Burning Bright (Ivy Granger)

by E.J. Stevens

  I sighed and ducked into the parking garage as the first stars appeared in the darkening sky above the alley. It was going to be a long night.

  Chapter 2

  "Ivy!" Jinx yelled.

  I startled awake, heart pounding, wondering briefly if the scream had truly originated from my loft apartment or if it had followed me from the depths of a nightmare. I reached for my blades and stumbled out of my bedroom, hoping that I wasn’t about to give anyone a show. I couldn’t complain too much if Jinx brought a guy home with her, especially after the bedroom acrobatics Ceff and I had been up to lately, but I sure didn’t want to run naked into some stranger. After being inside a jincan’s head, I wasn’t ready for another vision. Plus, I didn’t think that meeting someone while brandishing blades and wearing only panties and leather gloves would make a good first impression.

  Then again, I wasn’t about to hesitate if Jinx needed me. She was my best friend and, until recently, the closest thing I had to family.

  “Jinx?” I asked, calling out while scanning the apartment for threats.

  I squinted against the bright light that rose from my skin. Turning into a freaking light bulb was one of the side effects of my fae blood. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves and dampen the glow. For once, I sent up a silent prayer that Jinx hadn’t brought any human guys home with her. If a human witnessed my fae abilities and told his friends, I’d be as good as dead.

  “In here!” she shouted.

  I turned toward the bathroom, making it to the door in two quick strides. Our loft apartment was small, a fact I was now thankful of. I shifted my blades and reached out with one gloved hand, but hesitated, hand hovering over the doorknob.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  "I don’t know,” she said, from behind the closed bathroom door. “Is your wispness contagious?"

  "Are you serious?" I asked.

  What the heck was Jinx going on about? I set my blades on the kitchen counter at my back, adrenaline washing from my system. She’d gotten me out of bed for some fae trivia? I slid a gloved hand over my face and yawned. Mab’s bones, I was tired. I wanted nothing more than a nice, warm bed. My side ached and my head throbbed. Clearing out jincan nests was exhausting work.

  "Please say yes," she said, her voice going small and weak.

  My hair stood on end. Jinx never sounded weak. My tattooed, rockabilly best friend may be human, but she was tougher than an ogre’s hide. I had a very bad feeling about this.

  "No, my being fae isn't a virus," I said. "It's more like a congenital disease or birth defect. Why? What's going on in there?"

  I heard a rustle of fabric behind the closed door, but Jinx didn't come out.

  "N-n-nothing..." Jinx stuttered.

  "Nothing, my shiny wisp butt," I said. "Come out and we can fix whatever it is."

  I crossed my fingers, toes too. Jinx was the most unlucky person that I knew. I didn't even dare venture a guess at what was going on in that bathroom.

  "You promise you won't laugh?" she asked.

  "Pinky promise," I said. I wasn’t about to link pinkies with my best friend, and she knew it, but the sentiment was there all the same.

  "Okay," she said.

  The knob turned and Jinx let the bathroom door swing open. I bit my lip, stifling the urge to laugh. I’d promised, after all, and breaking a promise doesn’t come easy to the fae, even a half-breed like me. Fortunately, my weak blood left me wiggle room for telling lies. Thank Oberon for small favors.

  Jinx stood awkwardly in a t-shirt and fuzzy slippers, her hair a mess, dark circles under her eyes, and arms crossed with her hands shielding her neck. I gave her an encouraging nod. She let her hands drop from her neck to reveal a trail of glowing, lip-shaped marks that began behind her ear and traced along the line of her pulse, a pulse that now jumped like a grasshopper on Red Bull.

  “It’s not so bad,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

  But it was bad. Very bad, indeed. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d say she’d even lost some weight. Her face looked haggard beneath the harsh bathroom lights.

  I no longer felt like laughing, that was for damn sure. This wasn’t about a bad hair day, something was seriously wrong with my friend.

  “Really?” she asked, tugging down the oversized t-shirt she’d slept in to expose more of the luminous kisses. “I look like I spent the night at a rave.”

  Actually, she looked like a throwback from an eighties music video, but I kept that thought to myself. The offending marks followed her collarbone to the curve of her shoulder, down her arm, along her rose tattoo, and across the rise and swell of her chest. I brought my eyes up to Jinx’s face and blinked.

  “I have to ask,” I said. “Where the hell did those come from?”

  “That’s just it,” she said, tears welling up in puffy, red-rimmed eyes. “I went out to Club Nexus last night. J-j-just for a drink. I thought I’d bump into Torn, but he wasn’t there…”

  “I thought we’d agreed, no entering Nexus without an escort,” I said, narrowing my eyes.

  “But you were busy on a case,” she said. “And I thought Torn would be there! I didn’t think I’d be alone.”

  “Okay, so what happened next?” I asked. I crossed my arms to keep from strangling my friend, visions or not, and settled against the breakfast bar. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like what she had to say. “I take it from the luminous hickies that you didn’t turn around and come straight home.”

  “Well, no,” she said. “I had a drink or two. No faerie wine! I made sure they knew I was your vassal, or whatever. So, I had a few drinks and I think I was dancing, but…”

  “But you don’t remember the rest,” I said.

  “Not really,” she said, shuffling her feet.

  Crap. Jinx had probably partied too hard and left with some sleezeball guy from the club. Someone paranormal who could leave a trail of glowing kisses behind like a magical brand. Had the marks been intentional? If so, who would want to claim ownership over Jinx?

  There was one scoundrel who immediately came to mind. When I’d asked what the hell had happened, I hadn’t realized how right on the money I’d been. Those marks may very well have come from the fiery depths of Hell itself. And if I found out that a certain demon attorney had laid a finger on my roommate, avenging angels could learn a thing or two from the revenge I’d rain down on Forneus’ well-coiffed head.

  “Stay here in the apartment and rest,” I said, quickly formulating a plan.

  I retrieved my knives from the counter and ran for my room. I pulled on jeans and a t-shirt and grabbed my knife sheaths. The sheaths were a custom job, clurichaun craftsmanship, so the straps held my blades securely and comfortably along my forearms without giving me any unwanted visions. I shrugged on my leather jacket to hide the blades and protect my arms and stomped into a pair of leather boots. I checked that the throwing knives slid easily from their sheaths and shoved a dagger into each boot.

  That would have been more than enough for me to handle a human adversary, but I had bigger creeps to fry. Opening the bedside table drawer, I withdrew a large utility belt already laden down with wooden stakes and charms. Slinging the belt across my hips, I added a clip of tiny water balloons. The industrious pooka wore these things as hats, but I’d found another use for the condoms they hand out at the free clinic. I’d filled these babies with holy water, blessed by my pal Father Michael. I slid a crucifix pendant over my head, wound my hair into a tight bun at the nape of my neck, and rushed for the door.

  I was ready for anything, but most importantly, I was armed for demon. If Forneus thought he could take advantage of Jinx, he was in for a nasty surprise. No one was going to give my best friend a supernatural STD and get away with it.

  Chapter 3

  I stomped along Congress Street, heading away from the cobbled streets of the Old Port quarter and up into the more modern financial district. Plan A was to find Forneus, a no-good demon attorney, and use
my blades to nail the bastard to the wall and make him talk.

  I just had to find him first.

  My gloved fingertips skirted the catch on my wrist sheaths as I made my way toward the tallest buildings in Harborsmouth. Good thing I knew where the creep liked to drum up business. Forneus may moonlight as an attorney, but he was still a demon with a quota to fill—and there were plenty of souls for sale in these glass and steel towers of commerce.

  Knives hit my palms as my brain registered the scent of sulfur, but by then I was already shoulder to shoulder with the demon. Damn, Forneus was fast when he wanted to be. I’d seen the guy in action more than once.

  My chest tightened as a memory of Forneus saving Jinx’s life pushed its way to the surface. Thankfully, it was followed by the image of the man in his full demonic splendor, horns, cloven feet and all. That made it easier to tamp down the rising guilt and hold onto my anger.

  I still wasn’t sure of the guy’s motivations toward my friend, but catching him with his tongue down her throat was a clue. The dogged way he followed her around was another hint. Did the glowing marks on her skin mean he’d already laid claim to her? If he thought Jinx would become his demon bride without a fight, he had another thing coming.

  Hell was not getting a new rockabilly soul to add to their collection. Nope, nada, not gonna happen.

  “Ah, Miss Granger, fancy meeting you in this part of town,” he said. “You don’t often venture beyond the squalor. What brings you here? Decide to sell your soul for the location of your accursed father?”

  I have to admit, for a moment I was tempted. Oberon’s eyes, I was tempted, but I held onto the rage that had fueled my every move since seeing those marks on Jinx’s body. Nostrils flaring, I stepped toward Forneus and with absolute precision held a knife blade to the bulge in his Armani suit pants.

  “You will never get my soul, Forneus, but we will discuss my father later…if I let you live,” I said.

  He raised an eyebrow, and tilted his head to the side, careful not to make any quick movements.

  “Touché,” he said. “So then, princess, to what do I owe this honor?”

  Yeah, I wasn’t acting like a good little princess. Whatever. I was pretty sure that I wasn’t the only faerie princess to get her hands dirty. In fact, Queen Mab had left a trail of corpses on the way to her throne. Now that was a cheery thought.

  “Jinx,” I said. I paused, watching his face for clues. “Jinx is in trouble, but I imagine you already knew something about that.”

  His reaction wasn’t what I’d expected. Instead of a smug grin, he looked like he’d been poleaxed.

  “What do you need?” he asked. “I am at your service.”

  Crispy hellspawn on a stick, the guy was just full of surprises. Either that or he was a damn good actor, which was likely considering he was an attorney…and a demon who tricked people into selling their souls.

  “What I need is for you to tell me what you did to her last night, and how to reverse it,” I said.

  “As you made it so very clear at our last encounter, you wished that I stay away from your friend,” he said. “I have respected that wish.” I twitched the blade in my hand and he rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine, I have respected that wish…most of the time. But I can assure you that I have not seen Jinx in nearly a week. Though you should know that if I had been following her last night, nothing ill would have befallen her. Whatever assumptions you have made about my intentions couldn’t be further from the truth.”

  My body stiffened and my breath hitched in my throat as his words sunk in. Unless Forneus was lying, he had no idea what happened to Jinx last night. And the implication was there that if I’d let him into my friend’s life, she’d have been safe.

  “How can I trust you?” I asked.

  Forneus snorted, letting out a puff of stomach churning brimstone. How the hell could Jinx kiss this guy? Whether he was telling the truth or not, I was glad for her sake that she didn’t remember that kiss. Locking lips with a demon was bound to give a girl nightmares.

  “You will never trust me, but if you care about your friend, then you will let me help you,” he said. “Tell me what has happened to Jinx and I will scour all of Hell and earth to make this right.”

  The guy made a good speech. I just hoped he wasn’t pulling a fast one. But with Jinx at home covered in glowing marks and looking like death warmed over, I didn’t have much of a choice. I could kill him or ask for his help. So help me, I opted for the latter.

  “It’s a long story,” I said with a sigh.

  “Then perhaps you could remove your blade from one of my most impressive assets,” he said. “I am rather fond of this body.”

  Right, wouldn’t want to diminish the guy’s sex appeal, geesh.

  I took a step back and lowered my knife, returning the blade to the sheath beneath my leather jacket. I tried to cover my relief by muttering something about his sulfuric breath, but the shaking in my hands gave away my discomfort. Getting inside Forneus’ defenses had been a necessity—who expects someone with a touch phobia to move toward you?—but now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the reality that I’d come within inches of a million mind scrambling visions hit me like an ogre’s fist.

  “At least you’re in your human body,” I said. “It’s one of your better looks. Can’t say I’m a fan of the whole cloven hoof thing.”

  I should really learn to keep my mouth shut. Forneus narrowed his eyes where a firestorm was brewing, and flame danced along his fingertips. Great, next he’d be sprouting horns and leathery wings. Note to self; don’t unnecessarily piss off the demon. I’d seen Forneus transform into his demonic form and it wasn’t pretty. Like I said, I’m not a fan.

  “You should learn to hold your tongue, Miss Granger,” he said. “My feelings for your friend do not extend to your company. I prefer not to upset Jinx by killing you, but there are other ways to silence that unpleasant mouth of yours.”

  “Fine, I’ll play nice, yada yada yada,” I said. “You want to know what’s wrong with Jinx, or not?” Forneus nodded stiffly. “She woke up this morning covered in glowing marks that look like…well, lips.”

  The demons eyes bulged, but I continued on. Yeah, didn’t think he’d like that part.

  “Anything else unusual?” he asked, his voice tight.

  “She also looks like she hasn’t slept in a week,” I said. “It might be that she just has a really bad hangover, she may have had something weird to drink, but I’m not sure. Her last memory is of walking into Club Nexus. Everything after that’s a blank.”

  “There are many concoctions that cause amnesia and fatigue when imbibed by a human,” he said, pacing the sidewalk while he talked. “We require more information.”

  “Fine, I’ll take Jinx over to The Emporium,” I said with a heavy sigh.

  I’d have to go home and convince Jinx to leave the apartment, which she wasn’t going to like, but it was the best I could do. Part of me had been hoping that Forneus was the culprit, which just shows how much I didn’t want to resort to asking the rest of the supernatural community for assistance. I’d exhausted my resources searching for my father, and there weren’t many people I could still turn to for answers.

  “I too will establish contact with my informants,” he said. “Someone must have seen whom she left the club with.”

  The air around the demon blurred and, just like that, Forneus was gone.

  Oh well, Plan A was a bust. Why couldn’t it have been Forneus who’d left the marks? I swallowed hard, staring at the spot where the demon had stood. You know your life is complicated when you’d rather fight a demon than ask your friends for help. I groaned and turned back toward the Old Port. I needed to collect Jinx and try to get some answers.

  Crap, plan B it was then.

  Chapter 4

  If there was one person who could identify Jinx’s malady and help me find the perp who did this (assuming it wasn’t Forneus), it was Kaye. I trudged up Water Street, Ji
nx close on my heels. She’d abandoned her usual low-cut dress for a turtleneck sweater and skin tight jeans. The glowing marks on her skin were hidden, but she couldn’t seem to keep her hand from tugging at the neck of her sweater.

  “Do they itch?” I asked, breaking the silence.

  It was still early for a Monday morning, and the city around us was quiet. Jinx flashed me a sheepish look and let her hands drop to her sides.

  “No, sorry,” she said, staring at her platform shoes. “Guess I keep wishing that I could rub the marks off or something. I can’t believe this is happening to me.”

  I shook my head, lips pulling into a wry grin.

  “I just hope that whoever this guy was, he wasn’t too ugly,” I said. “You wouldn’t be the first chick to drink too much at Nexus and end up in bed with a snot goblin.”

  Jinx pulled up short, nostrils flaring, hands going to her hips. Now that was the girl who stared down demons without batting an eyelash.

  “You think I’d bed some nasty faerie just ‘cause I had too much to drink?” she asked. “I have standards!”

  “It could happen,” I said with a shrug.

  “That, that’s…god, Ivy,” she said. “You’re joking aren’t you?”

  I let out an affirmative snort and continued up Water Street, no longer so worried about Jinx. We needed to figure out what the marks on her body meant, sure, but it was a relief to see Jinx acting like her old self. She tossed her hair back and quickened her stride to catch up.

  “Snot funny?” I asked.

  “Is there even such a thing as a snot goblin?” she asked, eyes narrowing.

  “I hope the hell not,” I said. “I’ve seen enough monster goo for this lifetime.”

  We turned onto Wharf Street and I crossed to the opposite sidewalk, avoiding a vodyanoy. Slime and muck oozed from his froglike skin and dripped onto the cobbled street.