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Never mind. Like I was going to tell her I looked like an orangutan?
Are you okay? she asked again, her voice heavy with concern.
I didn t look at her. I didn t need to. She could read my emotions on the wind easier than I could read a
billboard at sixty miles an hour. Yeah, I said, knowing she wasn t asking about the run, but about Nick.
What did he do? she said, her arms moving stiffly. Did he make a pass at you?
I glanced askance at her, then back to the nearing door. Not yet.
She snorted, sounding angry. He will. And then I ll kill him.
Annoyance sifted through me, the jolts from my steps going all the way up my spine. I can take care of
myself, I said, not caring that Nick was listening.
I can take care of myself too, she said. But if I m making an ass out of myself, I d hope you d stop
me.
I amhandling this, I said, forcing my voice to be pleasant. How about you? I asked, turning the
tables. I didn t think you could leave Cincinnati.
Her expression went guarded. It s only for a day. Piscary will get over it. I was silent, and she added,
What, like the city will fall apart because I m not there? Get real, Rachel.
My head nodded, but I was still worried. I needed her help planning how to get out of my latest fix, but
she could do it by e-mail or phone if she had to.
We should be safe enough here for a while, she said, her eyes canvassing the building as we slowed at
the door and Nick came even with us. It s all humans.
Good, I replied faintly, feeling out of place and vulnerable. Paper sack crinkling, Ivy opened the door
for me with her free hand, leaving Nick to handle the swinging, blurred-glass door by himself. I had
shifted back to witch with absolutely nothing in my stomach at all, and starved, I breathed deeply of the
smell of grilled meat. It was nice in there: not too bright, not too dim, no smoky smell to ruin it. There
were animal parts on the walls and few people, seeing as it was Tuesday afternoon. Maybe a tad too
cold, but not bad.
The menu was on the wall, and it looked like basic bar food. There were no windows but for the door,
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and everyone seemed willing to mind their own business after their first long look. The short bar had three
fat men and one skinny one, each sitting on green vinyl stools torn to show the white padding. They were
shoving food in their mouths as they watched a recap of last week s game, talking to a matronly woman
with big hair behind the bar.
It was only three in the afternoon according to the clock above the dance floor whose hands were
fishing poles and numbers were fly lures. A dark jukebox filled a distant corner, and a long light with
colored glass hung over a red-felted pool table.
The bar had Northern Redneck all over it, which made me all warm and fuzzy. I didn t like being the
only Inderlanders in the place, but it was unlikely anyone would turn ugly. Someone might get stupid after
midnight with seven shots of Jäger and a room of humans to back him, but not at three in the afternoon
and only five people in the place counting the cook.
Jenks and Jax were at a table in the rear, a bank of empty booths between them and the wall. The large
pixy waved for us to join them, and I felt a moment of worry that he had his shirt open to show his scent
amulet. I was guessing he was proud he was big enough to have one and wanted to show it off, but I
didn t like flaunting my Inderland status. They had an MPL a Mixed Public License posted, but it
was obvious that this was a local human hangout.
I m going to the restroom, Nick muttered.
He made a beeline for the archway beside the bar, and I watched him, the idea flitting through me that he
might not come back. I looked at Jenks, and after I nodded, the big pixy sent Jax to follow him. Yeah, I
was stupid when it came to matters of the heart, but I wasn tstupid.
Ivy s presence hung a shade too close for comfort as we wove through the empty tables, past the pool
table and the gray-tiled dance floor. Jenks had his coat off and his back to the wall, and Ivy took the
chair beside his before I could. Peeved, I put my fingers on the worn wood of the chair across from her,
twisting it sideways so I could see the door. The guys at the bar were watching us, and one moved down
a stool to talk to his neighbor.
Seeing that, Ivy frowned. Stand up, pixy, she said, her low voice carrying an obvious threat. I don t
want Rachel sitting next to crap for brains.
In a heartbeat Jenks s amusement turned to defiance. No, he said, crossing his arms. I don t want to,
and you can t make me. I m bigger than you.
Ivy s pupils swelled. I would have thought you d be the last person equating greater size with greater
threat.
His foot under the table jiggled, squeaking. Right. With an abrupt motion he pushed his chair out,
snatching up his coat and edging from behind the table to take the seat next to mine. I don t like sitting
with my back to the door either, he grumbled.
Ivy remained silent, the brown returning to her eyes quickly. I knew she was carrying herself carefully,
very aware that the clientele wasn t used to vampires and voluntarily putting herself on her best behavior.
That Jenks had moved to suit her hadn t gone unnoticed, and I fixed a cheerful smile to my face when the
woman approached, setting down four glasses of water with moisture beading up on them. No one said
anything, and she fell away a full four feet, pulling a pad of paper from her waistband. What she wanted
was obvious. Why she hadn t said anything in greeting was obvious too; we had her on edge.
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