Page 13 of Sky’s Edge

“Yeesh, is that—?” the pilot began, staring out the side screen toward Tanyn.

“Just…can you please just go?” I begged.

He looked back at me, and I noticed he was human.

He noticed the red tracks on my face.

And thank the gods, when he did, after I was secured, he spoke no more.

And we took flight.

Chapter 2

Serenity

I floated in my serenity pool, the spa-visor on my face programmed to give me the works.

As it cleansed, exfoliated, hydrated, massaged and moisturized my face, I had an extendo-straw inserted through the mouth opening, its other end inside a martini glass filled with a martini (obvs) that was sitting in a cool-pad beside the pool.

A classical piece by Doriana was playing, all sorrowful strings and plaintive winds, assisting me greatly in literally wallowing in my self-pity.

I heard the chimes of my Palm telling me I had an incoming comm, something that had happened a good deal since I left my parents’ house.

So far, I hadn’t answered. They had all been comms from my mom, which turned to text comms, and those I answered, assuring her I was all right (when I was not).

No comms from my father, but then again, I was an experienced hand with this.

Dad pulled some shit; Mom smoothed it over.

I’d always felt kind of bad for her, because that was an important (but it had to be frustrating) part of her role in our lives. Though, it wasn’t like she didn’t know what she was in for when she married a demon.

However, if this was her, it meant she was still worried about me, so I needed to lie some more to make her feel better.

I released my straw and called, “Accept comm, audio only.”

“Catla?” Gayle called when the comm engaged.

Damn, it wasn’t Mom.

I didn’t feel like talking to anyone, even my Gayle.

Too late now.

“Hey,” I greeted.

“Are you all right? How did the meeting go?”

“Not great. Tanyn was there.”

“Oh my gods. Seriously?”

“Seriously. And I was late, of course, so Dad dressed me down, brutally, right in front of him,” I shared.

Gayle, who was half fae, half human, not only knew demons because she’d been one of my two besties since we were in single digits, but because she’d lived among them her whole life. We lived in Night’s Fall, which was a shifter realm, but all the realms were fully integrated, unlike ancient times.

Thus, she knew what that meant, and her stunned silence said she understood just how far my father had leapt over the line.

“And our compatibility trial is happening the weekend after this one,” I continued.