Page 38 of Vampire's Vixen

“What on earth happened?” Astra ladled out clam chowder and handed me a basket of dinner rolls, fresh out of the oven.

“Nothing I ever anticipated,” I said. I told her about the trip and what happened. “I’m not certain I ever want to see another pig, outside of a BLT or a ham sandwich.”

“Ferandals are dangerous,” Astra said. “I’ve seen one before, and they’re trained to kill. The Overkings use them. I won’t say the Fae, because the members of the Fae who interact with our world aren’t about to keep a ferandal around.”

“What do they use them for?” Kyle asked.

Astra stared at her plate. “For hunting down those who defy them, and those who they want to punish. The Overkings…the Fae…can be ruthless and cruel. It’s dangerous to get involved with them, and it’s dangerous to make enemies of them. I know you like the two women you’ve met, Maisy, but be cautious. While they may stick to the honor code, they probably have family who don’t.”

I nodded, taking her warning to heart. “I was going to meet Ginger for dinner, but I called her and we rescheduled.”

“How much have you had to do with the Fae?” Kyle asked my aunt.

She paused, then said, “Not much, but enough to know that I want to steer clear of them. They live by different rules than we do. That’s fine, but I don’t want to be on the receiving end of their rules.” She smiled. “So, Kyle, tell us a bit about yourself.”

He shrugged. “Well, I’m a computer tech and I’ve been working on opening up my own business. I’m about a month away from it. I’m actually a techno witch—I have a magical connection with technology. In fact, I’m going to call my business ‘Tech Mage.’ I’m an intuitive programmer—I can sense what’s wrong with a computer.”

I noticed that he was cautious not to tell Astra that he was currently working security in a fetish bar. She wouldn’t have cared, but he must have run into resistance before.

“That’s cool,” I said. “I’ve never heard of that.”

“Magic and the witchblood are evolving with the times. I was just born this way. The Aseer was surprised when she assessed me. I’m the first witch she’s assessed as one, although it’s a growing community. She said she thinks it’s because my father was heavily involved with the computer community, and he worked with computers from the time he could barely read. It seemed to infuse itself with his magic. My mother’s a mathematician, and that, too, seems ingrained within her magic.” He smiled, looking every inch the cute geek that he was.

“That’s fascinating,” I said. I was trying to think of a nonintrusive way to ask if he was married, without sounding like I was on the hunt.

Aunt Astra solved that problem. “Are you married?” she asked.

He shook his head. “No, actually. I was engaged once, but she wanted a more exciting life than I could provide. I’m more interested in curling up on the sofa with a good movie on Saturday nights, with a pizza and a bottle of wine, than I am climbing a mountain or flying down to Mexico for the weekend. Maybe I’m boring, but at least I’m honest.”

“That sounds good to me,” I said, raising my eyebrows. “Dan and I spent our weekends at the farmers market, or at the beach with a picnic, or…well…things like that. We were quiet, but happy.”

“Dan?” Kyle said. “Are you married?”

I shook my head. “I was, but Dan was killed by a drunk driver a few years back.”

“I’m so sorry,” he said, and by his tone, I truly believe that he was.

“Do you have any pets?” Astra asked.

He laughed. “No, but I love animals. I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. My ex-fiancée didn’t want pets, and I gave in because…well…you learn to compromise. But that would be a dealbreaker if I ever get engaged a second time. I may not have pets, but I want the option.”

We focused on lunch then, and as the pain reliever set in, I began to get sleepy. It was a bit after one p.m. when I finally couldn’t keep my eyes open.

“Listen, Kyle, thanks so much. I appreciate everything you did today. But I’m so tired. I’m going to take a nap. Auntie, can you drive Kyle back to his car?”

“Of course,” she said, motioning to Kyle. “We should let Maisy get some sleep. I’ll take you to your car.”

Before she left, she saw me into my bed. I set my alarm for three-fifteen, then changed into a loose sundress that didn’t bother my scratches. As I climbed into bed, ignoring the puncture marks all over my arms, knees, and shins, I thought I’d struggle getting to sleep, but before Astra and Kyle could leave, I was out, into a dreamless sleep.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

By the time Crystal arrived, I was up, though still groggy, and the bruises had really set in. I stared in the mirror, wincing as I looked at the puncture wounds that the doctor had treated. He’d managed to extract twenty-two thorns from various parts of my body, and in addition to that, I was black and blue on my knees and elbows and I walked like I was ninety.

I opened the door, still wearing the sundress. Crystal stared at me, her eyes running up and down, and she gave me a horrified look.

“What the hell happened?” she said, pushing past me.

“I met a Fae piggy who wanted to gore me,” I said.

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