Page 44 of Ruled By Fate

There had to be upwards of fifty, hovering in a little line, staring with unblinking, glassy eyes at the fidgety man standing next to her — the one who was focused on his breathing and tapping complicated rhythms on the side of his leg. He’d yet to even glimpse the cheerful little fountain.

When it finally caught his attention, he wasn’t at all pleased.

“Stop that,” he whispered furiously, casting a fast glance around the room to make sure no one else could see. “I said stop it! Go away.”

He waved his fingers, and they scattered to the opposite side of the tank.

It was a clear victory but a fleeting one. No sooner had he let out a secret breath of relief than he glanced down to see Brie staring right back up at him, arms folded across her chest.

“Are we having a Little Mermaid moment?”

His face went perfectly blank. “What?”

She gritted her teeth, pulling him down to eye level by his lapels. “Does someone have some amphibious powers he neglected to mention?”

His cheeks flamed in the soft light as his gaze shot to the fish.

“What? No. That’s just…” He linked their arms together, turning her deliberately in the opposite direction. “They’re just being rude. Don’t pay them any attention.”

This is going to be a disaster of epic proportions.

She took a final look at the fountain, then steered them towards the bar. “I’m going to need a drink.”

? ? ?

In hindsight, it was probably a good thing that Brie’s idea of fashionably late still turned out to be a few minutes earlier than Sherry’s interpretation of the same concept. That way, Brie could sit elegantly at the bar and power-gulp a much-needed glass of Merlot.

Cameron stood impassively beside her, looking around, taking note of the exits, and nodding vaguely at the waitstaff and fellow patrons when they made eye contact.

“Aren’t we getting a table with your friends?”

“They’re not here yet,” she answered, lifting her hand for another glass. “And that’s excellent because I’m going to need a little alcohol in my system if you’re going to spend the night recreating scenes from Finding Nemo.”

He shot her a scowling glance. “While I have no earthly idea what you’re talking about, I can assure you, we will have no further interruptions from the fish.”

If I had a dime.

“That’s exactly my point!” she said, fingers clutched around the glass. “How are we supposed to do this? I don’t know if you realize, but every single interaction we’ve had has involved some sort of supernatural tomfoolery or obviously nonhuman behavior. This place is so fancy, it would make me feel awkward even if my dinner date wasn’t, I don’t know, from another freaking dimension. And beyond all that, how am I supposed to lie to my best friend?”

The wine sloshed back and forth, as she shook her head frantically.

“I have no idea what to tell them about who you are, where you come from, or why you’re here. I don’t even know how you acquired that suit. Do you just… manifest things?” Her gesticulations with the wine glass were becoming increasingly precarious. “It doesn’t matter. The point is… I mean, we’ve never come right out and said it, Cameron, but I’m more or less assuming this whole angel of mercy thing is something I should keep to myself.”

A few customers flashed her a curious look as they passed by, but Cameron waved them away with a fixed smile, just as he’d done to the fish.

“Yes,” he said softly, “it is something you should keep to yourself. There is a reason my kind has remained a mystery to yours. To interact directly with mortals is just shy of forbidden.”

Just shy of forbidden? But not quite?

She rubbed at her temples, warding off a coming migraine. “What’s your point?”

“My point is this is new for me as well.”

He took the glass of wine and eased it from her hand, using a finger to gently sweep her hair at the same time. For a split second, she thought it was simply a sweet gesture. It wasn’t until she felt the warm tingle of his fingertips that she realized the threat of a headache had vanished on the spot.

He offered his arm. “Don’t worry about what to tell your friends. I’ll think of something. In the meantime, perhaps this can be new for us, together?”

She stared at him for a moment before taking his arm. “Alright. But full disclosure: I’m not trying to be dramatic, but if I get one more unwanted surprise tonight, I am throwing myself into the sea.”

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