what he could make outof the dark street outside. Snow was falling in light flakes, and Jack watched as there was a pulse of blue light. As the light faded, Jack was surprised when a second shone brightly before dissipating in a flurry of snow and blue sparks.
Something felt wrong, though Jack couldn’t figure out exactly what bothered him. The lights seemed to blow away on the wind, following the sidewalk across the front of the bar until they disappeared beyond Jack’s view. Sucking on his teeth, Jack made a decision to investigate the strange display.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” he told Abe as he passed him at the bar. Jack didn’t hear what Abe said to him in reply. He kept walking and didn’t stop until he was standing out on the sidewalk. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the cold air. The low beat of the music playing from the second floor echoed out onto the street. Jack opened his eyes when a familiar sound joined in as part of an eerie chorus. To the left of Jack, blue lights pulsed on and off like a string of Christmas tree lights. Were they trying to show him something?
Jack edged toward them until he found himself standing at the opening of the alley that ran down the side of the club. With a smile, he raised his hand, catching one of the lights in his palm.
“What are you up to?” he whispered. A smile teased the corner of his mouth as he felt a small vibration against his skin. “Go on. Shoo.” He pursed his lips and blew, frowning as the light remained unmoved. “Stubborn little…” He brushed his hands together, flinching as something prickled the back of his neck. Turning around, he was surprised to find the lights clustered together.
Jack folded his arms and tensed his jaw. He might be a trickster, but he didn’t appreciate being the butt of someone else’s joke. “All right, you little freaks, you want to play games, how about this one?” Focusing on the largest of the lights, he pointed his finger, smirking as there was a strange squeak and the light stiffened and fell to the ground. The rest of the cluster hummed as they scattered in a frenzy of bright sparks. “Yeah, you better run.”
With a sigh, Jack eyed the fallen light. His victory felt hollow over such a small being. Carefully, he scooped up the snow where the tiny faerie had fallen and gently dusted her down.
“Okay?” he checked.
The familiar and welcome hum returned as the light rose from out of his palm. The small faerie circled him before darting off down the side street, gaining height and disappearing up into the night sky.
Resting his hands on his hips, Jack looked along the alley. Someone was crouched down beside one of the dumpsters. He stepped forward when he recognized who he was looking at.
“Leo?”
Chapter 7
Leo looked at his cell phone. Though Mac never showed at the office that day, he had instead sent Leo a handful of text messages and three voicemails since lunchtime. With each message, Mac sounded more and more desperate and somehow had managed to twist things into making Leo feel like it was actually his fault Mac had gone with another man.
“Not my fault.” His voice was uneven as he leaned back against the side of the building. He should have followed his head, not his heart. His mother had always told him he was too quick to fall in love. Mac had been so charming, and yes, he had a reputation as a bit of a player, but he had been such a gentlemen, showered Leo with attention, and stole Leo’s heart.
Leo scrolled through the messages, deleting one after the other, and he felt that little bit lighter with each one, cared that little bit less. He was drunk and emotional. Exiting his messages, he closed his eyes at the sight of the image used as his cell background. The photograph had been taken at a music festival last spring. Mac was smiling as Leo kissed his cheek. The screen faded to black, and Leo cursed his foolishness as a tear escaped through his wet lashes. Mac
Something felt wrong, though Jack couldn’t figure out exactly what bothered him. The lights seemed to blow away on the wind, following the sidewalk across the front of the bar until they disappeared beyond Jack’s view. Sucking on his teeth, Jack made a decision to investigate the strange display.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” he told Abe as he passed him at the bar. Jack didn’t hear what Abe said to him in reply. He kept walking and didn’t stop until he was standing out on the sidewalk. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the cold air. The low beat of the music playing from the second floor echoed out onto the street. Jack opened his eyes when a familiar sound joined in as part of an eerie chorus. To the left of Jack, blue lights pulsed on and off like a string of Christmas tree lights. Were they trying to show him something?
Jack edged toward them until he found himself standing at the opening of the alley that ran down the side of the club. With a smile, he raised his hand, catching one of the lights in his palm.
“What are you up to?” he whispered. A smile teased the corner of his mouth as he felt a small vibration against his skin. “Go on. Shoo.” He pursed his lips and blew, frowning as the light remained unmoved. “Stubborn little…” He brushed his hands together, flinching as something prickled the back of his neck. Turning around, he was surprised to find the lights clustered together.
Jack folded his arms and tensed his jaw. He might be a trickster, but he didn’t appreciate being the butt of someone else’s joke. “All right, you little freaks, you want to play games, how about this one?” Focusing on the largest of the lights, he pointed his finger, smirking as there was a strange squeak and the light stiffened and fell to the ground. The rest of the cluster hummed as they scattered in a frenzy of bright sparks. “Yeah, you better run.”
With a sigh, Jack eyed the fallen light. His victory felt hollow over such a small being. Carefully, he scooped up the snow where the tiny faerie had fallen and gently dusted her down.
“Okay?” he checked.
The familiar and welcome hum returned as the light rose from out of his palm. The small faerie circled him before darting off down the side street, gaining height and disappearing up into the night sky.
Resting his hands on his hips, Jack looked along the alley. Someone was crouched down beside one of the dumpsters. He stepped forward when he recognized who he was looking at.
“Leo?”
Chapter 7
Leo looked at his cell phone. Though Mac never showed at the office that day, he had instead sent Leo a handful of text messages and three voicemails since lunchtime. With each message, Mac sounded more and more desperate and somehow had managed to twist things into making Leo feel like it was actually his fault Mac had gone with another man.
“Not my fault.” His voice was uneven as he leaned back against the side of the building. He should have followed his head, not his heart. His mother had always told him he was too quick to fall in love. Mac had been so charming, and yes, he had a reputation as a bit of a player, but he had been such a gentlemen, showered Leo with attention, and stole Leo’s heart.
Leo scrolled through the messages, deleting one after the other, and he felt that little bit lighter with each one, cared that little bit less. He was drunk and emotional. Exiting his messages, he closed his eyes at the sight of the image used as his cell background. The photograph had been taken at a music festival last spring. Mac was smiling as Leo kissed his cheek. The screen faded to black, and Leo cursed his foolishness as a tear escaped through his wet lashes. Mac
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