Page 20 of Kisses at the Crossroads

I can’t help the laugh.

“Sorry ‘bout the morning wood, darling,” Pike says.

My cheeks heat. “Nothing to be sorry about. It happens.”

“It does.” Pike grins back. “Tell me about your training.”

“What’s there to tell?” I shrug. “I was trained to entertain. Tell stories, play games, create distractions, play instruments?—”

“Nothing sexy?” Pike asks.

“No. I hadn’t gotten to that part of the training. Courtesans aren’t trained in sex until their wings glow, which is anywhere between seventeen and twenty-one for most of us.”

“How old were you?” Pike’s tail continues caressing my side.

I shrug again. “Twenty, I think?”

“I can’t imagine not being able to go home. Demons can come and go as they please between the realms as it is. But if I were stuck in the human realm, I don’t know what I’d do.”

“You’d survive,” I whisper. “What hurts the most is no one came looking for me.”

“Look at me, Trick.”

I bury my face in Frankie’s short fur.

“Trick.” Pike slides the back of his hand down my cheek. “Drake has you hidden behind so much magic. Even if your brother or mother were inside Flutter, they wouldn’t be able to see you.”

“What?” I rub at my eyes, willing the trapped tears to dry up.

“I’m so sorry, Trick. You didn’t deserve any of this. Neither did Ava.”

“How much time do we have left together?” I whisper.

“It’s early morning. Want to go back to the roof for breakfast?”

I nod. Hopefully, food will help clear my thoughts. “What if they really never came looking for me?”

“I don’t believe that. You seem close to your family. Someone came looking for you.” Pike leans in and presses a kiss to my forehead. “I know it.”

When he turns to climb out of the bed, I dab at the kiss with my fingertips. So gentle. So perfect. But why is he so nice to me? “Will you investigate?” I ask. “My mother’s name is—” I cut myself off. Who am I to give away her true name? “She has pink hair, like I do. At the time, her and I were the only ones with this color. My brother’s hair is white and he at least used to be a courtesan, too. Mother was the highest ranking courtesan in the Winter Court. I don’t know if she still is. But plea?—”

Pike’s tail presses against my lips like a finger. “I’ll look into it.”

“Thank you.” I pull his tail away, but before releasing, I kiss the tip gently. My cheeks heat. Why the heck did I do that? I could have charmed this demon to do anything I wanted over the course of our time together, but I’ve given up my training. Now I just want to go home and lick my wounds before reassessing my life. I’m not too old to be a courtesan, not that age matters with the Fae. But is that what I want to do with my life? I’ve been away from court so long I can’t remember what it’s like. I can’t remember the dances, the faces, the politics.

“Where’d you go?” Pike asks as I shake my head, trying to get out of my thoughts.

“The past. The present. I don’t know.”

He tips my chin up. “How about we eat breakfast and not think about anything else?” He grabs Frankie’s harness and his tail wraps around my waist. We’re on the roof again before I can blink. “Sit and pet Frankie while I grab some food. Any requests?”

“Strawberries?”

“Strawberries it is.” Pike blinks out. It’s just me and Frankie on the roof. Another beautiful blue sky day that I hope we can stay out until the last second.

I tip my head to the sun, soaking up as much as I can. Frankie noses my hand and I go back to petting her. “I could get used to this, you know,” I say.

Pike is back with a basket of what smells like fresh bread. “I got a variety of things. I hope you like something.” Then he starts unloading the basket. There are biscuits and strawberry butter and scrambled eggs and ham and apples. Pike puts a bowl of food down for Frankie and I’m immediately forgotten as she eats.

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