“Like you could,” he shouts at her.
“Enough!” Simon yells, slapping the coffee table hard with his fist. He’s glaring at us all. “Fighting isn’t going to help Pisces. We need to work together.”
“Weare,” Shaun says, motioning to them but not to Amelia and I. “They don’t need to be part of it. They got him arrested in the first place, and she—” he points at me, “—was working with a wraith of all things to steal Pisces’ tears.” He turns and levels his gaze at me again. “So no, sorry, I don’t trust you to help us get him out.”
“It’s not what you think,” I say, looking worriedly at Amelia. I still haven’t explained it to her, but for some reason she hasn’t asked.
“I don’t give a shit.” Shaun steps closer to me. “We’re getting our friend back and we don’t need or want your help.”
Bliss, I can’t feed you. I… I don’t want to.
I don’t want to.
Tears threaten to run down my face, so I look down at my feet, nodding. I don’t say anything, just turn and leave, Amelia and Simon coming after me.
I can hear Amelia tell Simon to leave us alone. Once we’re outside, Amelia takes me back to Liz and the hotel and from there we find the nearest portal, taking it back to Seattle.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
BLISS
The next day,I’m back in my apartment and I don’t wake up until three in the afternoon. Or should I say, I don’t get out of bed. I busy myself with random tasks until The Wild Mare opens. I need to go meet with Amber and talk about coming back to work early. I took off time originally for my starmoon, and Amber was insistent that I leave it somewhat open-ended. She understood how much I needed to find my mate. But I don’t think either of us expected me to want to come back to work so quickly.
A few days ago I was thinking this conversation would be about me quitting to be Goddess’ Trance’s full-time band manager. But now I don’t know if that’s a good idea.
Even if Pisces does get released, I can’t go on tour with them, can I? It will be too awkward. Too painful.
I arrive just before opening, Lowell letting me in and allowing me to mix myself a drink while I wait for Amber to get off the phone. Apparently she’s in a meeting that’s been going on for hours. I finish my free drink and ask Lowell if there’s anything I can do to help him out.
“There are some trash bags from the kitchen that need to be taken out,” he says sheepishly. “I was waiting for the rain to stop.”
I smile in return and nod. “I’ll get them.”
I take the trash out to the alley. There’s a light drizzle, but it’s not pouring like it was before. I heft the bags into the dumpster, feeling a bit sorry for myself. For a while there I thought my life was improving. I thought things were finally looking up. When I turn around, I startle, almost jumping backwards.
The song wraith is standing there, looking at me, face unreadable.
“What do you want? Trying to get me arrested again?” I look around, making sure we’re alone. Though as much as that eases my worry about being caught dealing with a wraith, it terrifies me, despite the knowledge that the wraith promised not to harm me.
He cocks his head at me. “Is that anyway to greet a friend?”
“Right…” I hedge, trying to brush past him. I need to get back inside. He catches my arm and spins me around.
“I wasn’t under the impression you wanted out of the deal, but if that’s true… Well then, I suppose I’ll just keep what I owe you to myself.”
“I didn’t deliver,” I say, confused.
“Oh, but you did. I had to step in at the end there, but I got what I needed.”
“Okay then, so where’s my bondmate and when are you going to un-succubus me?”
The wraith smiles almost fondly at me. “Bliss, you already have your bondmate.”
Pisces’ face flashes in my mind. “But he can’t be.” Even though I can’t deny that I wouldn’t mind if it was true.
“Why not?”
“Because he’s Made. So we can’t have a bond. They don’t work like that.”
