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Raindrops splashed against the windshield, and I flipped the wipers to high speed. The road leading from our house to the middle of the Belles-Faire district led through one suburb after another. Older houses hid behind spacious cedar-lined drives, stately but with that weatherworn look that spoke of genteel poverty, old money running short, families with five or six children who were trying to save a few bucks by getting out of Seattle proper.
"Trillian is Svartan. After a while, he'll leave, and then you'll have to pick up the pieces. It's not in his nature to stick around." I kept my eyes on the road. Wildlife abounded here. It wasn't uncommon to see a dog—or even a coyote—race across the street.
Delilah frowned. "It's not in our nature to remain monogamous either. We are half-Fae, you know."
"I didn't say monogamous," I countered. "What I can't handle is the thought that he might leave me after I've given my heart to him. Remember—we're also half-human."
"But you're more like Father than Mother."
I grinned at her, turning left onto Aurora Boulevard, which would take us into Seattle. "Unfortunately, I seem to have inherited more than Father's looks. I'll walk through fire for a man who can shake my world. I love sex, and the sex with Trillian is better than any drug I've ever had."
"Like you've tried many drugs. You always did sneak out of that part of your training when you were a kid."
Delilah said. She frowned, her mouth twisting in a particularly endearing way. "You know, to be honest, I don't think I'm really interested in men. Women either. I'm not sure what I'd do with a guy if I had him. Although I am curious. I'd like to have sex at least once… to see what the big deal is about."
Startled, I gave her a quick glance. I'd assumed Delilah had her affairs but was just reticent, and I'd never pried. "You mean you're still a virgin?"
She blushed. "Well, in my human form I am."
Wondering at the logistics of her implication, I blinked. Even though I hadn't been with a man since Trillian, I had found plenty of ways to take care of myself. It wasn't enough. Granted, it took the edge off, but in my book, there was nothing that could replace a good, hard man.
"Don't you ever get horny?"
Delilah grinned. "I didn't say that I was frigid, but the whole sex-with-somebody-else scene just seems like so much bother." She stole a sideways glance at me. "So tell me, what's it like with Trillian? What does he do that drives you so crazy?"
This was the first time anybody had ever asked me—without judgment—what drew me to Trillian. Wondering what she'd think, I threw reticence out the window and began to tell her about my Svartan lover.
* * *
CHAPTER 6
Our first stop was Rina's store. The Bella Gata Boutique was in what at first appearance seemed to be a rundown part of the city, but the surrounding shops, though drab on the outside, actually housed rather pricey goods. On one side of the Bella Gata stood a restaurant—a dark staircase leading down into a steakhouse, and to the other side, a leather furniture store.
I peeked in the window and saw a lovely hand-worked ottoman in rich burgundy, but when I caught sight of the price tag, I pushed any thought of buying it out of mind. We still had some in savings, but a seven-hundred-dollar footstool was beyond our wish list. And our salary from the OIA didn't translate over Earthside. We'd have to stick to Ikea for awhile, though I preferred Thomasville.
Bella Gata was open for business. A couple of early shoppers browsed the shelves of chintz and china, but for the most part, the shop looked empty. Delilah hung back, allowing me to approach the counter as a woman peeked around the corner. For a moment I thought she might be human, but then I sensed the glamour she was using to cloak herself. Probably trying to avoid the geeks and freaks that liked to glom on to us, but I couldn't help thinking that business at her shop would triple if she let people know what she was. And a good head for business didn't mean you were the bogeyman. In fact, I'd met the bogeyman, and Bill Gates he wasn't.
I leaned on the counter. "We're looking for Rina," I said, keeping my gaze leveled. She flinched, and I knew I'd found her.
"What do you want?" she asked, glancing nervously around.
"Information. We're with the OIA."
At that, she dropped her pretense and her true beauty shimmered forth. As her hair grew blonder, and her eyes darker and more luminous, I began to realize why the Queen had banished her. Rina was one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen, and I could see how she might pose a threat to the royal ego.
"Did Lethesanar send you?" Her shoulders were defiant, and I sensed that she was poised for a fight.
I snorted. "Do you really mink the Queen would have anything to do with us? We're half-human, if you didn't notice. Chill out, we're not here to cause trouble. We just remembered that you were a lore keeper back in OW and wanted to ask if you know anything about a certain legend. My name's Camille D'Artigo," I added, nodding deeply. "And this is my sister Delilah."
Rina blinked. "Now that you mention it, you aren't full-blood, are you? I remember now—you and your sisters were much the topic of conversation back in the Court. There were several there who were bent on dispatching you to the goblin lands. Looks like they did the next best thing." Her voice held a tinge of the old hostility we'd encountered growing up. So Rina didn't like half-breeds.
I narrowed my eyes and leaned across the counter. "Listen, friend. Our heritage isn't germane to the discussion. We work for the OIA, and that should be enough for you. Expatriate or not, you owe allegiance to the Court and Crown. Now, we've run across some potentially dangerous news for both Earth and Otherworld. Are you going to help us voluntarily, or do I have to call HQ?" I was bluffing, but she didn't have to know that.
She paused, and I could tell she was considering all angles. Frankly, she had no reason to love the Queen nor to help out OLA, but if I gave her a little shove, she might just open up.
"What do you want to know?" she finally said.
"We need to know what you've heard about a man named Tom Lane who holds one of the spirit seals. We know he's alive, we know he's near Mount Rainier, and we have to find him."
