Just His Taste

by Candice Gilmer

  Well, he’d better be apologizing, Ava mused. He better be apologizing to someone.

  She doubted Cupid meant to hurt Lilly. After all, it was a good moment. Lilly’s charge was finally getting somewhere with his HEA. Now it was going to be up to Christy and Ava to make sure that Lilly’s HEA wound up okay.

  So far, it was looking good, though. Much better than it had been earlier today. Lilly wasn’t horribly happy with the turn of events, but it seemed to be working.

  Ava put her hand on Christy’s arm. “If you need me to help out, I can.” Like she’d be able to do much with Jason, anyway.

  She needed to stay away from him, at least until the file was fixed. Part of her wanted to run down there, spend as much time with him as possible, before sending him on his road to happiness. Was she being selfish?

  Yeah. And she knew it.

  It was better that she was here now, making sure that Lilly was okay. Especially since Cupid had shown up—with flowers, of all things—to apologize to Lilly.

  Friggin’ jerk.

  Ava sighed.

  “Things not going well?” Christy asked.

  Ava crossed her arms. “My file is messed up.”

  Christy’s brow furrowed. “Your file?”

  “We have it under control,” Andres said, appearing in the hall with the two of them.

  “That’s good, I suppose,” Christy replied, though she didn’t sound like she was convinced. “If you need my help, though, please don’t hesitate to ask.” She reached over and touched Ava’s arm.

  Guilt washed through Ava because of how much she was keeping from her friend. Part of her wanted to spill everything, but pride kept squishing that little bit of humility down.

  “Christy, just focus on your charge. I can help Ava with her situation,” Andres said.

  “Yes, sir,” Christy replied as Andres walked into Lilly’s room. Just as the door shut, she rolled her eyes.

  “Like he’s got anything on his plate besides her,” she muttered.

  Ava snorted. “He does spend an awful lot of time annoying her.”

  “Yes he does,” Christy replied. She stretched her arms. “Look, I’ll go down and pop in on Lilly’s charge until she’s feeling better. The healer said it was just a sprain, so she should be out and about in a few days.”

  “A week,” Ava said.

  “Did you hear the healer say that?”

  Ava shook her head. “Wrecked my motorcycle. I was here for a week, almost.”

  Christy’s brow furrowed. “When did you do this?”

  “The day we started this trio.”

  “But I saw you at the wedding. Which, by the way, is probably not the best way to start a new trio, wandering around looking hotter than the bride.” Christy waggled her finger at Ava.

  Ava smirked. “You might have a point. It happened after.”

  “Why didn’t you call?”

  “Because she’s too damn proud,” came a male’s voice.

  Ava jumped and spun around. Seriously, one would think after being in the Fairy Realm for three centuries, she’d be used to people just popping up all the time. Or that she’d be able to sense them coming or something.

  Evidently not.

  “Oh hi, Duncan,” Christy said, hugging her brother-in-law. “How are you, darling?”

  “Good, sis,” he replied. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, I need to speak to Ava.”

  “What’s going on? Does this have to do with her file?”

  “Yeah,” Duncan sighed, “you can say that.”

  “Oh, okay. If you need me, just holler,” Christy said and disappeared in blue sparkles. Then reappeared a moment later. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, Duncan. Ewan wants to do a barbecue on the beach in a couple weeks. Family thing.”

  “Great,” Duncan said, though his eyes remained dark. “Shoot me the details later.”

  “Perfect!” And with a wave, Christy disappeared again.

  Duncan shook his head. “I hope that’s not another blind date.”

  “You too, huh?” Ava asked.

  “She doesn’t ever stop trying to bring people together,” Duncan said.

  “Nope, she doesn’t,” Ava replied. She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “So what’s up? Today hasn’t been uneventful, and I’m really tired.”

  “Yeah, about that.” He put his hand on her arm.

  “Duncan?”

  “You are officially being seized, your powers muted until trial.”

  All the blood in her brain rushed to her feet, and dizziness washed over Ava. “What for?”

  “Indecent behavior with a charge,” Duncan said.

  Ava’s entire world shattered. Her stomach dropped to the floor, and she thought she might throw up. This was what she’d been afraid of.

  Like a flash, everything that was about to happen flashed in her mind—there’d be a trial. All of Christy’s and Lilly’s hard work with their charges would be for nothing. Christy might not be able to retire on time because this stupid thing would remain open.

  Her friends were going to be screwed because she’d been selfish and wanted her charge.

  Jason…

  But what if she didn’t get kicked out? What if the Council put her in a cell for the rest of her life? What if Jason had no protection from Cupid? Then he’d wind up having his heart ripped out by some crazy person who didn’t realize what an awesome guy he was, because Cupid was enough of an ass to purposely do that to him.

  The thought made her sick. At least, as his Fairy Godmother, she could…

  Who was she kidding?

  She was a crappy Fairy Godmother. A stupid, crappy Fairy Godmother who’d fallen in love with her charge.

  She deserved to get in trouble.

  She’d screwed up.

  And now she had to pay for it.

  “Where am I going?”

  “House arrest,” Duncan said. “I’m sorry, Ava. I tried to—”

  “You told?” Ava asked, jerking away from him.

  “I didn’t have to.”

  “Who did?” Ava asked.

  Anteros appeared. “I did. There is a code Fairy Godmothers must follow. You chose to ignore it.”

  He’s supposed to be on my side, Ava’s thoughts screamed. How could he do this to me? After what Cupid had put her through? “You’re no better than your brother,” Ava spat.

  “We are brothers.” He glanced at Duncan. “Seal her in her home. I would not doubt that she would try to escape to the mortal world.”

  “I’d rather lose everything and go there than be locked up here like a criminal.”

  Anteros got very close to her. “What if all this is worth nothing and the file remained the same? If your charge was still meant to be with her?”

  “He can’t be. It can’t be true.” Tears welled in her eyes and she looked away from the god.

  “What if it is?” Anteros asked.

  Ava slumped in Duncan’s arms. Because that thought had hovered in the back of her mind, just waiting to be spoken.

  And he’d said it.

  Which made it real.

  What if all this was worth nothing, and Jason was still supposed to be with Tessa?

  Then where would she be?

  Ava would be screwed.

  And heartbroken.

  Because she realized she loved Jason. The thought of him being with someone else made her sick.

  She glanced at Anteros as Duncan whooshed her away.

  She’d be just like the forlorn god. Loving only from afar, and never having it returned.

  How could she live like that?

  How could anyone?

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Thursday

  Jason went over his recipes and his supplies. He’d signed up several m
onths ago for a barbecue cook-off this weekend, and he wasn’t ready. Though, his dad was ready to go—his dad filled out his team—and they would stay overnight to be sure the meat got put on and fully cooked at the right time.

  And his dad had the big smoker. Dad was particular about the smoker and took care of that part. It was his dad’s fault he’d gotten into competitive barbecuing—it had started as a father/son thing, and now Jason was the “leader”, and his dad just assisted.

  Usually, this was a lot of fun. This time, though, Jason kept having to check his prep lists because he felt like he was forgetting stuff.

  So distracted all week wondering about Ava, he’d had to go to the grocery store three times to get supplies. And looking around, he realized he’d forgotten the parsley for his blind box.

  Again.

  The damn woman had him in knots. He hadn’t felt her around for days. And this weird feeling that something had happened to her kept digging in the back of his mind.

  If that Cupid guy… He’d been doing some reading about the gods and goddesses, and a lot of the lore matched what Ava said. Aside from small details, of course—like everyone thinking Cupid was the little guy with the diapers and the arrows.

  Evidently, that part of history was wrong.

  He shook off the thoughts. Ava wasn’t human; she was a fairy. And she had magic. She could take care of herself. At least, that was what he had to tell himself. There wasn’t anything else he could say—because he still didn’t completely understand this whole fairy thing.

  Maybe some emergency had come up? She’d said that she had to go the other day—her fairies needed her.

  That had to be it.

  She was busy helping them.

  He’d packed most of his nonperishable gear in the back of his serial-killer van and was going over the final grocery list.

  Parsley.

  Top of the list.

  A whoosh emanated from his living room.

  Jason jumped, his heart hammering. He darted into his living room. The sound was so similar to the sound Ava made whenever she arrived that he expected to see her.

  Not this time.

  He exhaled a breath, disappointment consuming him as he glared at the visitor.

  That guy, Duncan, the chaperone, stood in his living room, wings spread, in a very formal-looking navy-blue uniform. A horrible feeling roiled around in Jason’s gut.

  “Jason Gregorian?”

  “Yeah,” he said.

  “You need to come with me.”

  “Why? W-what’s happened? W-w-where’s Ava?” Panic thundered through Jason. This wasn’t right. It couldn’t be.

  “You just need to come with me right now.”

  “Is s-she okay?” Jason asked, not moving, and wanting to kick his own ass for stuttering like a fool.

  Duncan looked exasperated. “She’s fine. But she needs your help.” He held out his hand.

  “What can I do?” What in the world could Ava need his help for? She was a fairy. It wasn’t like she needed his help with magic or anything. That was her area.

  “Please trust me. This is highly irregular, but I don’t know how else to help her without you.”

  Jason took his hand, but felt very weird about it. Suddenly, everything around him flashed white. He winced at the brightness, but it was gone in an instant.

  He blinked, focusing.

  Holy crap, what a way to travel. A wave of nausea rolled over him. He shook his head and swallowed a few times, forcing the sensation away.

  He stood in a room which was lined with white columns and gold floors. A row of men and women sat in a horseshoe shape around a single pedestal in the center of the room. Huge statues that looked like something out of a history book, in pristine condition, stood behind the horseshoe. Taking it in, Jason realized that the statues created a larger-than-life and far more intimidating version of the person in each chair.

  Like something out of a Disney movie, gods and goddesses, as well as a few fairies, held position in the chairs.

  In the center of the horseshoe stood Ava. Her hands bound and attached to the pedestal.

  “Ava,” he whispered, taking a step toward her. She looked horrible—her hair hung down her back, and her wings were closed. Their usual red sparkle gone and they looked heavy. Shoulders slumped, she looked like all the life in her had been beaten down.

  As Duncan escorted Jason to the pedestal, she stood a tiny bit straighter, her eyes wide.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered to Duncan.

  Duncan glanced at Ava. “Trust me.”

  “You brought a human here?” the large man in the center of the circle said. And if Jason wasn’t mistaken, he looked a lot like Zeus from the historical stuff he’d been reading.

  Duncan crossed his arms behind his back. “It is my job, Jupiter, to defend Avalynn Fay the best I can.”

  “And you think a mortal can add to this?” Jupiter asked, his voice echoing over the murmurs from the others.

  “I know he can,” Duncan said. Duncan glanced at Jason. “Answer the questions to the best of your ability.”

  “What is this? W-w-why is Ava on trial?” Jason asked. He gaze darted to Ava.

  “Don’t make him do this,” Ava said. “He shouldn’t be here.”

  Duncan leaned close to Ava, and Jason barely heard what he whispered. “You have to trust me, Ava. I promised I would help. And I will.”

  A rhythmic clank reverberated through the room. Jupiter clunked a globe on marble, silencing everyone.

  Duncan nudged Jason forward. “Just answer them.”

  Jason nodded. Though he wasn’t sure what he could do to help Ava.

  “What is your relationship with Avalynn Fay?” A woman on the horseshoe asked. She glowed with a soft golden aura—he guessed—and wore an Ancient Roman female toga thingy. Her face, though, was as cold as the statues around the edges of the room.

  He stood up straight and looked right at her. “She is my Fairy Godmother.”

  Another woman spoke, with the same stern expression from the other side. “How do you feel about her?”

  Jason glanced at Ava. And knew in this moment he had to make a decision.

  His feelings had left any sort of friendship in the dirt. Seeing Ava like this, wearing that plain, hospital-gown-like dress and the sparkle gone, he wanted to pummel everyone on that circle. How could they do this to her? She was a fairy—correction, his fairy—and he couldn’t let them convict her of anything.

  She hadn’t done anything wrong.

  He hadn’t done anything wrong.

  He loved her.

  That was all.

  He loved her…

  The words echoed in his mind and he knew they were the truth. More than anything, he loved her, and couldn’t let anything happen to her. One look at this crowd, and he knew they wouldn’t be interested in hearing that.

  But weren’t gods and goddesses all about love and shit?

  As he glanced around, he doubted they were very interested in love. If he told them the truth, she’d lose everything she had.

  He couldn’t do that to her.

  Not now. Not ever.

  “She is v-v-very nice,” he said, and grimaced over his stutter.

  “Do you care for her?” another person asked.

  “Sure, I guess.”

  “So you have no feelings for her,” the first woman asked, her voice booming around the room.

  “Should I?” he asked.

  “It is believed that Miss Fay has had inappropriate relations with her charge. You. What say you?”

  He glanced at Ava, then turned back to the woman. “Nothing inappropriate happened between us.”

  The woman nodded.

  The room went dead silent.

  Jason’s heart pounde
d, and he wondered if he’d somehow just screwed this up royally. He wanted to protect her, make sure she didn’t get fired, but why did he feel like he’d just done the worst possible thing he could have?

  He opened his mouth to say—what?—he wasn’t sure.

  “That will be all,” the woman said.

  “That’s all you want to know?” Jason asked. “You brought me here to ask me that?”

  “For now. Dismissed.”

  For a brief second, Jason wondered if that meant that the case was dismissed, but from the look on Ava’s face, any hope left disappeared. He tried to meet her gaze, but she wouldn’t look at him.

  “Ava,” he whispered.

  Her eyes were as cold as the rest of the people in the room. “You can go now.”

  “Ava, I w-wanted to help.”

  “You’ve done enough,” she snapped.

  Not good.

  This was not good.

  A fairy with blue wings came toward him from the edge of the circle. It was then he noticed a small seating area behind the entrance where a few fairies and other beings sat. Several watched this trial, whispering as he began to leave the room. The woman with blue wings escorted him to the door. It wasn’t until they got outside that the woman smacked him upside the head.

  “What were you thinking?” she snapped at Jason.

  “Who the hell are you?” Jason asked, rubbing his head.

  Another woman waited out there, she with gold wings and corkscrew-curly blonde hair. “She’s done. She’s ruined.”

  “What did I do?”

  The blue girl dragged him away from the proceedings, out of earshot of anyone in the room. At least Jason hoped it was out of earshot. These were mythical beings. Who was to say what they could or couldn’t hear? “You went up there and lied. Even I could see it.”

  “What do you mean, ‘see it’?” Jason asked.

  The gold girl sneezed, shooting gold glitter everywhere. “These are gods. Do you think they paid any attention to your words?”

  “Well what would they pay attention to?”

  “Your aura. It practically engulfed her as soon as you got near her.” The blue girl shook her head. “That’s it, she’s done.”