was driving him crazy wondering which side of her would win if he kissed her.
She’d probably pull a knife out of somewhere and gut him.
As he watched, a flash of red stretched between them like static lightning. He reared back to his side of the car, but not before he heard her suck in a breath. His damn magic had a mind of its own.
Ryan ran a shaky hand through his already rumpled black hair. “Are you okay?”
She rubbed her shoulder where the magic had connected them for a moment and sagged back into her seat. “Of course. I’d been worried that my magic was gone, but it’s not. I felt it respond to yours a moment ago. It’s trapped, but it’s still there inside me.” She closed her eyes in relief, but panic stirred in Ryan.
“What do you mean it responded to mine?”
“Like attracts like, Ryan. We’ve discussed this before. It’s why so many magical people move to Mulligan.”
“This is bullshit,” he muttered and climbed out of the car. He waited until she’d done the same then stalked across the parking lot to the building. “I don’t want my magic responding to anything. I want it to stay neatly locked up inside me. Better yet, I’d like it to disappear altogether.”
Zee sighed. This wasn’t a new argument for either of them. “It’s not healthy. Your magic is innate, and it can’t be separated from you.”
He climbed the porch steps and started his ongoing battle with the lock. It never worked on the first try, but he chalked it up to character and rolled with it. “You thought yours was gone all the way up until about two minutes ago. Your overgrown sense of responsibility was all that was keeping you from cursing the heavens.”
“I don’t curse anything. It’s bad for the environment.”
Ryan snorted out a laugh, but when he finally wrestled the lock into submission and opened the door, her chin was up and her lips pressed together tightly. She refused to meet his eyes as she tried to sweep past him, but he put an arm across the doorway to stop her.