Page 140 of A Fae in Finance
Thea cackled.
I glanced at the table, where the drinks we hadn’t even cracked still sat.
“You could come visit me,” I offered. “In Faerie. I promise I wouldn’t let you eat the food.”
I didn’t know if they could visit me, but I planned to petition the Gray Knight as soon as I got back. She owed meseveralfavors.
“Come to Faerie?” Thea sounded startled. “Really?”
“Only if you want to,” I tossed out casually.
Jordan found a pillow behind his back and whacked me with it.
We all dissolved into giggles. Thea grabbed a few bottles of cider and passed them to me and Jordan. We twisted the caps off in sync.
“A toast,” Thea said, twisting off her own bottle’s cap. “To somehow avoiding any real consequences.”
“To avoiding consequences,” Jordan and I chorused. We clinked our bottles together, and together, we drank.
Hours later, I left my best friends, feeling lighter than I had in months.
When I reached Central Park, I stopped a few times to touch the grass, and once to try to climb a tree. I fell onto my butt from a few branches up. I made the rest of the trek to the shimmering portal with a mingled sense of embarrassment that I’d tried to climb a tree, and relief that no one had seen me fail.
Eventually, I came to the portal. It was exactly where we’d left it that morning, a glittering haze against the deepening blue of the sky. I stood for a moment in front of it, my eyes closed and my cheeks turned up toward the setting sun. I held my hands out, palms up, as if to catch the rays in my fingers.
I let myself enjoy the air, and the sky, and the sounds of people around me, for as long as my frozen ears could tolerate it.
When they became so cold they hurt, I sidestepped home.
After a lazy early evening spent napping with Doctor Kitten on my bed, I woke in time for dinner. I passed Lene’s door on the way to the dining hall but didn’t knock, choosing instead to let myself be swept along in a crowd of faeries. We entered as a group and formed an orderly line by the serving area. Milo must have been off, because three people I didn’t recognize stood at the three stations.
I took my tray and slid it along the counter, stopping at each one. None of the servers looked surprised to see me, and none looked angry either. I smiled my thanks as the first handed me a grain bowl, the second handed me a purple salad, and the third handed me a moderately sized slice of pie.
I sat at an empty table near the doors and picked up my fork, relieved to have these moments of silence.
Sahir joined me just as I finished my salad, putting his tray opposite mine and sitting across from me. “How do you feel?” he asked, his eyes wary.
“How does she feel about what?” Lene asked, sliding into the seat next to me. She had two pieces of pie on her plate. Gaheris sat down across from her, with three pieces of pie and absolutely no vegetables.
“I think I’m happy,” I said. “They weren’t very nice to me, were they?”
“Happy about what?” Gaheris asked.
“I quit my job,” I said, twirling my fork around my fingers.
“Congratulations,” he said, smiling at me.
“They were not very nice to you,” Lene affirmed darkly. “And further, this is a relief for me and Doctor Kitten. Now we do not have to listen to that odious man while we are trying to sleep.”
I snorted. “I’m sorry about that,” I said.
She shrugged, starting in on her pie. “Water passes beneath the bridge.”
“Does this mean we can spend our time in more important pursuits?” Gaheris asked, staring intently at me.
“Sure,” I said, feeling generous. “What are more important pursuits?”
“Perhaps we can find a way to give you wings,” he said. “I did not want to say anything while you were so unhappy with work, but I am sure you would like wings.”
