in the charm, so it was either try to convince Caleb to drop his glamour or go without my charms until he left. With a sigh, I shoved the bracelet in my pocket. My house wards blocked grave essence, so it wasn’t like I needed the extra shields the charm bracelet provided.
“Better now?” Caleb asked as I took a long sip of water.
The cool liquid felt good in my aching throat and I nodded, but I didn’t thank him. You didn’t thank fae. Or apologize. Or in any way acknowledge a debt, for that matter. So I smiled and hoped he understood my appreciation.
“Okay, then,” he said. “I’d like you to meet a friend of mine.”
That was al the warning he gave before he opened the door separating my apartment from the main house. An al -
too-familiar figure marched into my room, his back curved and his knees bent.
I did a double take, and PC ducked under the bed. Just the tip of his black nose showed under the bedskirt as he growled at the fae I’d first met in the floodplain. Smart dog.
growled at the fae I’d first met in the floodplain. Smart dog.
“Caleb, what is he—”
“Alex, this is Malik, a friend of mine.”
Friend? I frowned. Caleb had always had my best interests in the past, but . . . I trusted Caleb. That didn’t mean I trusted his friends.
“You’re not welcome here,” I said, lifting my gaze to meet the large, unblinking eyes of the strange fae. He’d threatened me, and I’d seen him in the Quarter directly before the construct attack. Coincidence? I doubted it.
Malik’s thin lips tugged downward and he glanced at Caleb.
“Hear him out, Al.”
I shook my head. “You’re wanted by the police, Malik. I suggest you leave. Now.” I grabbed my phone off the counter where it was plugged in, charging. Malik was a person of interest wanted for questioning in connection with the feet found in the floodplain. John would want to know he was standing in my apartment.
I pressed the button to wake the phone, but the screen didn’t light up. Damn. The phone was off, shut down to avoid reporters. I held the power button and headed for the main door. I jerked it open, letting the morning light stream in as I waited for the phone to power on. Either Malik would walk through that door, leaving me in peace to cal the police, or I’d flee my own room. Escape plans were a plus.
“Alex,” Caleb said, stepping between Malik and me.
“Please, listen to what he has to say.”
I gaped at Caleb. Fae don’t say please, just like they don’t thank you or apologize. Words had power and al of those words acknowledged a debt. Debts with fae were binding.
“Please,” he said again, and I felt the imbalance hanging in the air between us. If I did as he asked, he’d be indebted to me. Not that I wanted that, but in al the years I’d lived in his house, he’d never once said please. The fact that my hearing Malik out was worth Caleb’s indebting himself to hearing Malik out was worth Caleb’s indebting himself to me meant that whatever the other fae had to say was important.
The phone chirped in my hand, letting me know it had powered on. I glanced at it, then hesitated and reached out with my ability to sense magic. Neither fae carried any charms. Caleb was one of those very rare fae who could manipulate the Aetheric, and his skin tingled in my senses with residual magic from a ward he’d been crafting recently, but Malik didn’t have a trace of residual magic on him. And he certainly didn’t have a trace of the spel s I’d felt in the feet or the construct. Of course, that didn’t mean he wasn’t involved; it just meant he wasn’t carrying any charms. Stil , if Caleb was wil ing to indebt himself . . . I lowered the phone, letting the screen fal asleep again.
“I’m listening,” I said, turning to close the door. Then I stopped, my gaze stuck on the porch.
“Al?” I could hear the frown in Caleb’s voice. “Alex, what is it?”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. I just stood
“Better now?” Caleb asked as I took a long sip of water.
The cool liquid felt good in my aching throat and I nodded, but I didn’t thank him. You didn’t thank fae. Or apologize. Or in any way acknowledge a debt, for that matter. So I smiled and hoped he understood my appreciation.
“Okay, then,” he said. “I’d like you to meet a friend of mine.”
That was al the warning he gave before he opened the door separating my apartment from the main house. An al -
too-familiar figure marched into my room, his back curved and his knees bent.
I did a double take, and PC ducked under the bed. Just the tip of his black nose showed under the bedskirt as he growled at the fae I’d first met in the floodplain. Smart dog.
growled at the fae I’d first met in the floodplain. Smart dog.
“Caleb, what is he—”
“Alex, this is Malik, a friend of mine.”
Friend? I frowned. Caleb had always had my best interests in the past, but . . . I trusted Caleb. That didn’t mean I trusted his friends.
“You’re not welcome here,” I said, lifting my gaze to meet the large, unblinking eyes of the strange fae. He’d threatened me, and I’d seen him in the Quarter directly before the construct attack. Coincidence? I doubted it.
Malik’s thin lips tugged downward and he glanced at Caleb.
“Hear him out, Al.”
I shook my head. “You’re wanted by the police, Malik. I suggest you leave. Now.” I grabbed my phone off the counter where it was plugged in, charging. Malik was a person of interest wanted for questioning in connection with the feet found in the floodplain. John would want to know he was standing in my apartment.
I pressed the button to wake the phone, but the screen didn’t light up. Damn. The phone was off, shut down to avoid reporters. I held the power button and headed for the main door. I jerked it open, letting the morning light stream in as I waited for the phone to power on. Either Malik would walk through that door, leaving me in peace to cal the police, or I’d flee my own room. Escape plans were a plus.
“Alex,” Caleb said, stepping between Malik and me.
“Please, listen to what he has to say.”
I gaped at Caleb. Fae don’t say please, just like they don’t thank you or apologize. Words had power and al of those words acknowledged a debt. Debts with fae were binding.
“Please,” he said again, and I felt the imbalance hanging in the air between us. If I did as he asked, he’d be indebted to me. Not that I wanted that, but in al the years I’d lived in his house, he’d never once said please. The fact that my hearing Malik out was worth Caleb’s indebting himself to hearing Malik out was worth Caleb’s indebting himself to me meant that whatever the other fae had to say was important.
The phone chirped in my hand, letting me know it had powered on. I glanced at it, then hesitated and reached out with my ability to sense magic. Neither fae carried any charms. Caleb was one of those very rare fae who could manipulate the Aetheric, and his skin tingled in my senses with residual magic from a ward he’d been crafting recently, but Malik didn’t have a trace of residual magic on him. And he certainly didn’t have a trace of the spel s I’d felt in the feet or the construct. Of course, that didn’t mean he wasn’t involved; it just meant he wasn’t carrying any charms. Stil , if Caleb was wil ing to indebt himself . . . I lowered the phone, letting the screen fal asleep again.
“I’m listening,” I said, turning to close the door. Then I stopped, my gaze stuck on the porch.
“Al?” I could hear the frown in Caleb’s voice. “Alex, what is it?”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. I just stood
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