hot.”
Tama grinned at her friend. “I’ve gotta do a couple more things, but I’ll meet you up there. I promise.” The truth was she couldn’t stomach riding in Chloe’s car. Being surrounded by that much iron made her nauseated and breathing was difficult—almost as if she were being suffocated.
“Just leave it for tomorrow,” Chloe said.
Tama shook her head as she headed out the door. “Go get us a table, and flirt with the cute waiter. I just need to check to make sure all of the animals have been fed, then I’ll be there.”
The other woman scowled, following her out into the snowy evening air. “You’d better be. I want you to meet this guy. I think he’d be perfect for you.”
“I’ll join you as soon as I’m done. I promise.”
“Okay.” Chloe tilted her head and studied Tama’s face for a moment before reaching out and plucking an eyelash from her cheek. She held it on her fingertip then blew.
Frozen in horror, Tama watched the eyelash fly from Chloe’s finger into the night sky.
“I’d tell you to make a wish, but I just made one for you.” Chloe grinned. “You can thank me later.”
Ice sluiced through Tama’s veins. Faeries were notoriously capricious when it came to wishing. Who knew what would happen with her uncloaked DNA carried through the air on a fancy? “What did you wish for?” she asked, her voice tight and even.
Chloe laughed. “I can’t tell you or it won’t come true.”
“Humor me.” Tama managed a strained smile. “I have a hang up about these sorts of things. “
“Fine,” her friend said, rolling her eyes. “I just wished that you’d find your soul mate. Now hurry up. Maybe he’ll be at the restaurant tonight!”
“All right. I’ll be there soon,” she lied. She needed to get out of here as soon as possible. If there were any Sidhe looking for her, the damn eyelash carried on a wish would act like a locating beacon. The last thing she needed was for Dahire to find her and haul her back to the Seelie Court as his queen. His last queen had vanished under questionable circumstances, and Tama had no interest in experiencing a similar fate.
Chloe smiled and waved as she headed toward the parking lot. Tama mentally urged her to move faster while frustration welled inside her. She hated the idea of leaving this town, but there was no way she could stay. The risk was too great.
Dashing into the main building, she grabbed her backpack. She glanced at her bike propped up against the wall, and just as quickly decided to leave it. As much as she didn’t want to risk it, magic would be the quickest way out of there. However, she’d have to bury her trail by transporting to as many places as possible before she dropped from exhaustion. As weak as she was from carrying the iron, she wasn’t sure how far she’d get.
Closing her eyes, she tried to teleport, but both the old key and the building kept her from gathering enough magic to use effectively. She slipped her backpack over her shoulders and went outside. The ragged cry of a raven or crow shattered the silence of the night as she headed for the forest beyond the aviaries. The hair at the nape of her neck stood on end as a chill worked through her.
She skidded to a stop in the ankle-deep snow and tried to gather her power as two, huge ravens circled overhead. Before she could utter a single word, the birds glided lower, seeming to grow in size. Coal-black wings lengthened, shimmering as sleek feathers split into two sections, transforming into pale, strong arms and inky, almost iridescent wings. Bodies elongated and enlarged as their legs extended, flesh replacing talons, touching down on feet instead of claws as ragged looking wings unfurled behind them.
Her gaze darted everywhere, taking in the men before her, looking for weaknesses to exploit. They had to have at least one…somewhere. Tall and tightly muscled, they watched her with dark, unfathomable eyes. Black hair tumbled over their
Tama grinned at her friend. “I’ve gotta do a couple more things, but I’ll meet you up there. I promise.” The truth was she couldn’t stomach riding in Chloe’s car. Being surrounded by that much iron made her nauseated and breathing was difficult—almost as if she were being suffocated.
“Just leave it for tomorrow,” Chloe said.
Tama shook her head as she headed out the door. “Go get us a table, and flirt with the cute waiter. I just need to check to make sure all of the animals have been fed, then I’ll be there.”
The other woman scowled, following her out into the snowy evening air. “You’d better be. I want you to meet this guy. I think he’d be perfect for you.”
“I’ll join you as soon as I’m done. I promise.”
“Okay.” Chloe tilted her head and studied Tama’s face for a moment before reaching out and plucking an eyelash from her cheek. She held it on her fingertip then blew.
Frozen in horror, Tama watched the eyelash fly from Chloe’s finger into the night sky.
“I’d tell you to make a wish, but I just made one for you.” Chloe grinned. “You can thank me later.”
Ice sluiced through Tama’s veins. Faeries were notoriously capricious when it came to wishing. Who knew what would happen with her uncloaked DNA carried through the air on a fancy? “What did you wish for?” she asked, her voice tight and even.
Chloe laughed. “I can’t tell you or it won’t come true.”
“Humor me.” Tama managed a strained smile. “I have a hang up about these sorts of things. “
“Fine,” her friend said, rolling her eyes. “I just wished that you’d find your soul mate. Now hurry up. Maybe he’ll be at the restaurant tonight!”
“All right. I’ll be there soon,” she lied. She needed to get out of here as soon as possible. If there were any Sidhe looking for her, the damn eyelash carried on a wish would act like a locating beacon. The last thing she needed was for Dahire to find her and haul her back to the Seelie Court as his queen. His last queen had vanished under questionable circumstances, and Tama had no interest in experiencing a similar fate.
Chloe smiled and waved as she headed toward the parking lot. Tama mentally urged her to move faster while frustration welled inside her. She hated the idea of leaving this town, but there was no way she could stay. The risk was too great.
Dashing into the main building, she grabbed her backpack. She glanced at her bike propped up against the wall, and just as quickly decided to leave it. As much as she didn’t want to risk it, magic would be the quickest way out of there. However, she’d have to bury her trail by transporting to as many places as possible before she dropped from exhaustion. As weak as she was from carrying the iron, she wasn’t sure how far she’d get.
Closing her eyes, she tried to teleport, but both the old key and the building kept her from gathering enough magic to use effectively. She slipped her backpack over her shoulders and went outside. The ragged cry of a raven or crow shattered the silence of the night as she headed for the forest beyond the aviaries. The hair at the nape of her neck stood on end as a chill worked through her.
She skidded to a stop in the ankle-deep snow and tried to gather her power as two, huge ravens circled overhead. Before she could utter a single word, the birds glided lower, seeming to grow in size. Coal-black wings lengthened, shimmering as sleek feathers split into two sections, transforming into pale, strong arms and inky, almost iridescent wings. Bodies elongated and enlarged as their legs extended, flesh replacing talons, touching down on feet instead of claws as ragged looking wings unfurled behind them.
Her gaze darted everywhere, taking in the men before her, looking for weaknesses to exploit. They had to have at least one…somewhere. Tall and tightly muscled, they watched her with dark, unfathomable eyes. Black hair tumbled over their
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