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Yeah, I should probably join the chess club, instead.
After a long day I didn't even mind the humiliation of climbing on the old, yellow bus with its cracked seats. I was the only senior without a car, but none of them were going on international, human-saving missions after school. Suckers. Plus, I calculated my going rate for IPCA, and with eight years of back pay (a stipulation Raquel put in, bless her heart), I'd be able to pay for college and buy a car by the end of the school year.
"Arianna?" I yelled, dropping my backpack by the door. I'd hoped she'd be home so we could talk, but there was no sign of her. I'd make her go out with me that night, maybe buy her something pretty. Or, well, something depressing and black. She'd like that. It'd fix things.
Having a plan made me feel better, so when I walked into my room to find Jack sitting on my bed flipping through my pink journal, I didn't even yell at him.
Much.
Once I finished smacking him over the head with said journal, I put away my school stuff and pulled on a warmer coat. "So. " I zipped up my coat and wished I had a cute, fuzzy hat to go with it. "Vamp job. You know where you're going, right?"
He jumped off my bed (literally, bouncing so high prejump he nearly hit the ceiling), and nodded. "Sure. " His dark blue knit cap made his eyes look impossibly big and bright, and his blond curls stuck out along the edges. I guess I could see what Carlee saw in him. Too bad he was a lunatic; they would have made a cute couple. I could see the double dates now . . .
No, I so totally could not.
I waited as he made the door in my wall, then reached out and took his hand. He stepped forward and I followed-but as soon as I met the border between my room and the Faerie Paths, a horrible, burning weight slammed into my chest, knocking me back onto the floor.
I gasped, staring dizzily at the ceiling. "What happened?"
Jack's face loomed into view; he frowned down at me. "What did you do?"
"Nothing! That's never happened before. "
He unzipped my coat and reached down my shirt before I could get away.
"Back off, perv!"
"Aha!" He pulled my necklace out from under my sweater. "Iron. "
I slapped his hands and grabbed the pendant. "So?"
"So, how long have you worked with faeries? Heaven and hell, you don't know anything, do you? The reason faeries don't like iron is that it ties them too strongly to this world. The Paths aren't part of this world-you can't take iron there. It won't let you. "
I frowned. "You do realize that makes no sense. "
"Unlike being able to open a door in the wall and take you to another hemisphere in a matter of minutes? How odd. Everything about Faerie is usually so rational. "
I couldn't hold back the smile, and he rolled his eyes.
"Take it off so we can get going. This is boring. "
I reached back to undo the clasp, hesitating. It felt like a small betrayal, taking off the necklace Lend gave me to do something I knew he wouldn't approve of. Still, I was doing good. There were people who needed me. And I'd put it right back on as soon as I got home.
I stood and tucked it into my sock drawer, fingering the heart one last time before turning back to Jack.
"Any other iron on you?" he asked impatiently.
"Just my tongue stud. "
His look was a mixture of curiosity and horror.
"I'm kidding, you idiot. Let's go. "
He opened the door and took my hand as we walked through. I tried to ignore the oppressive darkness. "So, how come I can take Tasey through the paths?"
Jack shrugged. "All IPCA technology was specially developed to be compatible with faerie magic. "
"How do you know about all this?"
