her clear above everyone.
Make them look at her. Make them want her.
I’ll rise. I’ll rise.
She was drunk, she knew that. But the slight had sobered her. She wanted to go home. Fuck James Motherwell. Fuck him. She
looked at K.A., cozy on the couch with Neve. Touching his knee. Throwing her head back and laughing. Her brother seemed far
away and she wanted to go to him and rescue him from that backstabbing whore, but at the same time she didn’t want him to
see how drunk she was. She scanned the room for Ondine, spotting her near the kitchen talking with that loser from Jacob’s.
What was his name?
Ondine. This was all her fault. She teetered toward them.
“James Motherwell is a pig,” she blurted when she got within shouting distance. Everything was blurry and had gotten very
loud. She had to steady herself against the wall. She yelled and watched her former friend’s face fall.
“Morgan! What up? What’s wrong?”
“You shouldn’t have let him come.” She advanced uncertainly. “I’m leaving. I need a ride home.”
Ondine looked at her friend. “Who? What are you talking about?”
“
Moth.
Your friend, James Motherfucker.”
“I — you were supposed to stay over. There are all these people here. I’ve got to deal with this mess —” Ondine pointed around
at the party, which was now out of control.
“The
mess
is that you invited that prick in the first place.”
Ondine tried to put her hand on Morgan’s shoulder but she shook it off.
“Invite him? Morgan, I couldn’t do anything. You were at O’Brian’s. You saw what happened.”
She ignored her. “Thanks, Ondine. No I really mean it.
Thanks.
My brother and that little sausage-faced whore, and now you.”
“What are you talking about?”
Blue flashing lights illuminated the packed living room.
“Oh shit!” Ondine cried. “The cops!”
Morgan didn’t seem to notice. “Don’t you worry. I’ll get home on my own.” She turned and nodded to Nix, who stared back at
her, his dark eyes intent. “So you can get back to hitting on this loser. Though loser might be an exaggeration. More like
a nothing. Isn’t that what your ridiculous name means, Nix? Nothing? Zero?”
Nix stayed silent, his eyes fixed. Though the intensity of his stare scared her, Morgan waved him off and turned back to Ondine.
“That’s what you want, right? Someone you can push around? Or maybe that’s Neve’s role. I like how you pimped her out to my
brother. Really classy. But hey” — she smiled and narrowed her eyes — “what’s a little betrayal among friends?”
“No, Morgan … you’ve got it wrong —”
She had already turned to leave. Ondine tried to run after her, but Morgan was swallowed by the crowd. When she got back to
the kitchen, Nix was still waiting for her. He frowned.
“What’s he look like?”
“Who?” Ondine was exasperated. She looked around the room then covered her eyes. “Wait — wait. I have to think.”
“That cat, Moth. What’s he wearing?”
She put a hand to her brow. She was shaking. “He’s tall. Black curly hair. All in black.” She held up her right hand. “He’s
got a big silver ring. And one of those — you know, Fu Manchus or whatever.”
Nix turned. The look in his eye was curious.
“I’ll find him.”
N IX WASN ’ T SURE HOW LONG he wandered around Ondine’s house. It seemed like he’d just left her, and it seemed like he’d been walking for hours. At
one point he stopped and asked himself what he was doing, who he was looking for. Then the name came to him:
Moth.
He closed his eyes, shook his head to clear it. It was a good thing he hadn’t taken dust. Something about the night had him
flying already — and, judging from the looks of things, everyone else.
Especially Neve and K.A, he thought, chagrined. Earlier he’d spotted the duo on the couch. They’d stopped teasing each other
and were now looking as though they were attempting to stitch
Make them look at her. Make them want her.
I’ll rise. I’ll rise.
She was drunk, she knew that. But the slight had sobered her. She wanted to go home. Fuck James Motherwell. Fuck him. She
looked at K.A., cozy on the couch with Neve. Touching his knee. Throwing her head back and laughing. Her brother seemed far
away and she wanted to go to him and rescue him from that backstabbing whore, but at the same time she didn’t want him to
see how drunk she was. She scanned the room for Ondine, spotting her near the kitchen talking with that loser from Jacob’s.
What was his name?
Ondine. This was all her fault. She teetered toward them.
“James Motherwell is a pig,” she blurted when she got within shouting distance. Everything was blurry and had gotten very
loud. She had to steady herself against the wall. She yelled and watched her former friend’s face fall.
“Morgan! What up? What’s wrong?”
“You shouldn’t have let him come.” She advanced uncertainly. “I’m leaving. I need a ride home.”
Ondine looked at her friend. “Who? What are you talking about?”
“
Moth.
Your friend, James Motherfucker.”
“I — you were supposed to stay over. There are all these people here. I’ve got to deal with this mess —” Ondine pointed around
at the party, which was now out of control.
“The
mess
is that you invited that prick in the first place.”
Ondine tried to put her hand on Morgan’s shoulder but she shook it off.
“Invite him? Morgan, I couldn’t do anything. You were at O’Brian’s. You saw what happened.”
She ignored her. “Thanks, Ondine. No I really mean it.
Thanks.
My brother and that little sausage-faced whore, and now you.”
“What are you talking about?”
Blue flashing lights illuminated the packed living room.
“Oh shit!” Ondine cried. “The cops!”
Morgan didn’t seem to notice. “Don’t you worry. I’ll get home on my own.” She turned and nodded to Nix, who stared back at
her, his dark eyes intent. “So you can get back to hitting on this loser. Though loser might be an exaggeration. More like
a nothing. Isn’t that what your ridiculous name means, Nix? Nothing? Zero?”
Nix stayed silent, his eyes fixed. Though the intensity of his stare scared her, Morgan waved him off and turned back to Ondine.
“That’s what you want, right? Someone you can push around? Or maybe that’s Neve’s role. I like how you pimped her out to my
brother. Really classy. But hey” — she smiled and narrowed her eyes — “what’s a little betrayal among friends?”
“No, Morgan … you’ve got it wrong —”
She had already turned to leave. Ondine tried to run after her, but Morgan was swallowed by the crowd. When she got back to
the kitchen, Nix was still waiting for her. He frowned.
“What’s he look like?”
“Who?” Ondine was exasperated. She looked around the room then covered her eyes. “Wait — wait. I have to think.”
“That cat, Moth. What’s he wearing?”
She put a hand to her brow. She was shaking. “He’s tall. Black curly hair. All in black.” She held up her right hand. “He’s
got a big silver ring. And one of those — you know, Fu Manchus or whatever.”
Nix turned. The look in his eye was curious.
“I’ll find him.”
N IX WASN ’ T SURE HOW LONG he wandered around Ondine’s house. It seemed like he’d just left her, and it seemed like he’d been walking for hours. At
one point he stopped and asked himself what he was doing, who he was looking for. Then the name came to him:
Moth.
He closed his eyes, shook his head to clear it. It was a good thing he hadn’t taken dust. Something about the night had him
flying already — and, judging from the looks of things, everyone else.
Especially Neve and K.A, he thought, chagrined. Earlier he’d spotted the duo on the couch. They’d stopped teasing each other
and were now looking as though they were attempting to stitch
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