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“Sorry.” Ally took several deep breaths. “Why are your eyes slits? Were you fighting?”
I glanced at Eli, and he nodded once.
“We were visiting Beatrice,” I said.
“Did you fighther?” Ally sounded awed at the thought—and rightly so. My odds of surviving a fight with one of the oldestdraugr,who was also a witch, were slim to laughable.
“No!” I couldn’t fathom that. “She had some strong drinks for me. Then, I . . . umm . . . summoned animals.”
“Oooh! Could you summon Mr. Snickers?” Ally asked. “He was just the sweetest little muffin, and—”
“I do not summon dead pets.” I glanced out the window at the twinkling lights of my city. I felt more alert than I had in months. I suspected that the blood from Beatrice, my body’s adaptation to my new state, and my general swooniness toward Eli were all factors. I asked Eli, “Are you up for the bar? I can call the gang, grab a few drinks . . .”
Eli smiled. “A night off?”
“I think my brain needs it,” I admitted. There were more questions zinging around, and I needed a bit of chatter and laughter to let the questions simmer. Tomorrow, I’d deal with the rest. In fact, I told at Alice, “Call NOPD. Leave a message that I’ll take their meeting tomorrow.”
“What if they can’t do it on such short notice?”
“Well, that’s their problem, isn’t it? They’re the ones trying to get me to commit to a schedule and getthemfunding.” I thought about it more as I spoke, processing aloud.
I liked this idea. If they refused, I had an out. Obviously, the grant would pad my account, but it feltoff. Off too often resulted in death threats. Add that to a box of crow heads, and it felt like getting this resolved sooner than later was becoming essential.
I continued, “If they want it to happen, they will adjust. If not, that’s one problem resolved.”
I wasn’t terribly optimistic, but maybe being difficult would make them drop the matter altogether. I just had an increasingly bad feeling about the situation.
Chapter Twelve
I textedJesse and Sera to meet us at Bill’s Tavern. Christy was already there, so I figured we’d surprise her. It was Eli’s bar, the reason we met and the place I had called home for several years. I used to think it was just the ambiance. Inside was a polished wooden bar, low bar lights, and a remarkably good liquor collection.
Recently, I’d learned that the liquor collection was custom designed for me. Eli had been wooing me far before I’d realized. To keep me there, he’d hired me to handledraugrproblems—ones he could’ve managed on his own. He claimed it was about protecting his persona of laconic and charming bar owner, but he did so in the fae way that was both honest and incomplete. He might not be able to lie, but he was able to misdirect like it was an art.
The doorman nodded at us as we walked in, although he did give us a once-over in search of any injuries. The staff at the bar had all accepted our relationship, but they grumbled at how often I left blood on the floor or tables. About half the time it was someone else’s blood, but I’d been stabbed recently. At the time Eli had been too worried about me to properly clean up. And I was unable to do so.
Inside, Eli motioned for a bartender, and in a matter of moments, we were walking away from the bar with a bottle of tequila and a stack of glasses.
“Gen!” Christy came out of the office. She hugged me and then looked at Eli. “No issues to report, Boss.”
“Take a few hours off then.” He motioned to a table.
“I texted Jesse and Sera.” I poured glasses for the four of us, leaving the other two empty for now.
Ally wrinkled her nose and pushed her glass back toward me. “Nope. I’m too tired for that.”
Guilt flashed through me. She was likely too tired because I was draining her energy.
“Stop it.” Ally swatted my hand. “I know that look.”
She pulled a bottle out of her bag.
“I don’t need—”
“Not for you, chickpea.” Ally grinned. “I got me a special mix of electrolytes and supplements that were recommended by a mutual friend.”
I stared at her.
“B-e-a-t-r-i-c-e,” Ally whispered each letter loudly. “Said it would keep me full of energy. Energy that’s also stored in my blood!”
