apologetically. “She isn’t big on the social graces.”
Brendan took the opportunity to get Charlie out of the house. “I’ll walk you home.”
He had to make a big show of politely taking her arm as they left his parents standing waving on the porch. As soon as they were around the corner and out of sight, he dropped the facade.
“What’s the big idea?” Brendan spat.
“Such a nice family you ’ave. Even if they are Humans.” She sounded sad. Brendan wondered why. “You’re very lucky to ’ave a family. I think they like me, too.”
“Don’t get too attached to them,” Brendan said flatly. “You won’t be seeing them again.”
“You’ve got a lot to learn about relationships,” Charlie said. “You should’ve dumped me before I met the parents.”
“Just cut it out, will you?”
“You won’t be getting rid of me so easily.” She grinned.
“I don’t want you coming around again,” Brendan snapped. “You have no business coming to my home. The place is off limits to your kind.”
“My kind? And what are you, mon ami? You are just like me. Are you gonna kick yourself out, aussi?”
Brendan pointed an angry finger at her. “And you can cut out the crappy accent, all right? You’re about as Quebecois as I am.”
Charlie quirked the corner of her mouth in a half smile. When she spoke again, all traces of an accent were gone. “Okay. Have it your way. For your information, I am from la belle province. I’m what the French Canadians call a lutin. 31 I really did come here from Montreal. Ever been, mon ami? It’s fun. Not like tight-assed Toronto.” 32
“No, I’ve never been to Montreal,” he said. “But I wouldn’t mind if you just went back there right now. Besides, Toronto is awesome if you get to know it. But never mind. You can cut the girlfriend crap, okay?”
“That’s your fault. If you had made if easier, I wouldn’t have had to resort to drastic measures,” Charlie said heatedly.
“Fine! Tell me then. What are you really doing here?”
Charlie didn’t speak for a moment. They had just entered the park at the foot of Brendan’s street. She spread her arms and took a deep breath. Exhaling in a frigid cloud, she looked up at the sky. “I don’t really like cities. No stars!” She waited for a couple of joggers to pass them on the path before addressing Brendan’s question. “I’m here for the Clan Gathering. As for why I am coming to your house, I just wanted to get a look at the strange Faerie Prince who’d rather live with Humans than with his own kind.”
“Well, you’ve seen me, so get lost!”
“Not so fast.” Charlie smiled, watching the runners huff away into the night. “I kind of like it here. It’s nice to see how the other half lives.”
“You aren’t welcome here,” Brendan growled. “I’m warning you: you’d better stay away or … else.” Brendan clenched his fists and took a step toward her.
She laughed her infuriating laugh. “First of all, I really doubt you could make me do anything. Second, if you try, I’ll tell your parents your little secret. Understand?”
“I’m warning you … ”
She stood up so swiftly that Brendan barely saw her move. “NO! I’m warning you!” She raised her arms.
The tattooed animals on her arms stirred and came to life, one by one. The creatures leapt from her skin, swelling in size as they fell to the ground, growing until they ranged before her, dark, shaggy, and steaming in the cold night air. There was a wild boar with wet nostrils and razor-sharp tusks, its massive shoulders hunching as it leaned toward Brendan. Beside the boar stood a stag, its antlers almost tangling in the branches of a tree overhead. Finally, a bear reared up on its muscular haunches, pawing the air with massive claws. All three of the tattoo creatures were an inky, featureless black.
The animals crowded around Brendan, looming over him and forcing him to backpedal until his back pressed against the rough
Brendan took the opportunity to get Charlie out of the house. “I’ll walk you home.”
He had to make a big show of politely taking her arm as they left his parents standing waving on the porch. As soon as they were around the corner and out of sight, he dropped the facade.
“What’s the big idea?” Brendan spat.
“Such a nice family you ’ave. Even if they are Humans.” She sounded sad. Brendan wondered why. “You’re very lucky to ’ave a family. I think they like me, too.”
“Don’t get too attached to them,” Brendan said flatly. “You won’t be seeing them again.”
“You’ve got a lot to learn about relationships,” Charlie said. “You should’ve dumped me before I met the parents.”
“Just cut it out, will you?”
“You won’t be getting rid of me so easily.” She grinned.
“I don’t want you coming around again,” Brendan snapped. “You have no business coming to my home. The place is off limits to your kind.”
“My kind? And what are you, mon ami? You are just like me. Are you gonna kick yourself out, aussi?”
Brendan pointed an angry finger at her. “And you can cut out the crappy accent, all right? You’re about as Quebecois as I am.”
Charlie quirked the corner of her mouth in a half smile. When she spoke again, all traces of an accent were gone. “Okay. Have it your way. For your information, I am from la belle province. I’m what the French Canadians call a lutin. 31 I really did come here from Montreal. Ever been, mon ami? It’s fun. Not like tight-assed Toronto.” 32
“No, I’ve never been to Montreal,” he said. “But I wouldn’t mind if you just went back there right now. Besides, Toronto is awesome if you get to know it. But never mind. You can cut the girlfriend crap, okay?”
“That’s your fault. If you had made if easier, I wouldn’t have had to resort to drastic measures,” Charlie said heatedly.
“Fine! Tell me then. What are you really doing here?”
Charlie didn’t speak for a moment. They had just entered the park at the foot of Brendan’s street. She spread her arms and took a deep breath. Exhaling in a frigid cloud, she looked up at the sky. “I don’t really like cities. No stars!” She waited for a couple of joggers to pass them on the path before addressing Brendan’s question. “I’m here for the Clan Gathering. As for why I am coming to your house, I just wanted to get a look at the strange Faerie Prince who’d rather live with Humans than with his own kind.”
“Well, you’ve seen me, so get lost!”
“Not so fast.” Charlie smiled, watching the runners huff away into the night. “I kind of like it here. It’s nice to see how the other half lives.”
“You aren’t welcome here,” Brendan growled. “I’m warning you: you’d better stay away or … else.” Brendan clenched his fists and took a step toward her.
She laughed her infuriating laugh. “First of all, I really doubt you could make me do anything. Second, if you try, I’ll tell your parents your little secret. Understand?”
“I’m warning you … ”
She stood up so swiftly that Brendan barely saw her move. “NO! I’m warning you!” She raised her arms.
The tattooed animals on her arms stirred and came to life, one by one. The creatures leapt from her skin, swelling in size as they fell to the ground, growing until they ranged before her, dark, shaggy, and steaming in the cold night air. There was a wild boar with wet nostrils and razor-sharp tusks, its massive shoulders hunching as it leaned toward Brendan. Beside the boar stood a stag, its antlers almost tangling in the branches of a tree overhead. Finally, a bear reared up on its muscular haunches, pawing the air with massive claws. All three of the tattoo creatures were an inky, featureless black.
The animals crowded around Brendan, looming over him and forcing him to backpedal until his back pressed against the rough
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