I just nodded. All I could think of was how my life was defined by this. By the need to protect me from the possibility of danger. I’d grown up a sheltered and inexperienced girl because of it. Only this time, there really was something to worry about. There indeed was something sinister lurking on the dark streets, waiting for the perfect opportunity to kidnap me, kill me… I still wasn’t entirely sure. But one thing was certain, I’d stumbled into a whole world of trouble.
***
The prof droned on about our upcoming projects. I’d only been half-listening, for my mind was elsewhere. A far-off world where everything you could imagine stalked about. Vampires, werewolves, fairies… everything you could ever expect from the myths. But they weren’t myths.
And neither was an Oracle.
A thick black binder crashed on top of my desk, and I nearly fell off my seat.
“What the hell?” I gasped.
Max glowered down at me. Her tight, oversized bun only made the expression starker. “It’s my notes and works for my half the project.” She wore a deep crimson pair of pants, held together with a seam of crisscrossed straps of leather that ran up the outside of her legs. She crossed her bare arms as a black sleeveless turtleneck gobbled up her long neck. “You remembered, right?”
Oh, that’s right. I was supposed to stay behind with her today to put together our two project halves and finish it up. I quickly stifled the look of awe. “How could I forget?”
“So, are we doing this or not?”
We moved next door to a room with long tables fit for laying out a large project. They mostly used it for group work, but it was far better than our small desks in class. My binder was nowhere near as profound as Max’s. In fact, it wasn’t even a binder; I’d assembled it all in a duo-tang and slipped everything into individual plastic sleeves, all organized with color-coded dividers. I actually put a lot of work into my portion, my half, and still… it was nothing compared to what Max had done. She was a perfectionist and then some. A fact I was surprised to discover I admired.
I let her lay everything out and fuss over the final, assembled version, only speaking a few words now and then. But it didn’t matter. I was barely listening. Half my mind still drifted to thoughts and worries of the dark fairy that currently hunted me down. For reasons I had no idea.
The project with Max seemed like such a useless concept in the grand scheme of my now tragic life.
“Quinn!” Max spat and snapped her perfectly manicured nails in front of my face. “What’s the matter with you?”
I blinked away the fog from my mind and adjusted on my stool. “You wouldn’t understand.”
She sort of snorted as she gripped her hips. “You assume I’d actually care. I’m just concerned about your ability to finish this project with me. I’m not afraid to admit that I’m a sadistic perfectionist, Quinn. This needs to be exceptional.”
“Look, Max, I get it,” I said evenly. “I want this to be good, too. And it will.” I swept my hand over the table, palm up. “It is.”
I swear I saw her visibly relax. It was so minor, most probably wouldn’t notice. But her usually tense shoulders slumped slightly, and she let her hands fall to her sides. I decided to set aside my stress over mythical beings for a moment and give Max my full attention. It was only fair.
We dove into the work. The object was to study the historic architecture around the city and the modern and then create our own plan for a new, artistically driven building that combined both. Hence, the project partners. Two people coming together just like the two styles. A couple of hours into it, we took a break and snuck into the small canteen area that served coffee and snacks during the day and made a small pot of coffee.
And I thought I might have caught the slightest glimpse of a smile, a real genuine smile, on Max’s face as she eyed the basket of individually wrapped brownies. For a moment, I thought she’d take one. But her face twisted with hesitation, and she relaxed her fingers before wrapping them around the Styrofoam coffee cup I handed her.
I grabbed two brownies and shoved them in my hoodie pockets. Max didn’t say anything, but I heard her laugh under her breath as she followed me back to our table. I tossed her a brownie when we sat down. But she waited until I’d had mine half eaten before opening hers and cautiously taking that first bite.
Max’s eyes fluttered behind closed lids, and she moaned. “I know these are absolute garbage, but they’re so fucking good.”
“Maybe I should have left some money,” I said between chewing.
She scrunched her nose and stared out the window as she took another bite. “My mother has donated enough money to this school. I think I can take a few cookies.”
I remembered Celadine saying that Max’s mother was one of the gallery’s most prominent benefactors. “So… you’re like rich or something?”
Those eyes turned dark, and she tossed me a glare. “No, my mother’s rich.”
I cowered inside. “Touchy subject?”
She didn’t even bother to answer.
“Sorry,” I offered and busied myself with my cup of coffee.
After a moment, she sighed and said, half interested, “Tell me something about you.”
“Me?”
“Sure, why not.” It didn’t sound like a question.
I sucked in a long breath. “I was raised in the country by my aunt. There’s not much to tell, really. I lived a pretty boring life.” I shrugged. “Until now, I guess.”
“Lucky.” Her perfect brows rose and plummeted.
“There’s nothing lucky about losing your parents to a random street murder before you even knew them.”
I was just as shocked as she looked at my words. I rarely, if ever, spoke of my parents. And never felt the need to defend their death. But something lit inside me at her tone. I was certainly not lucky. Yes, my childhood was lovely under Tess’s roof. But my parents had been murdered for no good reason, and now evil fairies hunted me down.
“I didn’t know.” Max’s face was stone. “I’m… sorry.”
I dragged my teeth over my bottom lip. “It’s fine.”
Silence hung between us as we averted our gazes and sipped on our hot coffees. Outside, the sounds and lights of busy streets came to life with the falling of early night.
“Do you miss them?” she asked quietly. Still not looking at me.
No one had ever asked me that. “I know I should. I know… I should have this time in my life where I mourned their death. But how can you miss people you never really knew? I was an infant when they were murdered.”
“Did they find the shooter?”
I shook my head solemnly. “No. It was labeled a cold case. My aunt was with them, but she’d run with me in her arms before she could get a good look at the guy. The only details she had to give the police were that he had a young voice, a masked face, and took their money.”
“That’s really shitty.” She finally met my gaze, and I swear I found the slightest hint of sympathy in her big brown eyes. And, for some reason, I couldn’t help but laugh. I wasn’t sure if it was a hopeless reaction to the doom and gloom that filled my life or because Max’s attempt at connecting with another human being was even sadder. Her brows rose in surprise, but she soon threw in a laugh with mine. “I’m bad at this.”
I waved it off. “We all are.” I swept a glance at our project. “I think that about does it, though. I’m happy with the way it turned out.”
She examined it all with a satisfied sigh. “Me, too.” She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes at me. “How are your presentation skills?”
I gave an eye roll over the rim of my coffee cup. “I think I’ll manage.”
We gathered up our things and headed down to the main level entrance, the only one left unlocked and monitored by the after-hours security guard. We stepped outside, and I inhaled the fresh night air. But then it hit me. Nighttime. Darkness. Shadows.
Evaine.
I froze in place and peered up an
d down the sidewalk. Max halted a few feet away and threw me a look over her shoulder. “Quinn?”
“The, uh, nighttime just makes me nervous.” I backed up against the door. “And I forgot my bike today.”
Max clenched her jaw as she seemed to consider something, mindlessly dangling her keys with one hand. Then she cocked her head toward the only vehicle on the street–a black Jeep–with a sigh. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride.”
I was immensely grateful because Max still drove around with the canvas top removed, even though we were well into Fall. I happily let the chilly breeze wash over me, keeping my car sickness at bay, but it only took a minute to shiver against its touch. Max didn’t seem to be bothered by it, though. Her naked arms still bared, not a goosebump to be seen.
In minutes, she pulled up to the café, and I pointed to the alley behind the building. She veered into it and came to a halt. I reached for the door handle, but she grasped my sleeve, her eyes fixated on something outside.
“Wait.”
“What’s the matter?” I asked and followed her line of sight to find a tall, dark figure leaning against a parked motorcycle. My heart thrummed, but my stomach relaxed.
She tipped her chin tersely. “You know that guy?”
“Yeah, he’s… a friend.” She gawked at me in disbelief but said nothing as she released my sleeve. “Do you know him?”
Her shadowed face twisted with contrition. “No, he just gives bad vibes.”
I laughed. “So do you, and yet here I am. Letting you give me a ride home.”
She flashed me a poisonous look. “You’re welcome.”
The laugh filled my throat as I stepped out of the Jeep. I shut the door and turned to say thank you, but Max sped off, kicking up bits of gravel in her wake. I sighed and shook my head as I turned to face Cillian.
“Friend of yours?” he asked cheekily and shoved off his bike where he leaned.
“Something like that.” I couldn’t help the way my eyes scanned every inch of him. Damn, he looked so good all the freaking time. It was almost unfair to the rest of us. “What are you doing here?”
He grinned devilishly and loomed over me, letting his lovely scent of cool night air and leather envelop me. “I thought, perhaps, we could grab a coffee. Or something to eat?”
“Is that so?” I gave him a playful smile and tipped my face upward. “Are you planning to ditch me after the first bite this time?”
Something about what I said made him grimace. “How long will I be paying for that one?”
“Planning to stick around, are you?”
“For as long as you’ll have me.”
I knew we were just exchanging witty banter, but something about the change in his tone, the casting aside of humor as he stepped closer, our chests nearly touching, made my stomach tighten with anticipation. We were finally alone, with no one to interrupt us. His wintery breath cooled my heated cheeks, his thumb brushing along one of them as he cupped the side of my face.
I was long lost in those pools of deep blue when he whispered, “I’d very much like to kiss you now.”
My answer was removing another inch between us, my hand eagerly slipping under his open leather jacket as I splayed my fingers over the dip of his hip. His breath hitched at my touch, and I watched as his lips parted ever so slightly, making their way for mine.
My eyes fluttered closed just as Cillian’s mouth met mine, and I melted in his arms. One hand combed into the hair at the side of my head. The other firmly planted at the small of my back. All I wanted was to disappear into his embrace as his mouth devoured mine, and he pulled me closer. Slow and sensual at first, but I felt that hunger building. Mirrored by my own. I wanted him. More than I’d ever wanted anything in my life.
I pulled back with a sharp exhale and, when I opened my eyes, Cillian was already staring down at me. He trailed his thumb over my tender lips with an admiration that tickled something at the bottom of my gut. And suddenly… the reality of my life came crashing down over me.
I stepped out of his cool embrace, my skin searing in all the places that his touch had met. “I’d love to grab a coffee or some food with you, Cillian.” I stilled my breath. “But I’ve had an incredibly long day and an even longer weekend. I’m… I should stay in tonight.”
He examined me with a scrutiny that made me flush, and I wondered if he could see the signs under the cast of night. The dark circles beneath my eyes, the new pallor of my skin. I had barely slept more than an hour since Oliver’s cottage.
His brows pinched together. “Is everything alright?”
I nodded, but even that simple gesture was a lie. “I just… ” Just what? What could I possibly say to him? In fact, with Evaine after me, it wasn’t safe for anyone to be around me. Not until we figured out what the creature wanted. I took another step back. Cillian noted it with distaste. “It’s, uh, it’s actually best if we don’t see each other for a while.”
He seemed thrown, and I didn’t blame him. He’d just given me the best kiss of my life, and I followed it up with a rejection. “We’re seeing each other?” His attempt at humor didn’t hit the mark.
I rolled my eyes and tipped my head to the side. “You know what I mean.”
“If you’re not interested, Avery, then just say the word. I’ll leave you be. I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”
I abruptly shook my head. “No, you don’t, I swear. I just…” My dry eyes suddenly burned with the wetness that rimmed them. I stole a glance around, the shadows of night unnerving me. I was involved in a world he’d never understand. A world that could get him killed. A chill ran through me, and I shivered it off.
Cillian came closer, tense with concern. “Avery,” he almost whispered. “Are you alright? Is someone trying to hurt you? Is there something I can do?”
He looked at me with such longing, such care, that it nearly broke my heart. I gently shook my head and faked a yawn. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m honestly just tired, and I’ve got some school stuff coming up that’s going to occupy a lot of my time. It’s just not fair to you or anyone for me to….” I gestured at him with exaggeration. “Start something right now.”
Those blue eyes raked over me, examining. Searching. “Are you sure?”
My chin bobbed up and down a little too anxiously. I hoped he didn’t pick up on it. Cillian’s expression softened with a coy smile as he sauntered closer and leaned into me, his lips brushing across my cheek as his mouth found my ear. “Then, when you’re ready to start, you come to find me.” He placed a kiss on my cheek, and I felt it burn all the way down the center of my body, where the sensation pooled between my legs. He stepped back, leaving me breathless, and I watched as he walked to his bike and swung one long, muscled leg over the seat. The metal beast sank with his weight, and he glanced up at me. The perfect sight of him made my breath still in my chest. “I’ll be waiting.
Chapter Sixteen
Days went by. I felt so alone and scared. Lattie and Moya were somewhere deep in the lands of Faerie to spy anything they could find about any mention of Oracles and who might have hired Evaine to kidnap her. I mourned the loss of my future. Well, the one I had planned, anyway. How I’d been a fool to hope for such things. School, an art career, my foot in the door at the gallery, the possibility of dating for the first time in my life.
Every ounce of me wanted Cillian. He was the first guy I’d ever had an interest in. The first one that had ever looked my way. But how could I have a relationship with someone when half my life was now rooted in this mythical world of danger?
A pile of old texts that Moya had hastily borrowed from the Territory of Dreams laid on the coffee table. I spent every waking hour pouring over them, and all I found on Oracles were a few meager facts. I couldn’t find the exact age of the last one, but it said he was officially the King’s Oracle for nearly three hundred years. A mortal man… lived well over three hundred years. I wasn’t sure what that meant for my own mortality.
One normal and reliable thing I had in my life was my few weekly shifts at the coffee shop with Tomas. He was just wholesome. Nothing ever got him down, and his personality was infectious. We made work a game. Seeing who could sell the most coffees. Betting which chocolaty dessert sold out first. Scavenger hunts to count how many times we noticed something–old men in sweater vests, soccer moms, hipsters. Tonight was people with beautiful smiles. We’d counted twenty-seven by the time the last customer left.
I was about to lock the door when Julie barged in. Her cheeks were frosty pink from the Fall evening air. Although she put on a cheery demeanor for Tomas’s sake, I could sense Julie was eager to tell me something. She practically bounced on her feet.
“Hey, guys!” she said and rubbed her icy hands together. “Any coffee left?”
“Yeah, we haven’t dumped the pots yet,” I replied, eying her curiously.
But she averted her gaze. She knew I could tell there was news to be shared, but not in front of Tomas. He disappeared behind the counter for a moment and came back with a steaming cup for her.
“Thanks.” She flashed him the widest smile, one she only wore for him.
Tomas looked at her like she was some sort of precious thing. “Twenty-eight.”
“What?” Her brows pinched innocently.
“It’s nothing,” I said with a laugh and tugged at her sleeve. “Come on, let’s go upstairs. You cool to close up, Tomas?”
He nodded, slowly tearing his gaze from Julie. “Yeah, it’s cool. I’ll see you guys later.”
I followed Julie up the spiral staircase and called down to Tomas, “I owe you one!”
Once we were safely in the privacy of our apartment, I could see why Julie had been brimming with eagerness when she first came into the café. Moya and her sisters waited in our living room. Well, Moya was in our living room with Lattie perched on the arm of the sofa. The Shades wandered about the place, eyeing things with the utmost curiosity. Still strapped to the nines with leather and weapons, but their already corpse-like complexions were now see-through.
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