Page 174 of Sigils & Spells

Ruby looked at me for a long moment before nodding sharply and standing. First she stirred Minho, who still snored on the couch, even after all the chaos of a few minutes before.

“Wha-what’s going on?” he mumbled bleary eyed.

“Julian is a horse. It was a fairy enchantment. I’m sure he can catch you up later. We’re going to Elfhame.”

“What?” Minho looked from where I sat on the floor to his girlfriend who was bustling around the room, piling up books and vials onto an empty desk that I wasn’t certain had been there before.

“Sunday, preferably early in the morning, we’re going to Elfhame, we’re going to try and bargain/trick the Fae who enslaved Julian.”

Minho groaned. “Not Sunday. That’s—”

“The new moon. I know,” Ruby made a quick detour to kiss him on the cheek before grabbing something that rested on the windowsill over his shoulder and hurrying back to the table. “I’m sorry, baby, but it’s the best time to get in and out of Elfhame. It’s when Fae are at their weakest.”

“Everything is at their weakest.” Minho grumbled.

“What’s wrong with the new moon?” I asked, feeling like Minho wasn’t taking my horse revelation with a lot of surprise.

“As a werewolf it’s the worst time.” My roommate pouted. “I’m super strong near the full moon, but once the new moon comes, I feel like total shit. My whole body hurts. I’m tired.”

“So, like being on your period?” I raised my eyebrows.

Minho said “No” at the same moment that Ruby said, “Yes.”

I snorted. “I see.”

“Anyway,” Ruby drew the attention back to her. “We can’t do anything until the new moon. So, Julian, you have to be careful. You’ll probably be more likely to have control once you’re in horse form now that we did that reveal spell, but you might not be able to control the shift itself, so, avoid sleeping naked, or anything startling. New shifters struggle with emotional shifting. And you don’t want to end up waking up naked in weird places if it keeps happening. Lay low. Rest. I’ll have all the information you need on Sunday. Leave it to me.”

“You’re doing a lot for me.” I said uncertainly. “Are you sure you’re okay with doing all this? I appreciate it, but it sounds like a lot of work.”

Ruby waved me off, but her usually gentle looking face split into a grin, “I’ve always wanted an excuse to go to Elfhame.”

SAVE A HORSE, RIDE A COWBOY

I tooka few days off of work, claiming a stomach virus, and stayed locked up in the apartment for the next two days. It had been Thursday morning when Ruby came up with our plan. Minho and I slept straight through the rest of Thursday until Friday morning, where we spent the days doing nothing but reading the long, explicative texts Ruby sent Minho about Elfhame rules. The number one rule was DON’T EAT ANYTHING, emphasized with an excessive number of exclamation points. Don’t thank any fairies, they would take it as an offer of servitude. Don’t believe anything they say at face value. There were others, but those felt the most notable.

We planned on staying in until Saturday. Saturday night I had my date with Pickle Girl, and Minho was going to do his first Bronc ride. Cowboy that he was, Minho had been doing bull rides for a few months, but Saturday was the first night Blaze had given him a Bronc ride. We’d go together and then I’d meet Alice once I helped get his horse. The Bronc riders are always surprised with a new one, and Blaze had told me I could pick one to mess with Minho.

Everything else in the world may have changed, but Saturday at Rodeo Blaze was exactly how it always was. The night smelled like fresh cut grass, sunscreen and cheap beer. Every rodeo smelled like this. It was the smell of summer. Middle aged men in ten-gallon cowboy hats, kids with corn dogs, on rodeo bunnies with cropped jean shorts milled about the parking lot between the rodeo and the bar. Minho was antsy as he parked in an employee spot in the back of the bar, clenching and unclenching the steering wheel.

“Maybe we should go.” He said.

“What? Minho, no, you’ve been looking forward to this for weeks.”

“I know, but all the sound and people, we don’t want you to have another incident.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not letting you use me as an excuse. This is your dream, Cowboy. Let’s get you living it.”

Minho rubbed the scruff on his chin and nodded as if stealing himself before clambering out of the car, his staple white Cowboy hat sitting in his locks like it had grown there.

“You go find Blaze and I’ll have your horse ready.”

* * *

Blaze’s headstable-hand had let me help him behind the scenes before, but even so I was still a little terrified of the horses. I found him by the stables, but he was busy, and told me to just go ahead and pick one out, and some men would come take the horse from me to Minho. that was it would still be my choice, but I’d be able to meet up with Pickle Girl for our date.

I picked a horse I’d never seen before with a sandy coat and black mane. the horse huffed at me. I gave him a “sup” nod. The horse didn’t respond.

I stood by the stable door. and crossed my arms over my chest. I was nervous. not for Minho, I knew he’d do amazing, but for my date. Which was silly. We were about to go to the deadly fairyland, and this girl had literally seen me at my lowest and askedmeout. I shouldn't have been nervous. I was a ladies man. I went on dates, why was this one so different?

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