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“Oh my god, an hour since I left you and you’re adopting things?”
Grinning, I turned the kitten so Maggie could see it. “The Legion were playing with it. I couldn’t let them have it.”
My best friend’s face turned to stone. “Fuck them.”
I glanced around out of instinct. No Man’s Land was safe, but it was still foolish to say things like that if there was anyone from the Legion actually within earshot.
“Now that they’ve taken up some of my time, I’m running late,” I said. Maggie started making my coffee. “Can you keep…” I lifted the kitten and checked. “Her here? I can’t go all the way back to the apartment and then to the club.”
“There’s no way,” Mags said. “Even if the dragoness wasn’t a stickler about the health codes, she would lose her shit over an actual animal.”
The dragoness wasn’t a real dragon. She was just the old woman who owned the cafe and could spit fire just as well as theactualdragons. There was a rumor she kept a small one at home to roast the coffee beans, but we never knew if it was true.
She named the store ‘Sip Happens,’ because she knew exactly what No Man’s Land was, and she didn’t give a shit. This was her property, and it was her rules.
“Okay,” I said, stroking a finger down the kitten’s back. “I’ll take her to the club. I’m sure I can make her a bed out of one of the empty bottle boxes or something.”
“Sorry,” Maggie winced. “However, notice I’m not telling you that you can’t bring her home.”
I smiled. “I am noticing that.”
Maggie’s eyes shifted behind me, and the air in the room changed. There weren’t many people in the small cafe at this time of day, but the ones in my vision turned as well.
Looking over my shoulder, I saw why. The Iron Shadows had pulled up outside, right next to the Blazing Legion. You could see the tension crackle from here. But despite words being thrown at them from the warlocks, the fae of the Shadows didn’t even look at them.
These weren’t the fae that most people thought of. Sure, a lot of the fae in the world lived up to the stereotype. Thin, tall, and beautiful. Graceful and gentle.
Not these fae.
The fae currently walking through the doors were both beautiful and graceful. But there was nothing thin about them. Built and strong, just looking at them, you understood the power which lived under their skin. It was hard not to shudder in their presence, especially when my fae side perked up and saidhello. As much as it ever did.
I didn’t have any power. My genetics hadn’t given me that particular gift. Just the physicality and senses of a fae without any other benefits. Andallthe other drawbacks. Which was why no one knew I had any relation to the fae race.
There were four people in the world who knew I was half-fae. Two of them were dead. And that’s about as many who could know without taking my life and turning it on its head.
Despite the boring existence it created, there was a reason I stayed within the five mile wide strip that divided the city between its two largest magical factions. No Man’s Land. It was safer this way. And despite my instincts telling me that I was very muchnotsafe whenever the Shadows were near, I would be a liar if I said I didn’t like it when it was their day to use the club.
Their eyes fell on me as soon as they were through the door, Silver’s eyes dipping to the cradled kitten. He pushed his sunglasses up, and his eyes crinkled in a smile. “Skyla.” My name was low and resonant on his lips, and I hid the way it raised goosebumps on my skin. “Find a new friend?”
“Rescued from your friendly neighborhood Legion.”
The fae’s eyes went hard, but he reached out with one finger and stroked behind the kitten’s ears. “Good thing you came along then.”
He looked back toward the outside, where Fang glared at the two of us. The Legion hopped on their bikes and left, everyone breathing out a sigh of relief.
“On your way to work?” he asked, voice still low.
“Yeah,” I said. “I’m sorry it’s not your day.”
Beside Silver, Wraith raised an eyebrow. “Thought you didn’t play favorites, Sky.”
“I don’t,” I lied. “No customers are valued more than others at The Crimson Petal.”
“Mm.” The sound came from Grave. The man rarely spoke, but the few sounds he did make spoke volumes. He didn’t believe me.
Silver leaned against the counter beside me and glanced at Maggie. “Can we have our usual, Mags?”
“Sure thing, Silver.”
