Page 1 of Night's Fall
Chapter1
The Pink and Black Club
“You can pay me back whenever,”Catlaannounced graciously.
Sitting across fromCatlain the back of her father’sLuxeCraft(or…one of them),GaylilielandIcould do nothing but stare at our friend in shock.
I should have expected something like this the minuteCatstarted pressing for a night out.
She’d couched it in the whole “Iknow what happened to you was awful, but you can’t hide away from life forever” routine.
However expected something like this was, this particular something was very un-Cat-like.
That being, spring it on us at the definition of the last minute and think we’d pay for it.
On this thought, the cab filled withGayle’sfae energy, which meantIhad no choice.
I had to take control of this burgeoning situation and speak first.
“Cat, entry into theBlackRoomis very expensive.”
I communicated this in as reasonable a tone asIcould muster, considering everyone knew entry into the hyper-exclusive,VIPBlackRoomof the ridiculously famous and trendyPinkandBlackClubwasn’t expensive.Itwas cripplingly steep.Catknew it most of all, since she’d paid for it.
Gayle’s family had wealth, likeCat’s.Notas much, but she came from money.
That said,Gaylemade her own way like most human children did when the time came, and considering her father was human (it wasGayle’smom who was fae), that was the expectation.
Regardless,Gaylewould have struck out on her own anyway.Itwas just who she was.Casein point,Gaylehad started working at age fifteen, intent to get a head start.Assuch, now, she didn’t do too badly.
But she couldn’t afford theBlackRoomof theP&BClub.
Very few could.
This unlikeCat, whose mother was human, but her father was demon, and they were loaded.Theynot only had money, they had status.Somuch, they even hobnobbed with royalty.
Demons did things differently, especially for their daughters.AlthoughCatlaworked, she also received an additional allowance (a hefty one) from her family, which afforded her the opportunity to live the high life and dress to impress.
Not to mention, a monthly line of credit that was more thanI’dever made in an entire year.
My family, straight shifters on both sides, came from modest means.
Even if we didn’t,I’descaped their dysfunction years ago.Therehad been no support from that quarter since, well…
I was born.
They’d kept me clothed and fed with a roof over my head,I’dgive them that.
However,I’dgone no contact the minuteIcould.Thatbeing at seventeen, the age of majority for a shifter.Buteven before,Iwas as no contact asIcould get still living in the same house with them.
“And we didn’t agree to it,”Gaylecut in, not speaking reasonably but instead, heatedly.
“And it’s really not in my budget,”Icontinued.Ever,Idid not say.
“You can pay me back in installments or something,”Catallowed.
I could feelGaylilielbristling, not a good thing for a dark fae, and beforeIcould intervene, she asked, “So, if you go out and buy me a pair ofEduardoNavascoshoesIdon’t want and can’t afford, and give them to me, you’d expect me to pay you back for them?”Gayleasked.
“That’s hardly the same.”Catflicked out an elegant hand. “You’rehere, aren’t you?Noone forced this on you.”
