Page 8 of Falling in Love with A Tiny Bat

Well, I know about the not thanking thing, and the can’t lie stuff, and I have a decent handle on the relationships and fae designations of Kass’s friends—vampire cats, dog shifters,dream eaters. I know that a faerie realm rests just outside human perception, and I understand that Cael and Alana preside over the domain that encapsulates Mountain Vale, Virginia. Since each one of those topics feels like it could create anentirenovel while I have the SparkNotes version, I’m going with a solid: “Maybe?”

“Excellent. Kiss him. Kiss Xios. That will take care of everything, and you won’t have to give him anything else.”

My brain thumbs through my bare-bones faerie knowledge—searching for something that includeskissing.Inevitably, I windup in the intimate section.

With soulmates—like Kassandra and Pollux.

And how oneclaimsa soulmate with akiss.

And howclaimedsoulmates—even when they’re part human—are able to see past glamours and enter Faerie without going mad from all the magic in the air.

A kiss alone binds soulmates together, in the same world.

Blood rushes from my face as it all becomes clear.

Alana’s eyes jet off me, toward the restaurant, before she whispers a veggie swear and snatches up her menu.

While she buries her nose in the laminated pages, dread settles in the pit of my stomach. I shove it deeper down before it becomes the horrible whispers that all too often fall out of my ears.

Right as Jaxson makes it to our table with our appetizer, I dare to consider the implication that…

Alexios…is my soulmate.

Chapter 2

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Let the games begin.

Zahra: Hi, this is Zahra.

Zahra: I just got back from dinner with Alana, and she gave me your number.

Zahra: I’m ready to make our deal. Let’s not waste time.

Xios: On my way, snowflake.

I’ve barely left the separate garage where I keep my bikes when he responds. Heck, I haven’t even put my phone back in my pocket, taken my jacket off, or gathered my senses after the drive.

The entire trip back, with wind beating against my visor and moonlight washing over the road, the only words in my skull were a reverberating, thundering, screamingAlexios is your soulmate.

I have a soulmate.

Unzipping my jacket, I face the sky, brush my fingers over the cropped, moss-green half of my head, and have myself a littlemental chatwith God.

Because what theswear words?

Evening, Sir. Your child here, and she’s swearing. She’s swearing so she won’t cry.

Please bear with me, like You usually do, because I need to get somestuff and thingsoff my chest.

See, I know thatmagic and faeriesbeing real unlocks one of the big questions I’ve been battling You about for a long, long time. Yeah, You know. Thehearing voicesthing my mother occasionally claimed was demons even after she dragged me to the doctor and had science confirm it wasn’t.

I appreciate Your willingness to assure me I’m not somethingevil just because of the things I can’t control. I appreciate You explaining my history of pain in Your perfect time.

Really, I do.

And I’m even going to thank You for it, because You’ve had dibs on my soul since before I was born.

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