Page 60 of Falling in Love with A Tiny Bat

Brittny gasps, planting the tips of her fingers together, looking between her husband and I. “Ooh, you’re going to do a fancy project together?”

I shift in my seat. “Not exactly? I’m friends with an indie game dev who needs someone to help with his soundtrack. I mentioned that I knew dolivers_not_trending. He loved your sound.” I try to relax and not think about my baby. Even though Castor’s phone came. And I helped him set that up yesterday after school. So Icouldtext him, asking for an update. If the message sends, I’ll at least know he hasn’t absconded into Faerie with my son…

In my pocket, my silenced phone weighs a million pounds.

Ollie’s expression contorts. “I know nothing about writingvideo gamemusic? I play one instrument.”

“Ollie.” Willow’s tone sends a chill downmyspine. “Ten. Thousand. Dollars.” Her eyes narrow. “There are programs you can learn to add extra instruments.”

Nervous laughter spills out of him. “Somehow I feel underqualified… Zahra, do you have more information, and can you intercept any confirmation Willow tries to email to your friend before I have a chance to decide for myself?”

Brittny draws her fingers to her lips and gleams. “I have abrilliantidea!”

Oh dear.

Ollie’s apprehension dissolves into tenderness as he cuts his fingers through Brittny’s hair to draw the strands back over her round ear. “Yes, sunshine?”

“Xios and Zahra missed out on our open house, even though Xios helped usactuallybuild it. Now that you’re claimed, Zahra, you can enter Faerie. What if you both come over to talk business and have dinner with us soon?”

“How about next Friday?” Ollie says. “That will give me some time to look into my options and research how music for video games is made.” A thread of interest weaves into his eyes. “I’ll compile the questions I have, see which ones you can answer, then if it seems feasible, you can put me into contact with your friend for the rest?”

Normally, I would be all over a dinner partyin Faerie, because, um, yeah. I still haven’t been able to wander blissfully into any part of Cael’s domain, giveneverythinggoing on. Something about the impending doom of being away from my baby when I don’t even know if he’s thrivingright nowcauses my anxiety to spike, though. So I laugh. “I’ll have to check my schedule. It sounds great, but—”

“You know extroverts,” Alexios’s smooth voice murmurs above my head. Leaning against the couch behind me, he sighs—despondent. “Making plans with an extrovert like Zahra requires roughly five business months of advance notice, doesn’t it?” I catch his eye as his brows dip together. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you know the entirety of Mountain Vale, at the very least every shop employee.” His gloved fingertip traces my widow’s peak, reverent. “Even Alice.”

From the window seat, Willow mutters a hissing, “Alice,” as though her arch nemesis has been named.

For inexplicable reasons, my face heats. And my heartbeat jumps.

When Alexios frees a sly smile, I bolt to my feet. “Sorry. Willow. Bathroom?”

She’s scrolling through an animated section on some streaming service I can’t be bothered to identify right now. “Down the hall, beside Ollie’s room.”

I march.

Once I’m securely in the pristine, pretty, pearly white bathroom, I drag a hand to my forehead, shake the sensation ofAlexios’s fingertip free, and pull my phone out of my pocket.

I don’t need to message Castor. Because he’s already messaged me. Multiple times.

Castor: Ash is refusing his bottle.

Castor: Because he hates me.

Castor: I’ve finally bribed the brat into feeding. Convincing him was nothing short of a heroic act. I may need to reconsider my archetype.

Castor: After failing to play with him (because he hates me), I’ve laid him down for a nap. He was bawling until I snuck away. Now, he’s sleeping peacefully.

He sent a picture taken from the crack of my door of an empty crib—no dirt from Faerie, and no Ash.

Castor: Ah. I haven’t enchanted this thing yet… Hold on.

A few minutes after the previous text, he sent another picture from the same position as the first. This one, however, includes my little boy in his nest of soil.

Castor: No eyes were revealed in the presence of the babe during the creation of these images or messages.

Then, just a few minutes ago, he sent:

Castor: I hope you’re having fun.

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