Chapter Four
With the dishes boxed and the lines bagged up, Krys could sleep. Neekil had taught Azreen a soundproofing spell, and the re-newly weds had headed to privacy.
Her team had folded up and stacked nearly all the tables, and she sat with a favour bag and nibbled at a cookie.
“I thought you were going for tacos.”
“My aunt came back and stabbed my tires. I was just working up the nerve to try a ride share in this dress.”
Reynal pulled her slowly to her feet, and she groaned like an old gate.
He laughed. “You are good to go?”
“I am the last one here. Sable and Benko are doing a play-by-play of the event from images on her tablet.”
“Benko?”
“One of the Neekil’s brothers. He sculpted the statue for Sable, and now, she is inside it, learning what the living world is like for the first time. Her first existence was brutally short, and now, she’s strong, she doesn’t feel the cold, she doesn’t need sleep or shelter, and she is loved.”
She swayed against him. “I heard the word taco?”
He pulled her to him, his wings widened, and they headed upward, above the mansion and over to the district where the food truck made its home.
He landed and set her slowly on her feet. “There. Do you have a wallet in that dress?”
“Sort of.” She rotated her wrist, and two crisp twenties were held between her fingers. “You got us here. What are you having?”
He grinned. “I will pay. Now, I am not sure about the spice level.”
“Oh, I learned how to navigate that. Half and half?”
“Sure.”
“Lemonade?”
“Of course.”
She grinned and got in the short line, ordering her order in English and then a half-and-half in goblin.
The woman taking the orders chuckled. “Now you have it. You look very formal tonight.”
“Was at a wedding. Bride insisted on dressing me.”
The paypad gleamed, and Reynal reached forward and slid his fingers across the tab. It chirped happily, and they moved to one side. Reynal wrapped an arm around her and held her back against him.
She looked up at him. “You are being familiar.”
“I have had a chat with Normic and Keel. And your parents. I have permission to court you.”
“Ah. How did I miss that?”
He chuckled. “You were busy.”
She snorted. They moved to the side, and when their food was ready, she took the beverages, and Reynal took the tacos.
Emmers was sitting with Amy, but Amy was in sweats. Kairek grinned and said, “Looks like you just came from the party.”
“I did. I have two hours of work to do tomorrow when the rentals are picked up. That isn’t until ten, which is...” She checked her watch. “Six hours away. Plenty of time to get my feet flat again.”
Reynal chuckled. “I can commiserate. Gargoyles have weird feet. Shoes are not my friend.”
She looked at him in surprise. “I hadn’t thought of that. Claws down, heels up?”
He nodded and unwrapped a set of tacos. She opened her own pack, put the medium sauce on, and took a bite. She coughed. “This one is yours.”
He blinked and grinned, taking the offending item from her and biting down over her bite. “I get to taste you twice in one night. What a treat.”
She blushed and grabbed the other set of tacos, swapping them with the first. She tried the next one and sighed in relief. She listened to Amy telling Kairek about the babysitting at the wedding, and he grinned. “What are you saying?”
“Just saying that if you happen to be invited to one of these events, the babysitting comes with the invitation.”
Krys lifted her head. “He’s ten, right? A play structure can be set up for the day, and he can flip around until he’s tired, and then one of the rooms will be fitted with bunk beds on the opposite side from Azreen and Vaia’s.”
Reynal nodded and said casually, “What are you going to do about the stabbed tire?”
“Tires. They got all four. I forgot they had to come back to get their car after I whisked them home.”
The agents perked up. Emmers said, “Someone vandalized your car?”
“Yup. My aunt. Vaia’s mom. She was upset because Azreen stopped the support payments to his wife, now that she is with him. They were coming to negotiate for another purchase price.” She turned her head and bit through another taco.
Emmers checked his watch. “We have time to make a report.”
She smiled. “It’s going to cause a fuss.”
“Are there cameras?”
She held up one finger, finished her taco, and then went to her phone. “I had these installed but haven’t gotten them to Azreen and Vaia yet.”
She pulled up the night camera images of the trio, downloaded the file, and then said, “Where do I send the file?”
Emmers gave her his card, and she sent the file. She included the names of her relatives. “There you go. I am off the clock, so I will call the tow in the morning. I don’t want to disturb the happy couple tonight with back-up beeping.”
He looked at her. “Since it looks like they did all four, you can claim it on your insurance.”
Krys shrugged. “I dunno. Too tired.”
Reynal smiled. “It will be sorted.”
Kairek cleared his throat. “So, where did you two meet?”
Reynal ate another taco and mumbled, “I was assigned to her as a mentor by the mayor. I take my duties seriously.”
She blushed.
Emmers called out, “What have you learned so far, Krys?”
“He’s perving on my wings, and he has weird feet.”
Reynal laughed loud, and she looked at his teeth. He had the same kind of teeth as Azreen. Canines and then a shorter pointed tooth to either side. He saw her looking and grinned.
She wrinkled her nose. “Now I have to ask about that as well. That is not standard gargoyle dentition.”
He blinked and purred, “Tell me more.”
“Oh, shit. Don’t tell me you have a teeth thing as well.”
He snickered and finished his food.
She finished her mild tacos and smiled. “Food equals sleep.” She sipped at her lemonade.
She turned to Amy. “So, you ditched your bridesmaid outfit?”
“Yeah. I was relaxing at home when I got the call from Emmers, who said he was bored and lonely. I couldn’t have that, so here I am.”
Emmers grinned, his dark blue eyes gleaming. “I think she wants me.”
“Bring that nose over here.”
He clamped a protective hand over his nose and said, “Nope. I am good.”
Amy smirked. “Thought so.”
Krys caught the reference and smiled.
The guys got up, and Amy sipped at her milkshake a moment before Emmers slid a hand behind her head to hold her for a kiss. He slowly backed away. “Have to go to work.”
“Are you going for breakfast?”
“It’s traditional.”
“I can manage pancakes, and Kairek can have some time with Iris and Jerrik.” Amy smiled.
“Make a lot of pancakes, and you have a deal.”
“Great. Now go document Krys’s car without disturbing the newlyweds.” Amy’s smile got soft. “See you in two hours.”
Emmers grinned, and he and Kairek elbowed each other and made their way back to their SUV.
Amy chuckled and tidied up.
Krys smiled. “Courtship going well?”
“Yup. I am going to need to get quotes from you for showers and weddings.”
“You don’t need quotes. Normic and Keel will take on all of your expenses, but the clan will host all events.”
Amy frowned. “I have a lot of friends who aren’t members of any northern clans.”
“In that case, start negotiating. Do it while the image of the very nice night is fresh in their minds. They were there, and they had fun, so put the idea in their heads now.”
“What if they want you to organize it?”
“They can’t. There are higher caste clan members who are event planners. They get first pick of the jobs. The only place I have priority is the Grunwald mansion.”
Amy nodded and looked determined. “Right. I am going to put my considerable foot down. I know what I want, and I want fun and laughter and friends and a relaxing time. I have never had that much fun at a wedding, and the only thing that would have made it better would be Emmers with me, but he’s going to be at Hannah’s wedding next week. ”
“Neekil has been very specific, as has Hannah’s mother. It’s good. It means I didn’t have to guess.”
Reynal raised his brows. “Neekil was specific?”
“He has literally been inside Hannah. Not just in the recreational ways. He knows her inside and out, and because he knows, her family wants a wedding; he is going to make sure she has no regrets when it comes to their union. And then they can work on babies.”
Reynal grinned. “They have said as much?”
Amy nodded. “Yup. They are rationing condoms until the wedding. After they have their first, there are magical tattoos that they can get so that he can have more than just the single son.”
Reynal cocked his head. “You are serious?”
“Yes. Nylora’s niece is a tattoo artist, and Nylora can design glyphs that work with dark magic. She’s designed birth control tattoos. They are apparently very effective.”
Reynal tried to be casual. “Do you have one?”
“Nope. To get at me, someone has to go through my clan, my parents, and me. If they get that far, I might just... dang.” She looked at his attentive features.
Amy snorted. “Right. I am going to leave you to it, unless you want a ride home, Krys?”
“Um.”
Reynal smiled. “I will see her home.” He gathered the wrappers and empty drink cups and walked over to the garbage troll.
Once the trash was in the happily grunting and growling troll inside the trash can, Reynal turned to her and held out his hand. “Shall we?”
She stepped toward him and took his hand. “I am only saying yes because I am exhausted.”
“Yes, Krys. I know. Come in close. I won’t drop you.”
“I know.” She felt him put his arm across her shoulders and another around her waist. “Don’t wreck my dress.”
He laughed, spreading his wings. He gave a heavy downstroke, and they were gaining altitude. He held her so she could see where they were going, and he had her home in eight minutes. He landed in her driveway and slowly let her go.
“I look forward to our tutorial session, Krys. I will do an audit of your processes.”
“Why are you making that sound dirty?”
He grinned. “Because I was really trying. I will leave when you are inside and the door is locked.”
She nodded and looked at him. “Is it the wings?”