by D. R. Perry
“I’ll get her something for the bottom.” Maddie went straight to the lowest drawer of her dresser, unrolling a pair of gray yoga pants that looked way too long for her. “They sent me a tall instead of a short, and I washed them before I figured it out.”
“Thanks, guys.” I pulled the pants on under the blanket and then the sweatshirt over my head. Before putting my arms through the sleeves, I undid the knot holding the makeshift dress together. The wool was stubborn, practically glued together after being in brackish water and mauled by a randy wolf shifter. My face heated as I flushed with the memory of Josh’s urgency. I hadn’t known what to do at the time and probably wouldn’t if it happened again.
“Wow.” Lynn shook her head. “That looks like how I feel when I think about Bobby.” I looked up to see her pointing at my reddening face. “Is it really so impossible for the two of you to be together?”
“I don’t know.” I put my arms in the sleeves, then pulled the blanket out from under the sweatshirt. “I’ve never heard of a wolf shifter finding a Faerie mate, or even an untithed Changeling.”
“But he has a sister, though.” Maddie chewed her bottom lip. “And she’s older than him. Can’t she take the packs over instead of him? I mean, a mate is a huge big deal with wolf shifters. They go nuts if they don’t find one by middle age.”
“Her mate died, and she still hasn’t found another. A single wolf shifter can’t run an established pack. It’s even worse that I’m unsuitable.” I shook my head. “It’s like coincidence saying Josh’s Uncle Jake is the right leader after all.”
“Wait a minute.” Maddie tapped her temple with one finger. “Hold on and let me look something up.” She reached over and pulled a textbook about coincidence off her desk. I’d forgotten she was taking a course on that already. Something like a growl sounded in the small room. It took me a few seconds to realize it went along with the empty feeling in my gut.
“While we wait, you need some food.” Lynn opened the drawer on her nightstand and chucked a few Power Bars at me. “They taste like cardboard according to Bobby, but they do the trick when he’s hungry after shifting.” She watched me tear up the wrappers and chew on one of the bars. “Wait. How did you shift without your pelt?”
“I didn’t.” My words came out all muffled and garbled around the gluey wannabe food, but Lynn seemed to understand them, anyway. A side-effect of being a bear shifter’s mate, probably. I pulled the oilskin pouch from a fold in the blanket while swallowing. “That’s all part of the long story Maddie wanted me to skip.” I gave them the full account of my trip down the tunnel and swim up the river while Maddie looked things up.
Lynn opened her mouth, about to ask a question judging by the look on her face. Three firm raps on the door interrupted her. She got up and opened the door just as Maddie scrawled notes down on a piece of loose-leaf paper. Jeannie stood in the doorway for just a moment before shouldering past Lynn without so much as an invitation.
“You ladies should take this whole show down to the first-floor lounge. Everyone’s there except Tony and Olivia.” Jeannie stood next to Lynn’s desk with her hands on her hips. Maddie collecting her notes and the RA’s tapping foot were the only sounds for a moment. Lynn grabbed her backpack and headed out, Maddie following close behind. Jeannie let me out but stopped me with a hand on my shoulder as she shut the door to 566 behind her. I turned and stared.
“What is it?” I lowered my eyebrows. The last thing I needed was a lecture from a bear shifter who looked like she belonged on a CW show.
“Settle down.” Her eyes were wide with an empathy that stopped my anger in its tracks. “I only just realized you don’t have a place to stay. Can’t go back to your off-campus apartment, huh?”
“Yeah, you’re right.” I turned my head, eying her warily. “I’ve had a little help, though.”
“Not enough, from the looks of it.” Jeannie tilted her head to the side, looking more like a cocker spaniel shifter than a werebear. “You need a hot shower. A bathroom with a real mirror. An actual bed.”
“So? I got myself in trouble.” I shrugged, holding my hands palms up to either side. “What’s your point?”
“I can put you up for the weekend,” she said. “The RA up on three has to go home for a wedding tomorrow. I’ll stay in her room, and you can have mine while she’s gone.”
“Wow, Jeannie.” I blinked my suddenly stinging eyes. “Thank you. I really owe you one.”
“No, you don’t.” She smiled.
“I don’t understand.” I ran a hand through my hair, suddenly almost too weary to stand.
“It’s the least I can do. What you did for that Spite might have pissed off the Queen, but it was the right thing to do in my book.” Jeannie reached out and patted my shoulder. “Besides, I work for Student Life. You’re a student with a life, so why shouldn’t I help you? Now, get down to the first-floor lounge and talk to your friends. I’ll ask Olivia to bring you over after your class tomorrow, tell her you’re room-sitting.”
I nodded, stifling a yawn, then shuffled down the hall. I was too tired to do much besides lean against the elevator wall on the way down. After the chime went off a second time, I blinked, just barely getting my hand between the doors so I could stop them from closing. I stepped out of the elevator on the first floor, heading for the sounds of my friends’ voices and almost ran headlong into Tony Gitano. I hadn’t spoken to him since our odd conversation in the Nocturnal Lounge the night Josh fled his home.
“So, they’re finally thinking the Extramagus has something to do with all this.” Tony smirked.
“Are they?” I could have slapped him for not telling them sooner.
“Yup. Jeannie called me over here.” He took a step back from me, covering for his fear by leaning against the wall.
“She’s well informed, isn’t she?” I turned, taking two steps toward the lounge. If he wanted to continue being hinky, he’d have to do it on the way down the hall.
“Less than I am.” Hurried footsteps punctuated his words. “Her connections are mostly from out-of-town.”
“You really are pretty shady.” I tried to ignore the chilly tile against my bare feet as I listened to his squeaky sneakers.
“You’re entitled to that opinion.” Tony caught up, coming into view in my peripheral vision.
“It’s going to catch up to you someday.” I shook my head.
“I’ve still got some of my nine lives left.” He chuckled, but his eyes stayed flat and weary.
“That’s not a myth?” I rubbed my eyes in tandem with another tummy rumble.
“You’re entitled to your opinion of my multiple lives. And some food. Bobby ordered pizza. Go on in, but not a word about our previous conversation.” Tony poked me in the bicep with one index finger.
“Why should I keep my mouth shut about that? It’s useful information.” I was too tired and hungry to deal with Tony’s dodgy hangups.
“Then don’t credit the source.” Tony glared up at me. “You almost drowned me like a three-legged kitten last week. You owe me.”
“Fine.” I mimed zipping my lips. “No credit for Tony G. For now.”
“Appreciate it.” The little jerk held the door for me.
I stepped in, walking past everyone else and heading straight for the unoccupied sofa in the corner. The cushions felt like heaven, but my empty stomach kept me from falling asleep. The mingled conversation was hard to follow, but I didn’t mind. Everyone was busy catching each other up, Lynn filling the less sordid details of my story into Josh’s account. Henry headed over, sitting on the other end of the couch.
“You okay?” The vampire’s brow furrowed.
“Nothing some food and a nap won’t fix. Thanks for asking.” I blinked, hoping I didn’t look sleepier than Olivia.
“Least I can do for someone who helped save my life.” He set his elbows on his knees, then folded his hands to rest his chin on them “Speaking of which, you have Seelie problems. It might be time
to call in one of those favors from the Sprite. What do you think?”
“Probably. I’ll need a safe place to do that.” I sat up. “Oh! I can make one.”
“What do you mean you can make one?” I hadn’t noticed Blaine was there until after he spoke.
“Mr. Waban gave me some church-keys.” I yawned.
“Tiamat’s Scales!” He sat. Well, not really. More like his knees buckled when he happened to be standing in front of a chair. “I haven’t heard of the old serpent even selling one since the nineteenth century.”
“Serpent?” I raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“You didn’t know?” Blaine snorted out a couple of smoke rings. “Taki Waban’s a tough old drake of the ice variety. He was here before Mother came to the continent. No one even knows how old he is.”
“Wow.” No wonder Blaine had been afraid of him. Dragon shifters only got more powerful with age. It was one reason Mrs. Harcourt was adored from afar and with no small measure of fear. Her husband was centuries younger than her. I wondered what the story was there.
“Mother will be so jealous if she finds out you got your hands on those.” He leaned in like a conspirator. “She’ll never let you hear the end of it. Literally. She’s always wanted some church-keys for her hoard. It’s one of the few magic items she’s missing, and Mr. Waban refuses to sell them to her at any price she’s offered.”
“Well, maybe she should try pissing off a Faerie Monarch or two.” Josh sat down next to me. “I bet Taki Waban’s keys cost bold action, not gold.”
“I bet that’s true.” Blaine gave Josh a huge grin. “What’ll you wager?”
“I’ve gambled enough to last the rest of the year, thanks.” Josh stood. “Pizza’s here.” He strode over and brought back a whole box. That was okay since Bobby had ordered six.
We sat in the lounge, sharing pizza and information for a couple of hours. Tony eyed me briefly when I brought up the Extramagus’s family tree, but no one questioned where I’d gotten the idea, anyway. Lynn just made a note to add genealogy to the future research list.
I nodded off on the sofa. When Josh shook my shoulder to wake me, everyone but Henry had gone. Josh left for his house, which he could finally return to. I wanted to go with him, help straighten up the place, but it was too dangerous. Instead, Henry brought me to the Nocturnal Lounge. I curled up with the bedroll from the bottom of my rucksack in the corner behind the vampire’s favorite study table, relieved that it might be the last time I’d have to sleep there.
Chapter Eleven
Josh
I needed help. Unfortunately, I couldn’t admit that to anyone in my pack except Henry and the sun was up. I picked up the phone and told Siri I had to talk to Beth. Don't get the idea that I’m an iFanboy; my parents buy the phones, and that’s what they like. I’d be switching to Android once I was the one pulling the purse strings.
The phone rang twice as I imagined Adele’s “Hello” blaring out of Beth’s speakers while my face popped up on the screen. Yeah, that’s a freakily depressing song, but what else do you expect a girl with one leg and a dead fiancé to want to listen to? Even Maddie’s old goth music was too upbeat for my sister.
“Beth’s phone, Kim speaking. Can I direct you to call someone cuter and less of a downer instead?”
My sister’s voice took on a strident tone I hadn’t heard since the day before the accident. Beth had been nothing but exhausted or weepy in all that time. Maybe the pick-pocketing Tanuki wasn’t such a bad influence after all. I held the expensive white rectangle away from my ear as the muffled whoosh soundtrack of their struggle for the phone continued.
“What is it?” Beth’s voice just barely drowned out the sound of Kimiko Ichiro’s juvenile raspberry.
“Gotta talk. Some new information and ideas came up last night, and I need someone to bounce them off of.”
“As long as you don’t ask me if I want to build a snowman.” Beth actually snorted out an honest to goodness laugh after that. So she’d paid attention the year that Frozen movie came out and I stood outside on the back lawn below her window blasting the damn song out of Derek’s old boom-box like I was John freaking Cusak. Good.
“I promise. No snowmen.” I snorted back. “Just an interview with your kid brother about a bunch of crazy theories.”
“No whiny vampires named Louis, either.” I heard a muffled protest about Brad Pitt’s hotness and then another raspberry in the background.
“Okay.” We’d never get off the phone with all the side-chatter. “What in Luna’s name is Baby Metal doing over there, pretending she’s two?”
“Baby Metal?” Beth full out guffawed. “Oh, that is rich!” I heard another tussle for the phone, then a click as it went to speaker.
“Who do you think you are, calling me Baby Metal? You big jerk!”
“You should meet some of his friends.” Beth’s voice told me she was either waggling her eyebrows or winking. Kimiko let out a frustrated little squeak.
“So, where do we meet?”
“I got it!” Kimiko squealed, her voice closer as she grabbed the phone and took it off speaker. “I’ll text the address.” Then she hung up.
And that was how I ended up in a Wickenden Street nail salon. I walked in, blinking at the design choices. Yellow paint with pink trim gave the entire place a girly vibe, and the endless chatter of the staff as they held hands and feet with the all-female clientele provided constant background noise. At least they weren’t playing junk pop.
I spotted Kimiko right away. She waved, bouncing up and down in her seat, splashing a little puddle on the floor next to the spa her feet were submerged in. I closed the distance between us, determined to grab her by the shoulders and shake them while giving her a stern lecture about bringing a woman with only one foot for a pedicure. Luckily, I glanced at Beth before doing any such thing.
My sister’s smile was even bigger than Kimiko’s. She may have had only one foot in the spa instead of the usual two, but the woman helping her didn’t act any differently than the one with Kimiko. I couldn’t smile, but my embarrassment evaporated the sour look off my face right quick.
“We can talk here?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Sure,” Beth grinned. “No one expects wooj in a nail salon.”
“Fine, then.” I leaned against the wall. “So, our problem doesn’t just come from what happened at the end of Intersession. It goes all the way back to the night of your accident. Maybe further than that.”
“Wait, really?” Beth’s eyebrows threatened to meet her hairline. I had no idea why Kimiko giggled with one hand over her mouth and one pinkie sticking up.
“Excuse me.” An unfamiliar female voice came from somewhere near my elbow.
“Uh, sorry. Am I in your way?” The last thing I wanted was to stand in the middle of where the nail-doers had to walk.
“No…” The woman shook her head, placing one ironically unpainted finger on her cheek. “It’s just that, um, this area’s for paying customers only, sir.”
“Here!” Kimiko waved a pair of twenties in the air. “Sit down. My treat!”
I turned, intending to just leave and wait until they walked out of that yellow and pink house of humiliation, but my knees buckled. An unoccupied staff member whisked off my combat boots and socks. Before you could say “annoying Tanuki brat,” I had my feet in a whirlpool right next to my sister.
“At least there’s no snowmen or vampires named Louis, huh Josh?” Beth’s giggly delivery and the sparkle in her eyes was worth the embarrassment.
All I could do was roll my eyes and let out a low growl. Having to deal with Kimiko was nearly as bad as hanging out with Blaine. I’d never met her before, not even through the year Beth had dated Ren. They clearly knew each other pretty well, though.
“Okay, so like I was saying.” I cleared my throat, trying not to laugh. The whirlpool tickled a little. “There’s a report that the other car in the accident belonged to a Selkie.”
“Because his pelt went missing.” I blinked as the pink-smocked staff member pulled my foot out of the spa and went to work massaging some kind of lotion on it. “Friends of mine think that’s the real problem here, the reason the um,” I glanced around. You never knew who might be a Changeling, even in a nail salon.
“Okay, so the Queen’s angry because she thinks someone has something of hers?” Beth nodded. “Makes sense. Also tells us why she’s focused on Nox in particular. She had to use something Seelie in order to turn that Spite back into a Sprite. Maybe the Queen thinks she has the Selkie pelt.”
“Oh yeah.” Kimiko twirled her hair. “She’d want that back for sure. Especially since those Monarchs can’t make any more pelts unless they get back together.”
“Well, that’s not happening.” I crossed my arms over my chest. The massage felt pretty decent, but I was afraid I’d end up with neon toenails or something, so it was hard to relax. “Anyway, I was there. She used a glass sea float, not a Selkie pelt.”
“Good thing, too.” Kimiko nodded. I didn’t like her grin. “Do you have any idea how much those pelts go for if you can find a buyer who won’t talk?”
“Leaping Luna!” I glared at the Tanuki. “No wonder your dad sent you to the Academy.” That place was like Extrahuman Community College on lockdown.
“Woah, kid bro.” Beth patted my hand. “Chill. She happens to know something about magic items. Maybe you could use her help.”
“Info, yes. Direct help, no thanks.” I shrugged. “Look, sorry about the school remark, okay. But I already have a magical artifact expert in my pack.”
“Oh yeah, the dragon shifter, right?” Beth scratched her head. “What was his name again? Blake?”
“No.” I sighed. “Blaine Harcourt. His mom owns three Newport mansions and the biggest hoard in this hemisphere. He grew up around magic items.”
“Wow.” Kimiko’s eyes lit up like a Mall Christmas tree. “You know the Harcourts?”