Page 48 of By the Fae

“And that’s when Russ turned up. You know Horus, God of Kings? . . .” Sugar Paste was saying to Holly.

He’s not buying it,Dima said.He said you’re playing a dangerous game. You’re messing with two hearts, and you should end it now, before they both shatter.

Tell him that won’t hap—

He said to say that he’s an incubus, and you should listen to him for once, and to stop being a contrary little fuck—

“Oh, come on, Mal!” I said. Everyone’s heads flicked up to gawk at me. “You know me. You know I’m incapable of that.”

I couldfeelHolly frowning next to me.

“Anyway,” said Taur, his voice rumbling through the kitchen, snapping Holly’s attention back to them. I mouthed a silentThank you. “That’s when Russ said“That’s not your room”. . .”

Mal pursed his lips together. His eyebrows raised.

Tell him I won’t let it happen,I said again.

He said he’ll talk later.

I closed my eyes for a second to gather my thoughts.

I don’t even like her. And she hates me. Outside of the bedroom, anyway. There’s . . . No, it won’t happen. I won’t let it happen. She hates me. Right? Dima, go into her mind and see if she hates me.

He shook his head.I’m not doing that. I’ll hear the things she projects. Not that I have a choice in that, but I’m not penetrating her mind—

Please. Just do it this once. I need to know if there is—fuck—if there’s any risk of her falling in love with me. If there is, I’ll end this thing right now. I promise. Please.

The vampire got to his feet, running his hands through his shoulder length black hair. “Bathroom break,” he said, and left the room.

Dima, please—

Holly leaned close to me and whispered, “Do vampires even use the bathroom?”

I’ll do it,he said, returning after half a second and sitting down again, snapping Holly’s spine rigid.But you’ve got to promise me, and Mal, if she likes you, you’ll end this.

Fine, whatever, just check please.

He sighed, shared a quick glance with Mal, and then stared at Holly, who had either returned to deep conversation with Taur and Sugar Paste or else was feigning the level of concentration to avoid talking to Dima.

“It was the same cop!” said Sugar Paste. “How I didn’t put it all together sooner, I have no idea.”

You’re right, she hates you,he said.

Relief tugged at my insides. I scraped up my curry with my flatbread and shovelled it into my mouth.

She thinks you’re pompous, egotistical, selfish, stubborn, vain, callous, arrogant—

Okay, I get it.

That your looks are wasted on a jerk like you. That she wishes you’d listen to her advice for five seconds. That you don’t respect her, or her training, or skill—

I do respect her. It was never about respect. It was about—

That she can’t wait for this whole exercise to be over and done with so she can get on with dating the summer fae. That just looking at your stupid handsome face makes her want to kick something inanimate. That you look like a scruffy alley cat in your jersey and sweatpants. Though she is glad she can’t see your penis outline from her vantage point.

I snorted out loud. Dima smiled too and handed me my glass of water. We pretended we couldn’t sense the right side of the table staring at us.

Now she’s wondering what in the hecking shellfish is he laughing at? That everything you do is such a mystery to her, and she wonders if you even know what you’re doing half the time.

---