Page 13 of A Hint of Delirium

“Ansel, that’s impossible!” She laughed it off and tore her ankle away from me. “My mom gave this to me. She doesn’t know anything about the fae.”

If her mother gave it to her, she must knowsomething. She wasn’t as clueless as Vi thought she was. “Your mom knows something, Vi—” I started, but she shook her head adamantly.

“If she did, she wouldn’t be forcing me to see a shrink every week! I wouldn’t be taking medication for schizophrenia! She wouldn’t do that to me!” Her voice rose with each statement, her hysteria climbing as her eyes shimmered with unshed tears she refused to let fall.

“Okay, Vi.” I held my hands out to calm her down. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

She wasn’t ready to learn the truth. Not yet. I couldn’t be mad at her. I mean, she’d just learned today that the creatures she thought were figments of her imagination were real. It was a lot to absorb. And even though we’d spent a full day together, I was still a stranger to her. It was evident trust didn’t come easily to her and I would have to work hard to earn it.

“Should I take it off?” she mumbled without meeting my eyes.

“No!” I said quickly. “We don’t know why you have it. It’s best you keep it on until we find out.”

Vi nodded and her gaze fell. I could see the wheels in her head spinning. She didn’t have a good poker face. She was questioning a lot of things right now.

I jerked a thumb over my shoulder, suddenly feeling awkward in her presence, which was a strange sensation for me. “I’m gonna go wait out in the living room for our take-out. Why don’t you get dressed?” I handed her a folded t-shirt and pair of shorts.

She gave me a small smile. “Thank you.”

I smiled back and left the room quietly to leave her with her thoughts.

* * *

My cell phonewas buzzing incessantly where I’d dropped it on the kitchen counter. I walked over to see who was calling, realizing it wasn’t a call, but rather an influx of text messages from my contact – the one I’d gone to see earlier. I had some missed calls from him as well. The fact that he was desperately trying to reach me told me something was up.

I dialed his number and he answered on the first ring.

“Ansel! Where the hell have you been, man?” Luka hollered through the phone line.

“I just saw you like, an hour ago. What’s your problem?” I laughed.

“I got hit, man!”

I straightened. This was no longer a laughing matter. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, but you know the bar is supposed to be neutral territory. They rolled in here and trashed the place like it didn’t matter! They were looking foryou, man. They knew you’d been here!”

I closed my eyes. “Damnit,” I muttered.How were they tracking me?

“They wanted something else,” Luka whispered into the phone, which meant he must not be alone. “They asked about the registry.” His voice was barely audible, but I heard his words with dread.

“What did you tell them?” I asked hesitantly.

There was a pregnant pause and then a defeated sigh. “I’m sorry, man. I told them the same thing I told you. With this collar around my neck, I’m absolutely useless.”

Damnit.

I punched the air a few times in pure anger and took a couple deep breaths. “It’s okay, Luka. I understand. Thanks for letting me know.”

“I just wanted to give you a heads up.” With that, he ended the call.

I couldn’t be angry with Luka. If Cael showed up and threatened to burn down his establishment—which I was sure he did—Luka had no choice but to give him something. If he still had his powers, he could have taken Cael on as a water elemental, but since the Unseelie King’s punishment, he wore a permanent iron collar around his neck that suppressed his powers. He was practically human at this point, but owning and working at a bar specifically for the fae worked to my advantage. It gave Luka access to conversations and information—information I needed and now the Unseelie had as well.

Now it was a race against the clock for whomever got the registry first.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Assuming it was our food delivery, I grabbed my wallet and strode to the door. Without peering through the peephole, I unlocked it and swung it wide. However, it wasn’t a delivery person standing in front of me.

It was someone I thought I wouldn’t see for a long, long time. His hair was darker now, almost black. One eye was green and the other was hazel, standing out in stark contrast against the slick ebony of his hair. We were the same height and build, though he wore the black uniform of the Unseelie.

---