Fiends and Familiars

by Dunbar, Debra

  “Tall, but not freakishly so.” I frowned for a second. “Taller than any fae I’ve ever known. He’s probably around six-one or six-two.”

  “That is tall for a fae,” Lonnie commented. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen one over five-six.”

  I shrugged. We had our fair share of fairies, pixies, and brownies, but maybe only the short ones were coming to Accident.

  “Maybe he’s a troll and is using glamour,” she teased.

  I laughed. “If so, then I hope he keeps the glamour up.” I’d never been attracted to trolls, and I doubted Ty was one anyway. The supernatural beings that called Accident home came there to be themselves. Why would a troll bother to put up a glamour in a place where no one would give them a second glance in their true form, in a town where centaurs and even dragons walked around with hooves and scales?

  “So…tall, and…?” Lonnie prompted.

  “Black hair,” I mused, remembering the gorgeous guy. “Like, super dark. It’s not really curly, but it’s got a bit of a wave to it. He’s tan, like Mediterranean or mixed-race skin tone tan.” That was unusual for fae as well, although I did hear there were some elves who had dark complexions. “Dark eyes. He’s got broad shoulders, and when I went in to kiss him, I realized he was really muscled. I think the guy works out, although if he’s got a pack of hounds, I can imagine he’d need to be fit.”

  “You kissed him?” Babylon grinned. “You just met the guy, and ten seconds later you’re kissing him? In the middle of Pistol Pete’s? Girl, I think this is the one.”

  “On the cheek.” I laughed. “But I had to step into him, and oh my! Let me tell you, it was the toughest thing I’ve ever done to walk away from that.”

  “Well, you’ve got a date tonight, so you can anticipate not walking away.” Babylon nodded knowingly. “Gonna take him home?”

  I’d been envisioning that all day. “I think it’s a better option than driving all the way back to Accident, then hauling over the mountain before dawn in a ‘drive of shame.’”

  “Just be careful,” Lonnie warned. “I know you can take care of yourself, and you’ve got a big-ass vulture that would scare the shit out of anyone—fae or not—but you don’t really know this guy. Maybe you should call around and check into him.”

  “And have it get back to Cassie?”

  My sister nodded. It would get back to Cassie, and if this didn’t work out, I’d be subject to a huge interrogation at Sunday dinner. And if it did work out, I’d be pestered to bring him to Sunday dinner. That might be moving a bit fast. Subjecting a new boyfriend of five days to my six sisters, their mates, and my cousin might send the guy screaming.

  “I’ll be careful,” I promised Babylon.

  What could go wrong? I was a grown woman, a witch, and I had a vulture and four squirrels in my house as well as a scary-looking dog-thing in my garage. If Ty turned out to be a weirdo or a total hose-bag, I’d just sic Yeth on him.

  Chapter 10

  Adrienne

  “The harvest party is going to be fun,” Babylon commented as she walked me out. “Bring Ty. I want to meet him, but I promise not to go all Cassie on you and grill the poor guy, or make things awkward.”

  I thought about that. If things worked out tonight, I definitely would invite Ty. Bonfire. Hot spiked cider. The smell of early autumn in the air. We could watch the sun go down, then sneak off to some dark corner to make out in the soft grass. Oh yeah.

  There was only one problem with this party—five problems, actually.

  “What am I going to do with Drake?” I mused. “And the squirrels?”

  Babylon chuckled. “You know how in love I am with your vulture. He can come. In fact, let him ride shotgun and put Ty in the backseat. But squirrels? What’s up with that, Addy?”

  I looked over at my truck, noticing several pairs of eyes glaring at me from the back window. “I tried to evict them from someone’s attic and they were a total pain. I had to cage them, and one bit me. When I went to release them in the woods they wouldn’t go. Next thing I know they’re inside my house, eating popcorn and watching a Hitchcock movie with me and Drake.”

  “How many squirrels?”

  “Four.” I dug my keys out of my bag, dreading what the inside of my truck probably looked like. “Three are pretty normal squirrel types, but the fourth is kinda weird. He’s like their spokes-squirrel or something. I named him Hemorrhoid.”

  Lonnie had a minor coughing fit. “What?”

  “Rhoid for short. The first day they were fine being left in the house while I worked, but today they insisted on coming with me. I had to lock them in the car with Drake just now and set a ward, otherwise they would have followed me in here.”

  She eyed the truck. “Well, bribe them. Convince them that if they’re nice while you’re gone, that you’ll roast chestnuts or something.”

  I hugged Lonnie goodbye. When I got inside to my truck I discovered that the squirrels had not taken confinement lightly. They’d crapped all over the backseat and chewed up a good bit of the upholstery. I mentally calculated how much this was going to cost me to repair, then tried to scrape as much of the poop as I could out of the truck and onto the parking lot.

  I drove home with the windows down, trying not to gag at the horrible smell. Worse, Drake wouldn’t speak to me or even look at me. The vulture sat in the passenger seat sulking the entire way to our house, then hopped out and strode right through the front door and into my bedroom. I felt like a total shit, but I couldn’t exactly take him into the bar and leave the squirrels behind. Actually I wasn’t sure I could even take him into the bar. Babylon loved him, but the human who owned the joint might not want a giant bird in his establishment. Besides, I’d hoped he would prove a good influence on the squirrels or at least try to keep them from trashing my truck. Evidently I’d been wrong.

  “Drake, I’m so sorry.” I went into my bedroom while the squirrels dove into “Squirrel’s Feast” which turned out to be an assortment of nuts and corn. “If it makes you feel any better, Babylon said you could come with me to the party this week.”

  The vulture huffed and turned his head away from me.

  “I’ll let you ride shotgun.” I thought of Ty. “Although I might be taking a date with me, so maybe instead you can stay home and I’ll take you somewhere special the next morning? I know, we’ll go collect dead animals off the highway! How about that?”

  He huffed, but tilted his head in a way that told me the idea appealed to him. Vultures. Collecting dead things off the highway always ranked higher than a bonfire party in their minds.

  “Come on, buddy. If we lived in Accident then I could take you everywhere with me, but things aren’t like that here. You must know that. You’ve been living out here your whole life and haven’t been able to go into bars or sleep at the end of someone’s bed. I try to take you everywhere I can, but there are going to be some places you’re just not allowed.”

  Drake hissed and stomped his feet.

  I reached over and put my arms around him. “I know things were different then. It was before you met me, before I met you. You’re my best friend, Drake. But best friends don’t go everywhere together. There will be times you can’t be with me—like some human establishments, and times when I’m trying to get busy with a hot guy.”

  He leaned over and put his head against mine. I understand the mating thing, but I need to be with you. We’re bonded.

  We were. Best friends didn’t fully describe our relationship. He was my familiar, and I was his witch. What we had was something special. I planted a kiss on top of his sharp beak and stroked his feathers.

  “Forgive me?” He grunted and I smiled. “Good. How about a snack before I go on my date?”

  A snack for Drake consisted of a piece of raw steak. I hand fed it to him, then raced to shower and change for my date. Before I headed out, I poured the dog food I’d bought earlier into a huge bowl and put it in the garage, making sure everything was welcome for Yeth. Then I
went to the front porch to wait.

  Ty pulled into my driveway right on time. He was in a sleek black BMW sedan that looked like it cost more than my house. I was used to the fact that supernaturals tended to accumulate wealth due to their longevity, and I knew how fae loved to be flashy, so I wasn’t surprised in his choice of vehicle. I was surprised at how my heart sped up to see him swing out of the car wearing a long, black cashmere coat. I stood, and as he walked toward me I noticed he had on a dark grey suit with a white silk shirt that had the first few buttons undone. The effect was breathtaking.

  Ty started up my porch, only to stop abruptly. Crap the wards. I quickly skipped down the steps and looped my arm in his, hoping he didn’t see my magical security system as unwelcoming, or think me paranoid or anything.

  He tucked my arm against his waist and turned, leading me to the car. “Good evening, Addy. You’re looking lovely.”

  Jeans and a clean shirt weren’t exactly my idea of lovely, and I was feeling a bit underdressed compared to him. Who the heck wears a suit to play putt-putt? Not that I was complaining, because the guy looked completely delicious.

  “Hi.” I cleared my throat, trying not to sound like a star-struck teenager. “Hi. Are you ready for some mini-golf action?”

  “Is that what putt-putt is? Not that I totally understand the idea of mini golf either. Tiny golf clubs and pea-sized golf balls? Do we have to play the course on our knees?” His little sideways smile made me weak in the knees.

  “It’s eighteen holes of putting—which is why the putt-putt name. They’ve got obstacles and the courses have themes. It’s kinda cheesy, but fun.” I elbowed him playfully as we walked to the car.

  “What does the winner get?” He hesitated before opening my door.

  “Well, if you sink the last shot with a hole-in-one, then you get a free soda. We keep score, but that’s just for fun, unless you’d like to suggest a friendly wager, that is.”

  He opened the door, his arm easing out from under mine as he placed a hand on my back. “I’m always open for a wager. Winner gets…?”

  The heat of his hand seared me clear through my coat. I slid into the seat and debated whether I should suggest that the loser bought hot dogs and soda, or whether the winner got oral sex. I knew which one I wanted the most, but I’d just met Ty and didn’t want to commit myself to giving a blow job just yet.

  “A kiss.”

  “Just a kiss?” He held the door open, his smile so damned sexy.

  “Just a kiss.” I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “For now. I reserve the right to change my mind later.”

  He laughed, a deep throaty sound that shot heat down right between my legs. Then he closed the door and walked around to climb in the driver’s side.

  The drive to the putt-putt course was only about twenty minutes. He asked me about my day and I went into great detail as tales of insect infestations, rats, and naked badgers made him laugh. I loved the sound of his laugh. By the time we pulled into the parking lot of the mini golf course, I was ready to suggest we head to a hotel.

  But instead I tried to compose my raging libido while he walked around to open the door for me.

  Hole In One mini-golf was a go-to entertainment venue for the folks in Accident. It was outside the wards, so the owner’s customer base was more human than not, but the fact that the owner was a shark shifter meant he was open to shutting the park down for “private parties” where gnomes, or minotaurs, or pixies could party without fear of encountering humans. The place had originally been owned by a human husband and wife team who’d sold it to Antwan and retired to Florida five years ago. It was off one of those rural routes that was just far enough out of town to be somewhat isolated, but near enough that it was easy to pop over for a game. Antwan had planted a few dense rows of evergreens outside of a tall stockade fence so looking into the course from outside was pretty close to impossible for anyone without wings or some super leaping skills. It kept the curious humans out when folks with wings and horns were playing.

  Today the course was open to the public and we weren’t the only couple who were here at seven o’clock on a Monday night. A group of six teenagers were sipping sodas and arguing over who was going to get which color ball. An elderly couple were already on the course, carefully planning each stroke. Two men were arguing over their scorecards and calling each other duffers.

  Ty walked up to the counter and blinked in surprise when he saw Antwan. I giggled, knowing everyone had the same reaction when they first saw the sharkshifter. He was built like he should be a bouncer outside a rowdy club, with shoulders so wide I sometimes wondered how he got through a doorway, and a bald head that gleamed a warm brown in the artificial light of the course.

  “Two?” Antwan glanced over at me and smiled. “Addy! Nice to see ya girl. How’s the rat-and-bat business going?”

  “It’s keeping me in meat and potatoes.” I reached out and put my hand on Ty’s arm. To Antwan’s credit, he didn’t even raise an eyebrow.

  “Well, game’s free for my favorite witch.” His grin stiffened a little as he glanced over at Ty, and the implication was clear. Mess with my friend, and you’ll know what it feels like to have a Great White bite your leg clean off.

  I rolled my eyes and grabbed my club.

  “His favorite witch?” Ty and I walked over to where the colored golf balls were. He didn’t sound jealous, or the least bit worried about the nonverbal threat he’d just been handed. I liked that. Jealousy was such a pain in the ass to deal with, and I wasn’t one of those girls who was turned on by two guys duking it out either.

  “We’re all his favorite witches,” I told Ty. “All seven of us.”

  He picked up a bright yellow ball and handed it to me. Had he known this was my favorite color, or was this just a lucky guess? As I took it from him, my fingers brushed his and I caught my breath.

  “Seven? Your coven?” He picked up the red ball and it took me a second to realize what he meant.

  “Oh no, my sisters. We’re all witches. I’m the second youngest.” I wasn’t sure if his type of fae had family units or not, and it seemed a bit rude to ask, so instead I shot him a cocky grin and strolled over to the first hole, placing my yellow ball on the X. “Get ready to lose, hound-boy. I’ve been honing my skills at mini golf since I was five, and I’m gonna beat the pants off you.”

  “That’s what I’m hoping,” he teased.

  I tapped the ball and watched as it rolled up and down the fake green hills, weaving back and forth until it bounced off the backstop and into the hole.

  “Booya!” I put my hands in the air. “Beat that one, buddy.”

  He didn’t but came close, sinking the red ball in two strokes. We spent the next hour smack-talking, and flirting. Ty resorted to trying to distract me by running his hands down my waist to my hips, or whispering naughty things in my ear. It worked, but in the end I still won the match.

  “Winner gets a kiss,” he whispered before turning me around and dipping his head.

  His lips met mine, soft, warm, and gentle. Time seemed to stand still, then I moved into him and wrapped my arms around his neck. His tongue touched the seam of my mouth, asking even though I could feel from the tension in his body that he was fighting to hold himself back. I opened for him, and everything caught fire. His tongue licked mine and we pressed together, practically devouring each other on the eighteenth hole of the putt-putt course.

  When we finally came up for air, I was breathless, hot, and desperate to have him naked and inside me.

  “Let’s get out of here,” I whispered, well aware that a few of the other patrons were beginning to look our way. Normally I wouldn’t mind, but having an audience of six teens wasn’t my thing.

  “And go where?” He turned me in his arms so my back was against his front, then nibbled down the side of my neck as he pressed my ass against that rock-hard erection.

  I didn’t have the patience for driving all over town looking for a hotel,
and I certainly didn’t have the patience for the thirty-minute drive into Accident. That left one choice.

  “My place.”

  He stilled, and for a second I thought something might be wrong.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure.” Was he just being gentlemanly? Like the opening door thing? Or was I detecting a note of regret in his voice?

  Before I could think further, he spun me around and kissed me again, driving every last bit of doubt from my mind.

  The ride back to my place seemed excruciatingly long. He opened the car door for me and I fell into his arms. For a moment, I wondered if we’d even make it into the house, or end up doing it here on my lawn, but he pulled away with ragged breathing and yanked me toward the door. I barely had time to dismiss the wards and unlock the deadbolt before I was in his arms again.

  Buttons popped and clothes tore. He pushed me back against the wall, knocking over a lamp and two picture frames along the way. I frantically tried to kick off the remains of my pants and my underwear as his hands grabbed my ass and hoisted me up. My legs wrapped around his hips and I gasped as he eased himself inside.

  Damn, he felt good. I wanted to take my time, but I was hungry and desperate. Round two would be more leisurely. Right now I wanted hard and fast.

  One of his hands held my butt while the other gripped my hair. His mouth left mine and he buried his face into my neck with a sexy growl, nipping the skin gently. I tilted my head back, encouraging him with breathless moans. My nails dug into his shoulders and I felt my orgasm swell, then crest. I shook in his arms as he came. We stood against the wall for a few ragged breaths, then he dropped down onto the couch, pulling me on top of him. His hands caressed down my back and I rested my cheek on his chest thinking that this was the best sex I’d ever had—better even than those dreams the past few nights.

  And if this fast-hard-quickie had been good, imagine how incredible it would be once we took our time and explored at our leisure.

  Holy feathers and fur, it had been amazing. I mean A-maze-ing. My whole body tingled and all I could think of was doing it again, and again, and again. Could I reschedule my appointments for tomorrow and just have sex with Ty all day long? I’m pretty sure a fae didn’t have anything pressing to do. Well, except feed his hounds, and maybe he could call a neighbor in Accident to do that for him.