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I sat at my desk. The psychic—whose name, it turns out, was Hisashi—draped his lanky form sideways across one of the mustard-colored antique wing-backed chairs as he sipped one of Con's amazing coffee creations. I was happy to find someone else who knew how to enjoy the finer things in life, like sugar and fat. Oisin and Con's obsession with black coffee was so strange.
"So, how does your ability work, exactly," Con asked, leaning forward in his own chair, his mug of coffee clasped between both hands. "I'm sorry if that's a rude question. I'm pretty new to this whole magic thing."
Hisashi just shrugged. "I'm pretty hard to offend. Unlike some magic users." All three of us glanced upward, where Oisin was still hiding with his plants.
The psychic sipped his coffee. "Besides," he said with a grin, "you fed me. I owe you." I glanced mournfully at the plate that sat on my desk. It had once held some truly amazing apple and cream cheese muffins. Now it held only crumbs.
Con laughed. "It's not a big deal. That's what I do around here. File paperwork, dust books, and feed raging hordes of supernaturals. Or...just two really hungry ones."
Hisashi smiled at him. "So, you do the important stuff while they go around getting into trouble, then. That's cool."
I cleared my throat. This bro-bonding was awesome and all, but we had shit to do. "Back to the magic?"
Both men looked at me and smiled like they were humoring a kid. I checked the urge to throw something at them. The stone paperweight would probably kill Con. And I didn't know what the other guy was, so I gave his healing abilities a fifty-fifty chance. Dead bodies in my office would be a pain in the ass.
Hisashi sat up in his chair, running his big hands around his coffee cup and looking into the depths of it as if he were hoping to find some sort of deep, meaningful life answers there. "You saw it at the carnival. I can do psychometry—I touch things, or people, and I get glimpses of stuff. Memories, sometimes little visions of the past or the future. Usually it's whatever is most important to the person or object that comes up to the surface first."
He glanced at Con, his pale, frosty eyes questioning. Con nodded. "It's okay to talk about it. What you saw when you touched me was pretty important to me, so that makes sense."
I sipped my coffee and tried not to be insensitive by demanding to know what the hell had happened in the tent. Con knew me though. "It's okay, Gesa. Really. I'm not like you and Con. My secrets and fears are human. Small."
I opened my mouth to argue that bit of bullshit, but he shushed me with a wave of his hand. "When I was born, my parents tossed me in a dumpster and left me there. Like I was a used tissue or an old toaster. Garbage. A priest found me. Between the church and the foster system, I turned out okay. But...it was rocky sometimes. And I have to admit, I always wondered, you know—why did they do it? Who just...throws away their baby? Why...didn't they want me?"
Hisashi pressed himself back in his chair. I got the distinct feeling of soft fur under my fingertips again. A swirl of cool, soft magic lifted my hair, then seemed to curl around Con. I saw his tense shoulders relax out of the corner of my eye as I watched the psychic comfort the human without touching him.
I'm sure Oisin wasn't the first person to tell Hisashi to keep away.
Oh Gods, now I was worrying about other people's emotions again. Someone help me.
"So," I said, making a massive effort to adult. I would rather run away like Oisin, but someone had to run this pseudo-business we were operating. "What are you?"
Hisashi tilted his head, his gorgeous ice-blue eyes drilling into my own. "You can't tell?"
I waved a hand. "Magic is really more Oisin's thing. And he has a really fucking bad habit of not sharing with the class." I made sure to raise my voice, so it carried up the stairs. The little shit still hadn't told me what the hell Derek fucking White was.
I shrugged. "I only recognize the auras of beings I've met before. I could tell if someone was a garden variety shifter, if I get close enough. And I sure as shit know what a prissy fae aura feels like." Again, raising my voice so it carried. "But others, like you and the girl we're supposed to be helping...I can tell you're supes, obviously, and that you're nothing I've ever met before, but that's about it."
"He's a fox, obviously." Oisin's smooth, lilting voice made me tense, but I managed not to startle this time. He lounged indolently against the threshold in the doorway of the office.
I narrowed my eyes. "Yes. I get it. He's hot. That's not what I asked."
Oisin smirked at me. Hisashi grinned. "I'm hot?"
I rubbed a hand over my face and groaned. "Not another one. I can't survive another Oisin in my life."
"Gesa," Oisin said, crossing the room to come lean a hip on my desk. "You are the most beautiful, strong, amazing woman I know." He reached out to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind my ear. "But you are so dense sometimes, darling."
I growled at him, grabbing for his arm so I could break his little wrist. But he was across the room leaning against Con's chair before I even got close. I knew I wouldn't catch him. It's the thought that counts.
"Oh Gods, are they always like this?" Hisashi asked, turning to Con with wide, innocent eyes."
Con shrugged and took a drink of his coffee. "You're the psychic. You tell me."
"They're always like this," he said, deadpan. "Even in bed."
I nearly shot coffee out my nose, and I spilled it on the desk when I set my mug down too fast. Fumbling for napkins, I mopped up the mess I'd made. "Why? Why does every fucking conversation always come back to my sex life? We were talking about how Hisashi can help us rescue that poor woman from that nasty old man."
"Don't worry," Hisashi said to me, his chiseled face completely serious. "You learn how to manage your pride eventually. I've seen it."
I glared at him. "I do not have a pride. I am not a fucking male lion." I waved a hand at Oisin and Con. How the fuck did we even get on this topic? "I just happen to have a polygamous relationship with two men. Get with the times."
Hisashi frowned, leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees. "But...what about the others?"
Nope. I wasn't going to ask.
"The woman at the shop," I tried for the millionth fucking time to get us back on track, "if you read her, can you tell us what's keeping her there? And also, what the fuck are you. I know you aren't just a fox shifter. They don't do magic like that."
The beautiful man—boy, I reminded myself, boy—stood and set his coffee cup on my desk. "If I show you mine, you have to show me yours," he said with an eyebrow waggle that rivaled Oisin for lewdness. "I've never seen a gryphon...up close."
I growled again. He laughed. Then he took out his manbun, letting the longer side of his hair down. I gaped at him when he started undoing his fly. Completely unconcerned, he dropped his pants and pulled off his hoodie, standing there in his socks, a delicious pair of boxer-briefs, and a t-shirt.
"The tails get caught if I have too many clothes on," he said with an apologetic shrug. Then he inched the waistband of his boxers down to an uncomfortable level. I think Oisin stopped breathing. I was having a bit of trouble getting enough air myself.
Hisashi held out his arms and closed his eyes. Magic swirled around the room, like a cool, silky caress, teasing, ruffling my hair and pulling at my clothes and the papers stacked at the desk. It made the fine hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stand up, like we were all getting a mild static charge. I watched as the beautiful man standing before me half-shifted.
If I thought he was gorgeous before, I was wrong. His human glamour was nothing compared to this. He opened his eyes and looked at me, waiting for my reaction. His features were a bit sharper, his almond eyes that liquid silver color above his high cheekbones. Soft, white fox ears sprouted from his head, partially covered by his hair, which was no longer even remotely blond. It was pure, snow-white.
A huge cluster of long, puffy white fox tails floated and twitched around him like a halo. I could see where waistbands and restrictive clothing might suck ass. The base of that outcropping of tails took up most of his lower back and the top curve of his ass. One ear twitched as he waited patiently for me to finish inspecting him, his thumbs hooked suggestively in the front of his boxers, just below an amazing Adonis V over his hipbones. His expression was calm, but his eyes pleaded with me for something I didn't understand. Just what was he wanting from me?
"So... you’re a fox then," I said, as if this was completely normal behavior for a fox shifter.
He smiled at me, the expression lighting up his face. He was happy to share his secrets with me. Unlike some people. "Nine-tail. I'm a nine-tailed fox."
Oisin had stopped slumping against Con's chair. He now stood behind it, his graceful hands clutching the top in a white-knuckled grip. "You have all nine, even though you're so young?"
Con looked at me and lifted his eyebrows. I shook my head. I had no clue what the hell was going on. He was better off getting out one of his mythology books.
The tension in the air was so thick I could hardly breathe. "Well, it's hardly a glamour. You of all people can tell that." Hisashi shot back. "Stop hiding, little fae. I won't hurt you."
Oisin's eyes narrowed at that, and his snotty confidence poured back into his body. "I'm not afraid of you, you fluffy pet. I just don't want you getting your childish magic all over my aura."
This time I looked at Con for answers. He was the mythology professor. His eyes had gone all glazed over. Uh-oh. We were going to get a lecture. I had to stop this madness.
"Okay," I said firmly. "Pop quiz, and you are both going to fucking answer me this time. And sit the fuck down. Um...if you can sit with tails."
Hisashi shifted back to full human form and put his pants back on. The universe wept, but I was strong.
He settled back into his chair, while Oisin walked over and perched his ass on my desk again. "Okay," I said, calling this shitfest to order. "Hisashi, you are a nine-tailed fox. I only vaguely remember what that's all about from when I was in school. Give us the abbreviated history lesson."
Con sat up, his honey-brown eyes glowing. "Japanese in origin. They are supposed to have a whole host of spiritual powers. In—"
I held up a hand. "History lesson later, Con. First-hand experience trumps the textbooks."
The fox grinned, all sly and cunning like a... fox. "See, you're learning how to manage us all already."
I glared at him. "I do not have a pride, and what the hell do you mean us? No. Forget it. That's another damned tangent and I'm not falling for it. You. Powers. Go."
He ran a hand through his white hair and glanced up at me, such a strange combination of vulnerable openness and scary power. "Con's right. My family is from Japan, originally. But I grew up here in the states. I turn into a fox with nine tails. I can do psychometry, like I said before. And... all that spiritual stuff Con mentioned."
I narrowed my eyes. "Nope. You are not getting off that easy."
He took a breath and his eyes darted around the room. "I kind of...can see ghosts? Talk to spirits? Denizens of the...in between? It's hard to explain. Not really as clear-cut as it sounds. I'm still learning."
Oisin leaned back on his hands, his legs crossed and one foot twitching in irritation. "And that is precisely the problem, isn't it, little fox?"
I turned to Oisin. "Oh, you want to be next, you little jackass? Fine. Your turn. Why the hell, besides your penchant for secret-keeping, are you so terrified of our new friend? I thought you were all lethal and shit. I know there's something you aren't sharing with the class."
He looked down his nose at me. "I am not afraid of a child."
I raised an eyebrow. "Keep going. Because I know you can shovel the shit a lot deeper than that, and I'm wearing my waders."
Con snorted. Oisin gave him a look. "Careful whose side you're on, human. I know where you sleep."
I tapped my fingers on the desk, rapidly losing patience. "Oisin."
He waved a hand, gesturing at Hisashi. "Oh fine. You aren't asking the right questions, Gesa. Fox, how long does it usually take for a nine-tail to grow all their tails and master the full breadth of their powers. Ballpark figure." He smiled patiently.
Hisashi was starting to look angry. His eyes narrowed and he glared icy daggers at the fae. "It varies."
Oisin smirked. "Give us an average."
"A few...hundred years or so?" The guy gripped the arms of the chair and I had the distinct feeling he was trying not to strangle Oisin. I knew the feeling all too well.
Oisin lifted one hand and studied his fingernails. "And how old are you, little fox?"
"Twenty-one."
I lifted an eyebrow at him. "You're lying."
"Almost twenty-one? In a couple months."
Yep, I was right. He didn't just look young, like some supes did. He actually was young. "What does this have to do with anything, Oisin. So he's a savant. Awesome. Why are you freaked out?"
Oisin flipped his long ponytail over his shoulder, nearly slapping me in the face with it. "I do not 'freak out' over anything. It's just that this little fox cub has all this lovely power. But he probably has zero control. There is no way he should even be standing here acting sane right now, if he's developed this fast."
I looked to Hisashi, saw the way his square jaw clenched, and his eyes flicked downward. "Is it as bad as he says?" I pitched my voice low, trying for sensitivity. Caring was so damned hard.
"I've got it," he said, squaring his shoulders. "It's fine."
I stared into his eyes. He stared back, daring me or begging me, I'm not sure which. We both knew he was lying.
"Okay," I said, turning to Con.
Oisin huffed. "Okay? Okay? Gesa, you have no idea what could happen."
I waved him away. "Neither do you. So just stop, you little scaredy-cat."
"Con, tomorrow's your day off, right? Will you come back to the junk shop with us and help translate, as much as you can?"
He nodded, his brown eyes darting between the three supes in the room. "Sure. Hisashi, you usually travel with the carnival...do you need a place to stay? I can make sure we have clean sheets in one of the spare rooms. And there's enough food for an army, so one more won't hurt."
"That's fine," I said at the exact time Oisin said, "absolutely not," and Hisashi said "that would be great."
We all stared at each other. I turned to have a staring contest with Oisin. It was his building, after all. But I was supposed to be the boss. Then again, I wasn't the boss of the house. Just the business. And I certainly wasn't the alpha of the fucking pride that didn't exist because I don't have a fucking pride.
Oisin sighed. "Fine. For one night." But his emerald eyes were flashing with anger.
I grinned and gave him a big sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Thanks darling, you're the best."
He slipped off the desk and paused by Hisashi's chair. "No more magic. It fucks with the wards. And if you blow something up, you're paying for it."
The fox looked up at the fae and something passed between them that I didn't even try to decipher. "I promise. And I won't touch you...unless you ask me to." The barest of eyebrow twitches followed that statement.
I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing. It was awesome to see some of Oisin's humor turned back on himself. But I had a feeling my feisty fae didn't need me laughing at him just now.
Con stood to follow Oisin out the door. "I'll just go make sure you have what you need, Hisashi, then I'll start dinner. You good with lasagna?"
Hisashi stood and clapped Con on the back, as if needing to prove he could touch someone without snooping into their secrets. "That sounds great, man. Thanks."
Con smiled and left me alone with our guest. I stood and approached the fox, feeling it was important, somehow, to show him I trusted him. Even if I had no reason to. For fuck's sake, I didn't even know the guy. "How bad is it really?" I asked. "No bullshit. I won't judge you. But I need to know they're safe, you know?"
He nodded. "I get it." He paused and a sigh escaped him, hallowing out that broad chest. "I... struggle. A lot. But not because of anything that would hurt you guys. I would never come here—never be around people at all—if I thought I would hurt someone."
I stared into his pleading blue eyes and nodded. "Truth."
He let out a long sigh, his face relaxing into a sad smile. "You have no idea how happy I am that you can do that."
I laughed. "It usually just pisses people off."
He shrugged. "Back home...I think no one believed half the shit I said. For a long time, no one believed me when I told them what I saw, what I heard. What I felt." His broad shoulders hunched in on themselves momentarily, and I saw him make the conscious effort to straighten them. "Then, when they realized I was telling the truth, they were all afraid. Male nine-tail kitsune are rare. The last one blew himself up several hundred years ago when he grew his last tail. Took a few villagers with him."
"But you don't think that's going to happen to you?"
He ran a hand over the back of his neck. "No. The physical power, that's easy for me. It's all the other shit that might get to me."
I reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, gave it a squeeze. "The mind reading?"
He shook his head and gave a bitter laugh. "No, Gesa. I can turn that on and off at will, for the most part. Sometimes it's hard if I'm in a really emotional situation, but Oisin really doesn't have to fear I'll accidentally reveal his deep, dark fae secrets. It's this...." He waved his hand around, as if gesturing to something I couldn't see. "The aether, the spirit realm, the...in between. It calls to me. Sometimes it whispers. Sometimes it shouts. And sometimes I have to try hard to drown it out. It's like I've got one foot here and one foot planted someplace else."
I didn't know what to say to that. Not a fucking clue. "Are you okay with helping us? Does it bother you to use your psychometry?"
He shook his head. "No, not really. Sometimes I find out more than I ever wanted to know about someone." He gave me a lop-sided grin. "Some people are really fucked up, you know? But mostly it's fine."
I dropped my hand. "Good. Then you can help us out. There's no money in it this time, unfortunately. But who knows...maybe this can be like your trial period? Oisin is always insisting this is a business. And businesses need employees, don't they?" For fuck's sake, it looked like everything the fox owned fit in two sad, faded duffel bags.
He smirked at me. "Don't you dare be pitying me, gryphon. I'm not that sad. I manage to do okay, traveling with side-shows and doing readings at ren faires and stuff."
"You begged me to take you with me, back at the carnival," I reminded him.
His smirk stretched into a full-on, blinding smile. "That's because I saw myself here when I did your reading. I knew this is where I belong. And... I looked really happy."
I sighed. "I bet all the psychics say that when they're low on cash. It would make a good con."
He laughed and followed me out the door and toward the stairs to the living area. "You'll see. I'm not lying. I'm supposed to be with you."
I turned to glance at him over my shoulder, my own powers clicking into place as I read him automatically. "I know."
When he spoke about belonging here with us, his words, his aura, his entire being rang with the warm gold of truth.
Now what the hell was I supposed to do what that fun bit of knowledge? Especially when my sexy little fae was acting like an offended diva. "Come on in," I said, as I shooed him toward the kitchen and dining room area. "You want to stick around and help us fight crime and eat Con's cooking, be my guest. But you're going to have to convince your new roomies all on your own."