Chapter 13

ORINA

T he weekend dawned with rain that didn’t let up till the sun went down, so tonight the streets were slick and the air close and humid. It was a nice change from the frigid cold, perfect for heading out without a heavy jacket to ruin my outfit.

Our taxi dropped us around the corner from Midsommer Nights, and we made our way toward the very long line of people waiting to get in.

It was easy to spot the fae by the strange shimmer that seemed to wreathe them—glamour in most cases to disguise their more inhuman features. But there were those that were simply stunning to look at with perfect dewy skin and piercing eyes. It was the humans who stood out here, dull and mundane, using sparkly clothes and too much makeup to fit in.

Thank goodness we hadn’t overdressed.

I’d paired fitted slacks with a slinky crimson halter neck and topped it off with the red kitten heels I’d bought a few weeks ago for my date with Kaster. A light black jacket finished off the ensemble, leaving me feeling pretty, sexy, and ready for some fun.

The other women had chosen similar outfits, dressed up but not over the top. Jeans or slacks paired with a ‘nice’ top. Edwin wore a turquoise shirt and dark blue jeans, his hair styled to be more spiky than usual. We looked good. Not sparkly and ten-inch heel good, but…we’d get in, right?

Merry was on tenterhooks, hopping from foot to foot as we inched closer to the entrance. “I hope Crush didn’t forget to add us to the list at the door.”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t have forgotten,” Padma said.

“I can’t believe I’m going to see the inside of a fae club,” Holly said.

You’d usually be able to hear the thump of bass by now, but there was only the buzz of voices engaged in excited conversation.

“May the Silvercrest shine on you,” someone up ahead in the line said.

“May it shine on us all,” someone else replied. “And may it bring us home.”

“What is the significance of the Silvercrest moon anyway?” Edwin asked Merry. “Do you know?”

“It’s something to do with the doorways to fairy closing,” Merry said. “I read about it somewhere once. A song. I can’t remember it all. They say that the doors will open once again on a Silvercrest moon. Upon the Silvercrest we fled to lands far and wide. Upon the Silvercrest we shall return . That’s all I remember.”

The line moved fast as a bunch of people were let in, and suddenly it was our turn.

The bouncer was a tall, thin man who looked like he could be blown over by a gust of wind. But his strange yellow eyes and pointy ears marked him as fae, and one thing I’d learned about the fae was never to underestimate them.

“Name,” he asked.

Padma rattled off our names, and he checked his list. “I see you.” His eyebrows went up. “Says here that you’re the boss’s personal guests.”

“We are,” Padma said.

“In that case you get these.” He handed her a bunch of silver bracelets. “They’ll get you into the VIP. Any doorway marked exit will get you out.”

“Um…Okay…” Padma said.

That was a strange thing to say, but whatever.

He stepped back to let us through the dark entrance, and I followed Padma inside.

My stomach dipped, and panic gripped me, flushing my body with heat as the sensation of falling washed over me even though I felt solid ground beneath my shoes. It passed quickly, leaving me standing in a field.

A gentle breeze brushed against my hot cheeks, and lilting music teased my frazzled senses.

We were outside, beneath a canvas of stars. People danced around us, and a cream pillar housing a bar sat in the middle of the field. Tables of food were dotted about, laden with a variety of finger foods, and more people stood by them, snacking and talking.

“Wow,” Holly said. “This is…wow.”

“It’s a pocket!” Merry clasped her hands together.

The door we’d come through was gone because we were now in a separate plane, a place in between, crafted by fae magic.

Panic bloomed in my chest again as I scanned the terrain. Where were the exits? How would we get out? I spotted a stone arch with the word exit on it a moment later, and the tightness eased.

Padma handed out the silver bracelets. “Put these on and let’s go get a drink.”

She didn’t seem fazed at all; in fact, the brightness in her eyes spoke of nothing but excitement. The others were the same, relaxed but eager to explore.

I needed to shelve my anxiety and relax. The bracelet shrank to fit my wrist, snug but not too tight.

We headed to the pillar where small winged fae hovered back and forth pouring drinks and handing out bottles of beer. As we passed one of the tables, my mouth flooded with saliva. “What is that? It smells so good.” I took a step toward it.

“No!” Merry grabbed my wrist. “Fae food.” She glared at the others, who had also gravitated toward the display. “Human food tables are marked with a blue banner.” She pointed to our right where some humans were nibbling on what looked like chicken wings at a buffet that wasn’t nearly as impressive as the fae one with all its colors and aromas and strange food stuff that seemed to pulse and move and…was that a worm?

I took a hasty step back.

“Fae food is never what it seems,” Merry warned us. “Best not to eat anything. Just to be safe.”

We continued to the bar and joined the people and fae waiting to be served. It was easy to distinguish the fae drinks from human beverages because they were served in the glasses shaped like rose heads or slender test tubes filled with vibrant frothing concoctions.

The tempo of the music sped up, and the melody developed more bass. Several fae abandoned the bar and hurried toward the dance floor—an area of grass below an array of colorful floating orbs that flashed to create a strobe light effect.

We made it to the counter quickly after.

An elfin woman with pink wings flew down the bar with a smile that showcased tiny pointy teeth. “What can I get you?”

“Human beer and wine,” Merry said.

“Oh? How boring. Why not sample some dandelion brew or will-o’-the-wisp breath? Both perfectly safe for human consumption.” She gave us what she probably thought was a winning smile, but all the pointy teeth and the dead gleam in her eyes made it seem more like a threat.

“Just the beer and wine please,” Merry said firmly.

The smile turned into a frown. “Now look here. I’m simply trying to enhance your experience. Trust me. You’ll have the best time with a little fae brew in your veins.”

“Maybe we should try it,” Edwin said.

“Stop being such a pleaser.” Padma flicked her dark curls over her shoulder, and the woman’s gaze fell to the VIP bracelet.

“Ah, on second thoughts, wine and beer it is.” She hurried off to fetch our drinks.

“She gave up quick.” Edwin sounded disappointed.

“She saw Padma’s VIP bracelet.” I held mine up. “I think these will keep us safe here.”

“Good,” Holly said. “I’ve heard of places like this where humans are led into addiction and become fae pets.”

“Really?” Edwin looked scandalized.

“Not all fae are out to enslave humans,” Merry snapped. “That’s just what you find in accounts written by human men who’ve been jilted by their fae lovers.”

Holly blinked sharply. “Calm down. I was only saying?—”

“Well, you shouldn’t speak on issues you have no knowledge of.”

This was the first time I’d seen Merry riled up, and it was both impressive and kinda scary. “She did try to push fae drink on us, Merry. Puts her motives into question.”

The pink-winged fae returned before Merry could respond to my comment and practically slammed a tray carrying our order onto the counter.

“How much?” Merry asked with a smile that said she was trying to connect.

The fae barely looked at her, her attention already on the next customer. “You’re silvered, so enjoy your free drinks.” There was a fuck off in her tone too.

She flew off down the bar, a fresh smile on her face, ready to take the next paid order, and we grabbed our drinks and set off in search of somewhere to sit. There were picnic blankets, benches, and even a gazebo, but all were taken.

“Where’s the VIP?” Merry craned her neck looking this way and that. “Might as well use our passes.”

“I see an arch that way!” Edwin pointed.

This arch didn’t have exit written on it, and it didn’t say VIP either, but there was a fae dressed in a crisp suit standing beside it.

Tall, thin, with orange eyes, he looked exactly like the one outside.

We approached him, and he dropped us a nod. “I see you made it.”

Wait, was he the same bouncer from outside?

He smirked and ushered us through the arch before I could ask.

There was a dip in my belly, a sting along my wrist, then we were no longer under the stars in a field but stood on slabs of ice in what looked like the inside of a giant domed ice chamber.

And yet it wasn’t cold.

I touched the floor with my fingertips. Frozen. Real, then.

Orbs of amber light hovered above us, providing an intimate ambience.

Several clusters of people, human and fae, sat in large high-backed seats that made everyone look small. Some people’s feet didn’t even reach the ground. Everyone had a drink, though—either held in a fluted glass or a rose petal one.

Humans and fae mingling.

Silvered humans.

VIPs like us.

Wings and horns and tails were on display here. There was no dancing, though, just conversation, music, and table service.

“I see a free table.” Merry hurried off, and we followed her.

No one paid us much attention, too wrapped up in their own conversations.

We claimed a table for six.

“None of this is what I expected,” Padma said.

“What did you expect?” Edwin asked.

“Club vibe with bass beat music and sweaty bodies.” She shrugged and took a swig of her beer.

“Do the fae sweat?” Holly asked the group.

“I’m sweating now,” Merry said.

Holly leaned in and sniffed her. “All I smell is peaches.”

Merry grinned up at her. “I know.”

“Your sweat smells like peaches?” Holly looked impressed and took another sniff.

“Tastes like them too.”

I caught the flare in Holly’s eyes before she dropped her eyelids to half-mast to hide it.

I scanned the room, past the bar at the back and into the shadows, where hulking figures sat, hidden in gloom. “Does anyone see Crush?”

“It would be hard not to spot him,” Edwin said. “The guy is mahusive.”

“Mahusive is not a word,” Merry said.

“It is now.”

“He might not be here tonight,” Padma said.

“Dammit. We need to speak to him about the missing people.”

“He doesn’t know anything about that.” Merry sounded a little defensive.

I didn’t have time for hunches. “How do you know? Did you ask him? Because I don’t remember asking him.”

“Shit, we didn’t ask,” Padma said.

“No but…he would have said.” Merry looked worried. “Maybe now isn’t the time to ask.”

She was sweet, and I understood that being accepted by Crush, being brought into the fae community that was her heritage and that she’d been denied entry to for so long must be exciting and she probably didn’t want to do anything to piss Crush off and risk having the invite revoked, but it was a risk we had to take.

“If he kicks us out over a question, then he isn’t the guy we thought he was.” I traced the conflict racing across her features before she sighed and nodded. “Okay, so we’ll need to find him and ask him straight up.”

A shadow fell over our table. “Is everything all right?” Crush looked down on us, his hazel eyes clouded with concern. “I heard that Bellista tried to convince you to drink fae wine.”

“The fae with the pink wings?” Holly asked. “Yes, she did.”

The memory of how huge he was didn’t do justice to the reality of his person.

“You want to sit down?” I indicated the empty seat.

He drew it out and lowered his frame onto it, filling it completely and explaining why the seats were so huge. “I apologize for Bellista. Her kind draw energy from human joy. Fae wine evokes joy in a human heart, but the rules are clear that humans should be given a choice because the come down from joy can be hard on a human mind.”

“Good to know,” Holly said.

“Thank you so much for inviting us.” Merry beamed at him.

“You should stay for the Silvercrest dance just before dawn,” Crush said to her. “It’s fae only, I’m afraid,” he explained to us, “but I promise to take good care of Merry if she stays.”

“What is it?” Merry asked.

“It’s a unifying experience that reminds us that we have a home as long as we are together.”

“I’d like that,” Merry said. “I’d like to stay for it.”

“I’ll find you when it’s time,” Crush replied.

Was it my imagination or were they holding eye contact for a little bit longer than necessary?

Beside me, Edwin cleared his throat, and Merry quickly dropped her chin.

Crush slowly turned to the rest of us. “Any luck on the missing persons case?”

Perfect time to ask my question. “No. But I need to ask, and please don’t take offense, but did you have anything to do with the missing people?”

His eyes flinched, and his smile dropped. “No. I did not.”

I believed him. “I’m sorry. I had to ask. I hope you understand.”

“Yes, I understand, and to save you further questions, your missing people are not in Brimswood Park. I would know. The wards would tell me. No one can come in or out without my knowledge.”

I’d figured as much, but now he’d confirmed it. I felt like shit for asking, though, because it made me look like I doubted him, and I didn’t. I trusted this male even though I barely knew him. It was a deep instinct that flared from time to time with certain individuals. Still, I’d have been neglectful in my duty if I hadn’t posed the question.

“You’re not offended, are you?” Merry asked him.

He looked down at her with a smile. “No, little one. I’m not offended.”

She exhaled. “Good.”

Another shadow fell over us cast by a handsome man with wavy dark hair and milk chocolate eyes. Slender-hipped and lithe, he was dressed all in black. Even his hands were covered in leather gloves. He could have passed for human, albeit an extremely pretty one, if not for the tail swishing back and forth behind him.

“Crushale, are you going to introduce me to your friends?” he said.

Crush leaned back in his seat. “Shay, it’s been a while.”

“A year,” Shay said. “A year, two months, and three days, but I’m back. Who are your friends?” He cast his smile like a net, and it was impossible not to be caught in it.

The male oozed charm.

Introductions were made, and Shay’s brows went up when he found out we were all part of the Order chapter.

“Crushale!” a growly voice called from the shadows. “Are you joining us, or should we join you?”

The shadows shifted and expanded, and Crush quickly pushed back his seat and called back, “I wouldn’t subject my new friends to the likes of you.” He dropped us a nod. “I’ll leave you to your evening. You can find me in the corner over there if you need me.”

“Who are the others?” Padma asked. “They look huge like you. Trolls?”

“No, he’s the last of his kind on this side of the veil,” Merry reminded us.

“Ogre bloods,” Crush said. “Friends of mine.”

Shay snorted, and Crush shot him a warning look. “Behave,” he growled.

“Always,” Shay said.

Crush ambled off, and Shay took his vacated seat. “Now tell me all about yourselves and—” He frowned and reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a compass. He studied it for a moment, then tucked it back into his pocket. “So what was I saying?”

“You were asking us to tell you about ourselves,” Holly reminded him.

“Ah, yes.” He leaned back in his seat. “Do tell.”

We chatted for a while, and Shay summoned the server. More drinks were poured, then someone suggested we head to the other room to dance, and there were more drinks there, and after that, everything was floaty and fuzzy, and I was having a whale of a time.

Shay grinned down at me, twirling me in his arms. His fingers were warm on my cheek. Gosh he was handsome. So fucking sexy. A spike of desire shot through me, the need to have him, to give myself to him.

My arm burned.

What was I doing?

Wait, where was he leading me, and why was I going?

“It’s all right.” He pressed a glass to my lips, and the urge to drink was too much. Sweet nectar. Delicious.

The world melted into sparkles and laughter. Was that Henry in the shadows? I took a step toward Agatha’s fiancé but was pulled away. He didn’t see me. I was right here so why was he looking through me?

A rush of hope stole my thoughts.

I barely felt the chill of night air because Shay’s arm was wrapped around me.

A small part of me woke, wondering where I was. No longer in the club but outside on the street in an alleyway. When had that happened? I should be worried, but I wasn’t. I should panic, but there was nothing but the fuzzy concoction of happiness and safety inside me.

“This way,” Shay said. “We’re almost there.”

“Where?”

“I’m taking you home.”

“But you don’t know where I live.” I giggled. “I don’t think I told you.”

“No need, pretty girl. I know where you belong, and it’s my job to get you there.”

Something about his tone, about the cold air and the band of warning heat circling my forearm pulled me up out of my daze.

This was wrong.

This feeling.

This intoxication.

“What did you do to me?” I ground to a halt, and he tugged on my arm, dragging me along a few steps. A flicker of dread succeeded in breaking free of the cocoon of reckless abandon that had me in its grip. “Let go of me.”

I tried to shake him off, but he held tighter, his grip biting into my wrist.

“Stop it.” He yanked me against his body and pressed his hand to my cheek. When had he taken off his gloves, and oh…I wanted to fuck him. Right now. Right here.

A whimper fell from my lips, and his eyes brightened, pupils burning red against the chocolate brown of his irises.

He fisted my hair and leaned in.

Yes, I wanted him to kiss me.

No, I didn’t.

What was this?

Pain starburst across my arm. Blessed power washing away his influence. I jabbed my knee into his groin, and he released me with a pained groan.

“Get away from me.” I staggered back, knees wobbly, the fae fucking wine still in my blood even though my mind was finally clear.

“You have to come with me.” He reached for me.

I backed up, stumbled, and went down on my ass.

“Dammit, woman.” He hurried toward me, one hand cupping his jewels, the other reaching for me.

My head swam, and my limbs were like jelly. There was no way I could fight him, so I did the only thing I could.

I screamed.