Shadowglass by Erica Hayes

clothes back on over damp skin, tugging the straps around my wings and fastening them tight. My underwear wasn’t in evidence. Waste of space anyway.
    I glanced around, thieves’ habit. Didn’t take much notice the first time, what with his tongue wrapped on mine and his hand up my skirt and all. Don’t steal anything, he said. Hah. Like I’d want any of this stuff. Big modern town house, expensive white furniture, dull oil paintings, a vase or two. Vast creamy walls that made me long for spray paint. Gleaming wooden floor great for skidding on. Nice big TV for Blaze to smash.
    Kane might have a sinister reputation, but his house was dead boring. Wherever he kept his golden demon treasure and screaming minions and rusty hellcursed loot, it wasn’t here.
    My bag puddled on the floor, and I slung the strap over my head, checking to make sure my phone hadn’t fallen out. A drunken text from Blaze. YUFR MIZLE DRIPT! IIEEE!! I kept it, to taunt him with later. Another from Azure, neat and sober, an address in the city. She always does that, in case she doesn’t come back. And I’m supposed to be the sensible one. I don’t even know what suburb I’m in. The old fear twinged my nerves, and I stamped on it. He hadn’t hurt me yet. I’d find my way home, right? I’d be okay.
    Swiftly I retrieved Kane’s silken jacket from the couch, his stormy scent an unpleasantly pleasant memory. I felt the pockets for cash, and my claws scraped rusty metal.
    Indigo’s score.
    Curiosity spidered over my skin, and with a swift glance over my shoulder, I tugged the sphere out.
    Warm velvet steel tingled my palm. It curved seductively, the ridges sharp and tantalizing. I tilted it to the light, and something tumbled inside, like a squidgy and fascinating creature lived in there.
    Ooh. A toy. My skin tingled, covetous.
    “Hello, squidgy thing.” I rolled it in my palm, delight twitching my wings. The thing inside wriggled again, tickling me, and I swear it giggled as the sphere lurched and spilled from my hand.
    My heart tilted. I scrabbled wildly for it, and sharp iron petals scythed open in my palm.
    Inside, gripped tight by tiny metal claws, a mirror gleamed. Silvery and perfect. Shiny.
    I stared. The metal hummed seductively in my hand. My pulse bubbled, and something hot and slick, reminiscent of Kane’s tongue, stroked between my legs, pleasuring me. Mmm. Did I mention shiny was my weakness?
    I wanted to look. I had to look. My nerves squirmed, and I sniffed over my shoulder once more. Ashen steam, the thick smell of sex and wet demon flesh. Kane was still in the shower. No one would ever know.
    Stealthy, I craned my neck forward and peeked inside.
    My big amber eye stared back at me, magnified. I blinked, and the big eye blinked, too, ash flecks huge and fluffy on my inflated lashes. I tilted the glass, and there was my nose, even huger and sharper and more crooked than in real life.
    I giggled. Soft metallic laughter rippled around the room in response, and warm invisible fingers tickled the back of my neck.
    “Whoa.” I squinted, suspicious, but the mirror remained silent.
    Curiosity and envy scratched inside me like sandpaper. Such a pretty thing. And so peculiar. Ohh, couldn’t I just . . . ?
    The thought hung in the air like a seductive scent. Behind me, rushing water ceased. I hesitated, itching.
    Stay here, Kane finds me going through his stuff and magicks me into a hellspawned newt. Or swipe the pretty shiny thing and run before he knows it’s gone.
    Common sense cleared its stern throat at me. Ice, are you crazy? Kane paid Indigo to steal this, and Indigo doesn’t work cheap. It’s important, whatever it is. Kane’ll come after you, and he’ll make hellspawned newt seem like chocolate ice cream.
    I shivered, and started to put the hideous thing down.
    —Take me.— That seductive whisper again, heady with the smell of iron.
    I halted.
    —Take me, Ice. I’m only small. He’ll never know. Be my friend?— The