Ginty, who was behind the bar, motioned for us to take a seat.The bar was filling up with the happy-hour crowd.Most every booth was taken, but there were still seats at the counter.We settled in as Ginty opened four bottles and set them on the counter.
“My newest brew is in.This is the virgin version, no alcohol.Apple-cinnamon cider.The hard version packs a punch,” he said, winking at me.“It’s good to see you again, Ember.”
While Herne had been to the bar several times since he and Ginty both returned, I hadn’t had the chance.Ginty jumped off the shelf and hustled around the bar to give me a big hug.I squeezed him tight, then kissed him on both cheeks and his forehead.
“One for you, one for Ireland, and one for the twins,” I said.“It’s been too long, Ginty.I’m so glad you decided to return here, especially since we’re here for the foreseeable future as well.”
Blushing, he took my hand and kissed it.“M ’Lady Ember.”
“Oh, knock it off, dude.Just because I’m a goddess now doesn’t mean you have to address me as such.”I sighed, realizing that the longer time went on, the more this would happen.I wanted to cement my friendships before then, because it seemed like my future would feel rather isolating.Of course, I had my family, and Angel and the Wild Hunt crew, but I sensed a slight hesitation when Ginty hugged me, as though he was subconsciously nervous about being too forward.That had never been there before.
I introduced Nalina to him, and we settled at the counter, where I swigged on the cider.It was so good it brought to mind the sensation of autumn in my bones.I loved the cool weather and dark nights and mornings, and the smell of wood smoke on the wind as it coiled through the trees, sweeping the leaves into the air to scatter them on the ground.
“Not to seem like I’m not welcoming you in, but what brings you here, my friends?”Ginty returned to his place behind the bar.He wiped the counter with a bar rag—the man kept his bar spotless.From the back, through the door between two sides of shelves filled with liquor, came the smell of roast beef and freshly baked bread.
“We actually do have a reason,” I said, my nose busy with the smells from the kitchen.“What are you cooking?That smells so good.”
“Pot roast,” he said.“And dinner rolls.The special tonight.”
My stomach rumbled, but I tried to focus on why we were there.“Nalina needs a place to stay for a couple of days—with her dog Muffin, who’s out in the car.”
“Is she claiming sanctuary?”Ginty asked.
“Not really.Not in the normal sense of the word.But there are some…they’re like will-o’-the-wisps, though they call themselves the Whispering Lights, and they’ve been charming her.She can’t stay in her house, and I’m worried that they’ll track her down,” I said.“We’re not sure what they want—at first, we thought they were actually corpse candles, but I connected with them and they aren’t the same thing.We have to investigate before it’s safe for her to go home.”
Ginty frowned.“Whispering Lights?I’ve never heard of them.”
“Neither have we,” Herne said.“We want to look into their nature—are they part of the Fae world?Are they nature devas like the will-o’-the-wisps?Or something else?Maybe astral creatures.We just don’t know enough to ascertain whether they’re a danger.”
“Well, we have empty rooms.Follow me and I’ll take you to a room,” he said to Nalina.
“I’ll get Muffin and your suitcase,” Viktor said.He headed toward the door.
“Muffin’s the dog,” I said.
Nalina swallowed, looking nervous.“I’m sorry to put you out—” she started to say.
Ginty waved her off.“Nonsense.This is part of my job.I keep the sanctuary house for those who need it.Although technically this isn’t exactly a house.”
Viktor returned, carrying her luggage, with Muffin on a leash.The dog looked around nervously, but when he saw Nalina, he started to wag his tail.
We were about to head upstairs when my phone rang.“It’s Yutani,” I said.
Herne and Viktor stopped.As I answered the call, Herne filled Ginty in on what had happened with Wager.
“Hey, Yutani,” I said.“How’s he doing?”
“He’s out of surgery and mending up.He should be fine, but he won’t be running any marathons for a while.The appendix was close to bursting.Because he’s part Fae, he’ll be on a specialized course of treatment used in place of the usual antibiotics.The doctor said they seldom see this happen to patients with Fae blood, but given he’s half-human, it makes it more complicated.He should heal up, but they expect him to be in the hospital for a week.Then, provided he’s healed up enough, he’ll be sent home.But he won’t be cleared for work for another couple of weeks as they monitor his condition.”
Yutani sounded shaky, and that meant he’d been worried.Yutani was usually taciturn, so when he showed obvious signs of tension, it meant he’d been frightened or really angry.
“Thank you for the update,” I said.
“Do you mind if I stick around until he wakes up?I don’t want him to wake up alone in the hospital,” he said.
“That’s fine.In fact, we’ll stop in on our way back to the office.Have you got your laptop with you?”I asked.I would have been surprised if he said he didn’t—Yutani didn’t go anywhere without his tablet, at the very least.
“I do.What do you need?”
