Page 88 of Echoes of the Banshee

His eyes dart around the room. “Table.”

“Perfect. Thank you guys for your hospitality.”

I can practically feel the collective breath of relief when I step into the hallway. I probably should’ve warned them that I’d be back tomorrow. I didn’t find what I was looking for. It takes me most the walk to get the gloves off my hands, putting them into my bookbag as I get in line at the cafeteria and grab some food.

Zair, Benson and Dylan are already at our usual booth. Why is Zair sitting next to Dylan? I swallow deeply and take a seat next to Benson, who smells like a mix of sage and shower.

Dylan’s eyes jerk up, his nose wrinkling. Fucking shifter smelling.

I bury the panic and arousal.

“Who were you with?” Dylan asks. My ears heat up.

“No one,” I answer too fast.

He looks around the room then shakes his head.

“Well someone in here smells like a threesome between a shifter, a demon and a goblin.”

The three of us all turn to look at him, my eyes blinking as I try to process.

“What?” Benson asks.

Dylan shrugs.

“No, seriously,” Zair protests. “We need more explanation.”

“Maybe a goblin had sex with a demon and a shifter,” he suggests, looking around the room and coming up blank.

“Why did you think that was me?” I ask as a laugh bubbles out of me.

“What are you fantasizing about Dylan?” Zair asks, his dimple flashing. “There are only Goblin men, I thought shifters didn’t swing that way.”

We all laugh as Dylans cheeks heat up. Poor prudish shifters. Maybe Fable has a demon boyfriend that made her gloves smell that way. Would also explain why she doesn’t stay in the shifter house.

“I borrowed someone’s gloves.” I offer Dylan my hand who grabs it and smells it. Then inhales deeply and I cock my eyebrow.

“You like that smell there buddy?” Benson teases.

“Smells familiar, but I can’t place it.”

I steal my hand back and smell it, but don’t smell anything. I smirk. “That makes sense, it smells like female arousal, you wouldn’t know that smell.”

Zair and Benson don’t even hold in their laughter for five seconds.

“Why are we friends with you again?” Dylan asks, his whole face red.

“So, where have you been?” Zair asks as I take a bite of my sandwich.

“At the library. How was practice?”

The conversation is successfully derailed, I listen to them give me a play by play on their training for the day and excitement for the game against Cromwell on Friday night.

“So Zair tells me you’re coming to my Halloween party,” Dylan says. “Dress code is there must be more skin than fabric. I hear XXXmart has some good choices for maid or nurse.”

I glare at Zair and realize that’s probably why he isn’t sitting next to me. I kick at his shins and miss. He grins.

“I’m going as a zombie, because the only way that’d happen is if I was dead.”