Page 35 of Wanted: A Roommate Who Isn't Evil

Lily gave up on the leash and turned to Dranian with folded arms. “If you’re really living with this guy, you have to tell the othersnow. Dranian, he tried to kill Mor! He attacked Violet! This guy isn’t our friend!” She pointed at Luc with her thumb.

“You don’t have to say it right in front of me,” Luc muttered. “And both of them were fine in the end.” He said the last part more to himself as he looked himself over and began wiping off purple fairy blood.

“I cannot tell them until I’ve taken my apartment back by myself,” Dranian stated. “I must do this. Or I’ll never be able to face anyone again!”

Lily released a heavy huff. “Why, Dranian?”

“Because if I fail now, I’ll always be considereduseless!” He shouted it—on accident, but fire moved through his veins. He wasn’t one to raise his voice; it felt strange on his own tongue. And it startled Lily.

She looked at him with wide, human eyes, suddenly seeming very delicate.

“I apologize,” Dranian choked out. “I’m just trying to restore my honour.” He expected Luc to laugh or snort or mock, but no sound came from the nine tailed fox.

Lily put her hands on her hips. She paced around in a small circle. She ran a hand through her hair, dislodging a few strands and ruining its neatness. She turned back to face him.

“Do you realize what you’re asking of me?” she said. “You’re asking me to keep a secret from everyone. Including Kate.” Her gaze flicked over to Luc. “And I don’t trust him. You’re injured, Dranian. He can hurt you any time he wants.”

Her words felt cold as they moved through Dranian’s mind and body.

“You’re injured, Dranian. He can hurt you any time he wants.”It raced through thrice over before he managed to move a muscle, and he swallowed.

Injured.

“You’re injured.”

She might as well have agreed that he was useless.

But she was right. Luc could have hurt him anytime he’d wanted. And that sank in, bringing other questions. Truly, it was in a fox’s nature to kill a problem, and Luc was powerful enough to have murdered everyone in the apartment building by now. He could have ruled over all the spaces, living alone in lovely, quiet bliss.

Yet, last night Luc had crossed the threshold into Dranian’s room. The nine tailed fox hadbeen thereduring Dranian’s panic spell. Then this morning, Luc had insisted Dranian come outside for some air.

“I don’t think he plans to harm me,” Dranian told Lily, surprising himself with the news.

Lily closed her eyes in disbelief. She scuffed her hair with her fingers again.

“Please keep my secret,” Dranian added, taking Lily by the shoulders so she would stop anxiously pacing. “I shall deal with this,” he swore. “Mor doesn’t need to know.”

Lily stared for several seconds. “Come with me,” she finally said. She turned and headed toward her police vessel. She opened the passenger side door and waited. “I’m not taking you to Fae Café,” she promised.

Dranian slid his jaw back and forth as he contemplated. He glanced over at Luc, and Luc shrugged like he didn’t want to get involved—which was a drastically different implication than a second ago.

“I’m only going to keep your secret if you come with me. I’m taking you somewhere that’ll give me some peace of mind ifyou’re going to be like this,” Lily clarified. She cut Luc a look. “You stay.”

Luc snorted a laugh and wrapped Dog-Shayne’s leash twice around his fingers. “See you at home then, North Fairy,” he said to Dranian. Then a little more seriously, he added, “Don’t stay out too long. Dog-Shayne and I only have a few days left to live.” He reached for the dog, and a second later they both vanished, leaving Dranian there gaping like a fool.

He spun to Lily. “Did you hear that?!” he asked, pointing at where Luc just was. “Insolent fool,” he growled. “He’d better take care of my dog!” He marched across the sidewalk and slid into the passenger seat of Lily’s vessel.

The drive wasn’t long, but Dranian almost dozed off. He jerked his head up when he realized, slapping a hand over his faeborn heart, and making Lily jump in the driver’s seat. His chest pounded—he’d almost slipped away into the nightmare world. The world he had created for himself when he’d done the unthinkable and responded to a dreamslipper’s call.

“What’s wrong with you?” Lily asked, arching a brow. “You’re freaking me out.”

Dranian closed his eyes and didn’t reply until his heart settled. Then he said, “I’m being haunted by a ghost.”

Lily made a weirdface. “Seriously?”

Dranian rubbed his eyes, his forehead, his temples. “Yes. A being entered my dreams last night, impersonating someone who’s dead. It’s an obvious trap, and now I can never fall asleep again as long as I live.”

Lily was quiet for a few seconds. Then she asked, “Is that a fairy thing? Can you actually live without sleep?”

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