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He wished he was more excited than he felt. He wished he could focus on this moment alone and savor it, but the niggling was back, returning to a specific person no matter how he tried to turn his mind away. Daria was nothing if not tenacious, not the type to be deterred by a promise. But how was she going to work around it?
“Good, good…so, when can you start?”
And then it manifested itself crystal clear into his brain, the answer that avoided crossing into either the vampire’s den or the wolf shifter clan’s territory: flight. Because flying wouldn’t touch either space, would allow her to remain undetected, and would get her to where she needed as fast as possible…without breaking her promise.
Holy effing shit.
He looked Sam in the eye, aware a question hovered in the air. Logic dictated him to nod and state a date, to let the Fae do as she pleased because she was right. They led separate lives and in the long run, had different goals. They chased their joys to be better people and there was nothing wrong with that—and he was the last one who should stop her from finding that joy, especially when she deserved it more than anyone.
Holy effing shit, man.
When Charlie finally spoke, his voice didn’t feel like his.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Henson, but I will have to turn your offer down.”
Chapter 4
“Are you sure this is the right address, miss? There’s nothing to see here.”
It was ironic, considering there was nothing for her to see anyway, but Daria smiled through her sunglasses and paid in coins, aware that the cab driver sounded worried.
“Yes, this is the address. I always come here to meet up with my friend. She lives down the block with her military husband.”
That assured the man, who let her go and drove off. When he was gone, she didn’t waste time, relying on her senses all over again until the gray became scattered with darker blurs and she could smell it: fuel. It led her into an interlink wire fence, where she felt around until she found a side gate she could easily slip into. The next step was to determine the biggest shadowy blur and head there, secured minutes later as she wandered, then stood before it.
There were a couple of hangars in this private strip, but this one was the closest…and the quietest. She heard voices in the distance, footsteps busy with activities. When they drifted away, she kept going forward until she felt the wall, then used it to lead herself inside the hangar. Under the shade and even more silence, she allowed herself a moment to breathe as nerves bloomed to life and attempted to flutter their way under her skin.
It's okay. You aren’t stealing anything. You are just going to convince someone to fly you through specific coordinates, compel that person to forget your existence, and jump with a parachute. You studied parachutes for ages when you once wanted to do it. You even took that one lesson, remember?
A lot of things could go wrong. Her magic might not work, or she might get drained out completely. She might forget what she learned mid-air and end up crashing and breaking her legs. What if he remembered, alerted the authorities, and they sought her out and risked their lives crossing the shifters and vampires? What if—
“Miss, what are you doing here?”
The nerves jumped, turned into chaotic butterflies, then settled. She cleared her throat, smoothened her face, and spun to face the sound with a startled gasp.
“Hi.” A deliberate pause, and she smiled. The nerves worked to her advantage, lending to her shy appearance. “I was just admiring the place and wondering if it looks as beautiful inside as it does outside. This place is just so fascinating.”
“This is private property, miss, and you shouldn’t be here unless you have permission or are on one of the tours.” She sensed his advance and imagined he was young. “Don’t tell me you broke away from the tour group?”
“I didn’t,” she insisted, then tilted her head. “Does that happen often?”
“Sometimes. The other planes offer group air tours, but we don’t. We offer single tours.”
Bingo.
“And how much would a single, private air tour cost, Mr.…?”
“Ramirez.”
“Mr. Ramirez, are you a pilot?”
“Well, yes…”
“Delightful!” Daria sidled closer until they were inches from each other, catching him off guard. He smelled of cigarettes, mint, and soap that was too strong. “Then you are the perfect person to make arrangements with. How about a plane tour around the city with specific tourist spots and coordinates to follow?”
Magic weaved in her system, recharged after a night’s good sleep. She let it simmer there for a while as she listened to his uncertain reply.
“We don’t offer that kind of tour….”
