Grave Dance by Kalayna Price Page B

so it had multiple syl ables.
    “Be that as it may, he’s stil wanted for questioning in an open case. If you encounter him again, give me a cal .” She pressed a card into my hand. “And, Miss Craft, let me give you a little friendly advice. Those who don’t have loyalty to a court don’t have loyalty to anyone. Be careful with whom you associate.”
    “Right.” I slid into my car and got the hel out of there, silently wishing luck to Malik as I drove away.

Chapter 7
    I cal ed Caleb on my way to the Magic Quarter to meet Rianna, but he didn’t answer his cel . I didn’t like the idea of walking into the Bloom alone, but Tamara was working late and I wasn’t going to cal Hol y. That left me with only one other person.
    “Thanks for meeting me here,” I said as Roy popped into existence in the passenger seat of my car. A ghost for backup in Faerie probably wasn’t much backup at al , but he was the best I had. If nothing else, at least he was a second pair of eyes.
    “Hey, no problem. It’s not like I have a lot of better prospects to haunt,” he said, folding his hands behind his head. “So, what’s on the agenda? A little breaking and entering? Some undercover work? Or just a little good old spying?”
    I pul ed into a metered spot a couple of blocks from the Bloom—that was as close a parking spot as I could find.
    “Actual y we’re going to meet with an old friend of mine.” I paused, my hand stil on the stick shift. There was an issue with bringing Roy along that I hadn’t thought of before now.
    “I’m meeting Rianna.”
    Roy’s hands fel and his face screwed up tight. “Tel me you’re going to manifest me.”
    “Uh, no.” By “manifest,” Roy meant he wanted me to pump him with enough energy to make him physical in the land of the living. The first time I’d done it he’d punched Rianna. At the time that had been a good thing, as she’d stil been under Coleman’s control and on the opposite side, but Roy had deeper reasons to hate Rianna—she’d side, but Roy had deeper reasons to hate Rianna—she’d been involved in his death. Unwil ing though she might have been, Roy was having a hard time forgiving his murderer. I guess I couldn’t blame him. “Try to play nice,” I said, giving him a pleading smile.
    His fists bal ed by his side, but after a moment he gave me a sharp nod. “Fine.” He stood—straight through my car, which was rather disturbing—and walked to the sidewalk.
    I hurried to catch up.
    He sulked as we walked to the Eternal Bloom, his shoulders slumped and his gaze down. After two attempts to start a conversation with him—which both received only noncommittal sounds in response—I didn’t bother trying to converse with someone that no one else on the street could see. I would make it up to him later. Maybe I’d buy him some Legos—the little blocks were light enough for him to pick up if he concentrated. Roy floated through the main door when we reached the Bloom. I, on the other hand, had to pul it open.
    “Hul o, lass. Welcome to the Eternal Bloom,” the bouncer, a red-bearded man perched on the stool in the entry said, his accent thick. “Check al iron items here, and do’na forget to sign the ledger.”
    “No iron,” I said, pul ing a pen from my purse.
    The entry wasn’t large, just a short room with enough space for the bouncer, his stool, and the pedestal with the ledger balanced on top. I saw only one door, but I knew there was another one not accessible to the majority of the bar’s clientele.
    As I stepped up to the pedestal and ledger, the short man stood on his stool. Even with the stool’s height, he only reached my chin, but he peered around my shoulder, watching me write my name, and most important, the date and time. I wrote as legibly as possible. I was about to step into a pocket of Faerie—I wanted to make sure I emerged on the same day I entered.
    “Ah, a VIP,” the bearded bouncer said once I put my pen
    “Ah, a VIP,”