hurries ahead of us while Derek keeps pace with me. Does he know nothing of personal boundaries?
I sigh. “Whatever you want, I’m not interested.”
“Ouch. That stings,” he holds a hand over his heart in mock horror.
“Oh, shut up.”
“I mean after all I’ve done for you, what I’m doing for you,” he gestures to the apartment building, “you’d think thanks would be in order. But nooo. No gratitude whatsoever.”
I stop. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“And?” he prompts.
“And thank you.”
He smiles at me, the corners of his brown eyes crinkling.
“But let’s not make a habit of you saving my life,” I add. “Deal?”
“Sure thing.”
“Come on, we’d better catch up with Maggie before she glares a hole in your forehead.”
“Wait,” he catches me with a hand. “Did you really mean what you said before? About you being a horrible liar?”
“Yes,” I say slowly.
“You’re going to have to change that.”
“Why?”
He’s silent for a second. “Because . . . with Faeries if you want to save your neck you need to be a good liar. Especially if you want them to believe you’re innocent of something you did.”
“Oh and I suppose you know all about that,” I scowl.
“I do . And it’s saved your life along with others.” His eyes are sad. “You can’t be a greenhorn in this world. It’ll get people hurt. Or worse.”
“And you know that how?” I ask, hands on hips.
Anger paints his face. “You don’t know anything,” he glowers and stalks off after Maggie who’s already gone inside, leaving me alone to ponder what he meant by the “or worse.”
I wait a few beats and then I follow him.
When I reach Maggie’s apartment, I gape in wonder.
The far wall whose windows had been shattered, spreading bits of glass on the tan carpeting, were now no longer in pieces. Flat, smooth glass filled the gaps, not a scratch on them.
“What in the world? Am I imagining things or are those windows magically repaired? Because I know what I saw. They were definitely broken. Why is no one answering me?”
Maggie is slumped on the sofa, head in her hands. But I swear she’s smiling .
“Maggie?”
She lets out an unhinged giggle. “It’s just so perfect .” She looks up at me. “Of course. Faery magic. Explains everything doesn’t it?” Her blue eyes are shining.
“Is she OK?” I ask Derek who’s leaning against a wall, arms crossed. The anger still hasn’t left his face.
He shrugs. “No, but she is right.”
“Hey, don’t you two start talking as if I’m not here!” she protests, standing up and striding over to me. “But I’m right? God, this is all so crazy. Listen to me. Faery magic. I’m crazy.”
“Um, Mags, I think you need to lie down.”
“Why would I need to lie down, Kate? I’m fine . You’re the one who nearly died, not me.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” I mumble. As if I’m not already beating myself up for my own stupidity.
“God, where is Parker? I want to get this over with. Parker!!” she calls to the otherwise empty
I sigh. “Whatever you want, I’m not interested.”
“Ouch. That stings,” he holds a hand over his heart in mock horror.
“Oh, shut up.”
“I mean after all I’ve done for you, what I’m doing for you,” he gestures to the apartment building, “you’d think thanks would be in order. But nooo. No gratitude whatsoever.”
I stop. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“And?” he prompts.
“And thank you.”
He smiles at me, the corners of his brown eyes crinkling.
“But let’s not make a habit of you saving my life,” I add. “Deal?”
“Sure thing.”
“Come on, we’d better catch up with Maggie before she glares a hole in your forehead.”
“Wait,” he catches me with a hand. “Did you really mean what you said before? About you being a horrible liar?”
“Yes,” I say slowly.
“You’re going to have to change that.”
“Why?”
He’s silent for a second. “Because . . . with Faeries if you want to save your neck you need to be a good liar. Especially if you want them to believe you’re innocent of something you did.”
“Oh and I suppose you know all about that,” I scowl.
“I do . And it’s saved your life along with others.” His eyes are sad. “You can’t be a greenhorn in this world. It’ll get people hurt. Or worse.”
“And you know that how?” I ask, hands on hips.
Anger paints his face. “You don’t know anything,” he glowers and stalks off after Maggie who’s already gone inside, leaving me alone to ponder what he meant by the “or worse.”
I wait a few beats and then I follow him.
When I reach Maggie’s apartment, I gape in wonder.
The far wall whose windows had been shattered, spreading bits of glass on the tan carpeting, were now no longer in pieces. Flat, smooth glass filled the gaps, not a scratch on them.
“What in the world? Am I imagining things or are those windows magically repaired? Because I know what I saw. They were definitely broken. Why is no one answering me?”
Maggie is slumped on the sofa, head in her hands. But I swear she’s smiling .
“Maggie?”
She lets out an unhinged giggle. “It’s just so perfect .” She looks up at me. “Of course. Faery magic. Explains everything doesn’t it?” Her blue eyes are shining.
“Is she OK?” I ask Derek who’s leaning against a wall, arms crossed. The anger still hasn’t left his face.
He shrugs. “No, but she is right.”
“Hey, don’t you two start talking as if I’m not here!” she protests, standing up and striding over to me. “But I’m right? God, this is all so crazy. Listen to me. Faery magic. I’m crazy.”
“Um, Mags, I think you need to lie down.”
“Why would I need to lie down, Kate? I’m fine . You’re the one who nearly died, not me.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” I mumble. As if I’m not already beating myself up for my own stupidity.
“God, where is Parker? I want to get this over with. Parker!!” she calls to the otherwise empty
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