Ten

 

We skipped dinner and headed straight over to Twilight bar. It seemed like the best way to figure out who the witchlings were seeing and if anyone knew where they’d gone. Tabs met us by the last car parking space within walking distance of the bar district. She’d pulled her dark hair up into a scruffy ponytail and greeted Gray with a tight hug. Alasdair and I let them have a sibling moment. Alasdair took the opportunity to run his fingers through my hair and give me a soft smile. I preened under his touch and found myself tempted to lean in and kiss him. It would have been so easy… to lose myself to him.

“Tabs has loaned us her pass for the night. She had a fight with Misha over the Tempo,” Gray said.

I frowned and looked for Tabs to offer some comfort, but she was already walking away down the road.

“She’ll be ok, they’ll figure it out,” Gray said.

He held up a silver rectangle with a black Triquetra in the middle.

“We’ll get two hours, as there’s three of us; if she were alone, she’d get six hours.”

Two hours seemed like too long to be in a closed space with fae, let alone six hours.

“Have you dealt with these types of people before?” Alasdair asked as the bar came into view.

“I know the drill. Make sure they don’t take any piece of me, no free food or drink, and remain polite else they’ll rip my throat out,” I said.

Respect and manners were very important to most types of fae. The rest of it was counters to ways to ensnare you. They loved their deals and were dangerous business people. Their sharp minds meant you’d be screwed before you’d even realised you’d spoken.

The Twilight bar was a single-story bar on the corner of the main street with navy blue and silver stained windows filling the walls on either side. The wide black door remained firmly closed, but there were no bouncers in sight. I assumed the card took that place.

A trio of non-magical guys glared at Alasdair and me as they passed. Alasdair had his hand on my lower back. They spat bigoted insults at us. I rolled my eyes. It was hardly something new. Grayson held the card up to the door and it swung open with a soft snick. The lilting fae music spilled out onto the street and caused a gaggle of women to pause and listen to it. If they stopped for too long, they’d be hooked and a fae or two would whisk them away - or at the very least steal their wallets. Thankfully, I had enough magic, and the goddess on my side, to be able to resist the music.

We walked inside and shut the door behind us to try and save the women. The bar was packed with fae in many different shapes and forms. The dark windows meant they were free to drop their glamours and show their true forms. A small group of redcaps with their sharp yellow teeth and curling nails sat in a corner laughing over their bright red beers. I told myself it was beer despite knowing there was a good chance it was some form of blood.

A nymph in a gauzy dress ran her hands over Grayson’s arm and cooed something. He shook his head and continued walking. She hissed at him and stalked away to drape herself over an elegant sidhe. The bar continued talking and laughing, but I could feel all eyes on us. We made our way up to the oak bar and got the attention of the pixie barman. He was shorter and leaner than the sidhe. The pixies were more vicious than the sidhe, though, with hotter tempers and less business sense. His bright blue hair had been spiked up, and his hands were tipped with sharp silver nails, perfect for clawing shifters and lycans.

“We heard a couple of witchlings came in here. They were with a pair of half-breeds,” Grayson said.

The pixie looked pointedly at the drinks menu inlaid into the bar before him.

“A Guinness,” Grayson said flatly.

Alasdair and I looked around the room. I was looking for anyone who was openly watching us. A puka with his black cat ears poking up from his thick black hair was openly looking at me. I smiled and left Alasdair to see what he might tell me. The puka were tricksters, and they could be evil bastards, but if they felt you treated them well they’d be very helpful. I dipped my chin and dropped my gaze as I approached him. Respect was always a good start.

“You’re here looking for the witchlings?” he purred.

“We’re hoping to bring them home,” I said as I put my hands in the pockets of my jeans, showing I wasn’t a threat.

“They were hanging around with a pair of mongrels. They were bad news. Which goddess are you tied to, then?”

I smiled. “Moon.”

He nodded and stretched.

“Give me a kiss, and I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

I froze. He laughed, a tinkling sound that brushed away my fear and put me at ease. I grasped onto my annoyance and prepared for a fight.

“You’re loyal to that wolf of yours, then?”

“Yea.”

“Then I’ll tell you this. Those boys weren’t one of us.”

I dipped my chin and thanked him before I returned to Alasdair in time to see Grayson leap over the bar and throttle the barman.