Page 1 of Falling in Love with A Tiny Bat

Prologue

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Surprise! You’ve won an all-expense-paid trip to motherhood.

My cami strap slips off my shoulder as I stifle a yawn and open my front door to find Sebastian, fromBlack Butler. It’s a perfectly reasonable hour for company on the second day of spring break; however,one of usmay have been up all night streaming a cozy horror game dressed as a cute Lovecraftian horror.

That is to say, I spent many hours last night with suction cups painted on my face, warding off teenage boys making hentai references.

But that’s beside the point.

The point is: there’s a beautiful man in a tailcoat and gloves at my front door. And I am still in my PJs.

“Mornin’,” I mumble past my hand as I subdue another yawn. “The next LARP sesh I’ve got on my calendar isn’t until next Friday. In the evening. Unless I’ve mixed something up.” I blink, drearily, possibly in tandem, like a lizard. “Which is totally possible. Wade’s gonna be pissedif I forgot about an extra sesh for spring break. I haven’t seen you around before, so you should know we don’t reallydoearly.” Like. At all. Ever. What in the world compelled any of us to confirm an extramorningsession in honor of spring break? Delusion? Derangement?Drugs?That’s ridiculous. I don’t allow drugs at my house. “Tell you what, while we wait for the gang to show up, why don’t you come in and we’ll share some cinnamon rolls that I hope are still good? After that, I’ll throw on some elf ears, and we can tell everyone my new character is a sleep-deprived mistress to the king of Ragonia. She’s plotting his murder. And how to invent coffee.”

Mr. Butler Guy stares.

At my chest.

A thread of unease works its way down my spine as I snap my fingers in his face. “Yes, they’re excellent specimens, but eyes off the organs. Unless you’re planning to murder me and sell them on the black market, it’s rude to sexualize someone who just offered you a cinnamon roll.” My arms cross over my breasts. “Or, now that I’m thinking about it, those cinnamon rolls might actually be danishes… Keep staring, and you’ll never find out.”

The man lifts his ash gray eyes to my face. Drawing his gloved hand to his chest, he bows. “Forgive me.” A long black braid slips over his shoulder as he peers up into my eyes. “I wasn’t taking advantage of your scantily-clad appearance. The image on your shirt resulted in a brief distraction.”

I tug the hem of my cami out so I can see what’s on my shirt. Four jet black bunnies with red eyes and long purple robes stare up at me. They are sacrificing a carrot in the woods beneath the light of a grinning full moon.

The man murmurs, “It’s adorable in a disturbing way.”

“That’s my favorite kind of adorable.” I sniff and release my shirt. “Fine. You get the benefit of the doubt this time. Next time, I pluck out your eyeballs, capeesh?”

“Capeesh.” He chuckles. “Zahra, I’m here on official business regarding the Villain Protection Program.”

“Dude, we’re a bit more chill thanshow up on my porch in-character. I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet.”

“I’m not in-character.”

When he rises from his bow, I scan him from his slender black tie, down his linen shirt, to the silver buttons of his coat. It fits every angle of his masculine frame, accommodating his broad shoulders and tapering to his narrow hips.

I have an entire room of hand-altered costumes and accessories, but I don’t think even I’mthishardcore with my cosplay.

In other news, I can’t for the life of me recall a reason why Wade and the rest of our LARP team would be showing up at this hour even if we did plan an extra session this week.

More than half the gang would need to be possessed to be conscious this early, and I have a strictno demonic characterizationsrule enforced with all LARPers who take advantage of my backyard.

I’m the only one who so much as sees this time of day because, when I’m not on break, I’m a teaching assistant at an elementary school.

Teacher wake up time is a b—

“Zahra—”

I interrupt his interruption of my inside thoughts. “Is this a prank? If the guys are trying to prank me, April 1stwas two weeks ago. I know it’s a big ask to expect them to know what day it is, but still.”

He sighs, and his brows dip with a level of condescension I’m simply not okay with. To his credit, he wears it well, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to punch him.

He says, “I’m not a new member of your LARP team, Zahra. I am here on behalf of an organization founded by Alana.”

My back straightens as his words register in my sleepy head. This manisn’ta cosplayer.

He’s afaerie.

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