and down my spine.
“Come on, Dieter. Let’s go,” Jules urged.
“‘Kay.” I turned to leave…but couldn’t quite manage it. I mean, the small thingy had freakin’ wings attached to its torso. They were a multicolored dance of paints stirred into water. I couldn’t help but stare.
The fae looked back at me with interest. Holding the sweet roll like a bag of laundry, it examined my shoes, sneered at my inverted t-shirt, and then took a gander at my unruly hair. That’s when the creature’s easy expression faltered. A quiver shot through its body, and the tiny fae dropped the sweet roll to the ground.
Oh, fuck.
I took a step backward.
The fae took a step forward.
I swallowed.
It fluttered into the air.
Not fair, I thought. I hadn’t said a word.
The fae didn’t come straight for my neck, but instead came to roost atop of the frappuccino, straddling it like a foamy bathtub. “Are ya her childe, then?” it asked in a sweet, fluty voice.
“Her?” My knees felt weak. “Her, who?”
“But what a strange stink ya bear, little one. Whom be yer sire?”
My mother? Had this strange little thing just mentioned my mother? How did it know? I wanted to kneel down and talk to it. I needed to. Maybe the fae could tell me something…something about my mom…something about my past. But I wasn’t moving forward. I was moving backward. Jules had me by the collar. Her feet dug into the asphalt, she was dragging me away with all her might. Out of the alley. Back onto the sidewalk. Beyond the little beastie’s line of sight.
“Whoa, Dieter,” Jules said, panting. “I thought you were near immune ta that kinda shite. The little bastard had ya twangled up good, didn’t he?”
“Hold the phone,” I said. “First, he ? Seriously? And why did you drag me out? The fae said something about my mother. I need to ask him if—”
“No, Dieter, the fae said what you wanted ta hear, nothin’ more.”
“But, Jules…” I stifled a shiver. It was sunny out. Why was I was shivering?
“It’s what they do, Dieter. Capital-A-assholes, they are.” She gently pried the crumpled coffee cup from my hand. “Come on now, I’ll explain.”
I nodded, but I still wasn’t right side up. I had to take Jules shoulder for support. It felt like I’d been squeezed like a lime. Jules helped me over to a park bench and promptly tore into her bagel. My own appetite had vanished.
“What did you have that little guy doing for you?”
“Personal shopper,” Jules said, still chomping.
I glared at her. “Let me get this straight. You used a freaking fairy to bargain hunt? Jules, I’ve read the Brothers Grimm. Aren’t the fae supposed to be super freaking dangerous?”
“Seriously, Dieter, you really need ta take History of Magic and Bestiary . The Brothers Grimm had ta purify their tales ta get them past the Church’s censors.”
“I know, I know, I’m a horribly miss-informed ex-Imperiti. So explain this shit, oh in-the-know-magus. Birth light into my hazy eyes.”
“Well, basically I made a deal,” Jules said, dusting off her bagel.
“With a fae ? For shoes ?”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds, Dieter. As long as you fulfill the parameters of the agreement, ya don’t have ta worry about a thing.”
“But aren’t they devious?”
“Oh, they most certainly are. They’ll steal both kidneys right out from under yer ribs if ya let ‘em. But nowadays we have Polimag, Dieter. We’ve out litigated them.”
“Out…” I started massaging my throbbing temples. “Huh?”
Jules pulled out a small pocket reference guide:
Professor Alfred Simons’ Fae Contracts for Dummies
For entertainment purposes only
My eyes widened. “Isn’t it dangerous walking around with a book like that? What if it like fell into Imperiti hands or something?”
“Honestly, Dieter, do ya think any of the Imperiti would take it seriously?” She giggled. “Professor Simons—Awen claim his soul—made a
“Come on, Dieter. Let’s go,” Jules urged.
“‘Kay.” I turned to leave…but couldn’t quite manage it. I mean, the small thingy had freakin’ wings attached to its torso. They were a multicolored dance of paints stirred into water. I couldn’t help but stare.
The fae looked back at me with interest. Holding the sweet roll like a bag of laundry, it examined my shoes, sneered at my inverted t-shirt, and then took a gander at my unruly hair. That’s when the creature’s easy expression faltered. A quiver shot through its body, and the tiny fae dropped the sweet roll to the ground.
Oh, fuck.
I took a step backward.
The fae took a step forward.
I swallowed.
It fluttered into the air.
Not fair, I thought. I hadn’t said a word.
The fae didn’t come straight for my neck, but instead came to roost atop of the frappuccino, straddling it like a foamy bathtub. “Are ya her childe, then?” it asked in a sweet, fluty voice.
“Her?” My knees felt weak. “Her, who?”
“But what a strange stink ya bear, little one. Whom be yer sire?”
My mother? Had this strange little thing just mentioned my mother? How did it know? I wanted to kneel down and talk to it. I needed to. Maybe the fae could tell me something…something about my mom…something about my past. But I wasn’t moving forward. I was moving backward. Jules had me by the collar. Her feet dug into the asphalt, she was dragging me away with all her might. Out of the alley. Back onto the sidewalk. Beyond the little beastie’s line of sight.
“Whoa, Dieter,” Jules said, panting. “I thought you were near immune ta that kinda shite. The little bastard had ya twangled up good, didn’t he?”
“Hold the phone,” I said. “First, he ? Seriously? And why did you drag me out? The fae said something about my mother. I need to ask him if—”
“No, Dieter, the fae said what you wanted ta hear, nothin’ more.”
“But, Jules…” I stifled a shiver. It was sunny out. Why was I was shivering?
“It’s what they do, Dieter. Capital-A-assholes, they are.” She gently pried the crumpled coffee cup from my hand. “Come on now, I’ll explain.”
I nodded, but I still wasn’t right side up. I had to take Jules shoulder for support. It felt like I’d been squeezed like a lime. Jules helped me over to a park bench and promptly tore into her bagel. My own appetite had vanished.
“What did you have that little guy doing for you?”
“Personal shopper,” Jules said, still chomping.
I glared at her. “Let me get this straight. You used a freaking fairy to bargain hunt? Jules, I’ve read the Brothers Grimm. Aren’t the fae supposed to be super freaking dangerous?”
“Seriously, Dieter, you really need ta take History of Magic and Bestiary . The Brothers Grimm had ta purify their tales ta get them past the Church’s censors.”
“I know, I know, I’m a horribly miss-informed ex-Imperiti. So explain this shit, oh in-the-know-magus. Birth light into my hazy eyes.”
“Well, basically I made a deal,” Jules said, dusting off her bagel.
“With a fae ? For shoes ?”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds, Dieter. As long as you fulfill the parameters of the agreement, ya don’t have ta worry about a thing.”
“But aren’t they devious?”
“Oh, they most certainly are. They’ll steal both kidneys right out from under yer ribs if ya let ‘em. But nowadays we have Polimag, Dieter. We’ve out litigated them.”
“Out…” I started massaging my throbbing temples. “Huh?”
Jules pulled out a small pocket reference guide:
Professor Alfred Simons’ Fae Contracts for Dummies
For entertainment purposes only
My eyes widened. “Isn’t it dangerous walking around with a book like that? What if it like fell into Imperiti hands or something?”
“Honestly, Dieter, do ya think any of the Imperiti would take it seriously?” She giggled. “Professor Simons—Awen claim his soul—made a
Similar Books
