Page 141 of A Fae in Finance
“Is that an option?” I asked, diverted.
“I highly doubt that it is an option,” Sahir said, looking a bit alarmed. “Human bone density is wrong for wings, Gaheris, which you would know if youever listened in science class. And if itisan option, we should see a specialist about it.”
“Maybe with my free time I’ll take a faerie science class,” I said.
Sahir glared at Gaheris. “You can join her,” he said, “as you clearly need a refresher.”
I giggled, relief making me heady. “Sahir, do you think I could invite my other friends to Faerie, if I don’t give them any food?”
He turned his glower on me. “I am sure you can do whatever you like, Miriam, but why would you not meet them in the mortal realm, where it’s safer?”
I thought about the way I’d felt when I first touched the magic barrier in my window. And I thought about how much I’d like my friends to meet Lene and Gaheris, who didn’t seem up for another visit to the mortal realm in the near future. “I think my friends would like to see Faerie,” I said. “It’s special to us, the way our realm is special to you.”
He grunted in reply and started eating his purple vegetables, because Sahir was the most responsible person in our friend group.
Another shadow fell over us.
“May I join you?”
I looked up, though I didn’t need to; I would always recognize the Gray Knight’s voice. I glanced at Sahir, who shrugged, as if to sayYour choice.
“Yes,” I decided.
She sat next to Sahir, and I looked at her. Her gray eyes were hooded, but her chin tilted up defiantly. She didn’t have a tray of food with her.
“Miriam, I have chosen to apologize for my role in extending your sojourn into Faerie,” the Gray Knight said.
“Thank you for the apology,” I said, thoughextending your sojournwas perhaps not how I would describefeeding you faerie food without your knowledge.
We looked at each other.
She cleared her throat. “I heard you speaking. You have left your job? You will not be closing our deal?”
I fiddled with the hem of my shirt. “I can assist you from here, if it is required,” I said. “But I will no longer be at the bank. And I suppose this means I have broken my agreement with the Princeling.”
She hummed thoughtfully. “I suppose,” she echoed. She twirled a lock of silver hair around her finger.
“You told me once before that you thought I could work in the Court,” I said to her. “Do you think a position could be created for me?”
She shrugged. “If you had a compelling argument for it.”
I looked behind her, at Chad and Milo eating at another table. There were no faeries sitting with them.
“I want to be a human-faerie liaison,” I said. “I feel that the Princeling has great need of a human to help him understand human… things.”
“This is not news, lady,” she said drily.
“I could educate faeries about humans, and humans about faeries,” I said, testing out the idea. I pictured myself formalizing the human classes. I imagined standing with a projector and a PowerPoint, explaining electricity or zippers to a roomful of faeries.
“You could.” Her face gave nothing away.
From over her shoulder, Chad waved at me. I smiled back at him.
“I would like to,” I said.
She shrugged again. “We can work together on a proposal for the Princeling. I do not think he would reject the opportunity to offload the human-related portions of his work.”
Another opportunity to sit next to her at a desk, to bend our heads close together over a computer screen or printed document.
