Chapter 1 #2
Cha considered lying about that. She shouldn’t have banged him.
She’d known better. One slutty-for-fae ancestor was enough for any family.
But Dy was her best friend and Cha couldn’t lie to her.
And not just because Dy always knew when she was lying.
Kicking out her legs, she tried for her usual insouciance.
“Oh, I banged him plenty. Guy hadn’t had a human woman before and I rocked his world. Out of the goodness of my heart.”
“So he sucked at foreplay,” Dy speculated with narrowed eyes. “The Bridget joke,” she clarified.
“Oh, no. Different context.”
“Then he rocked your world,” Dy confirmed. “And you are definitely blushing and it’s not hot in here.”
“It’s stuffy.”
“That’s not why your face is red.”
“The point is,” Cha said, struggling to get the conversation back on topic, “only Prince Charming could know to call me Bridget. And to send the platinum coin, knowing what it would say to me. He’s asking for my help. You shouldn’t go, but I have to.”
Dy crossed her legs, lacing her fingers together over one knee. “Cha,” she said in a very gentle tone, “I haven’t pressed you on what happened with that guy because I know he broke your heart. You’ve never been in love before and—”
“Whoa there, Nelly!” Cha interrupted, a cold sweat breaking out down her spine. “No one ever said anything about love. Sex, yes, and I fully admit it was earth-shattering, but I’m not the sort to fall in love with anyone, ever, much less a fae. A fae prince, no less.”
“Uh huh.”
“Seriously, Dy. I’m not that stupid.”
“Right.”
“There is zero future for us, even if he hadn’t made it clear we were one and done.”
“And yet, he’s made contact. You’re sure it’s him reaching out to you.”
“Yes. I’m sure. I don’t trust Lenorae any more than you do, but Prince Charming wouldn’t have sent this message if he wasn’t desperate.”
“Desperate because…” Dy trailed off leadingly.
Cha threw up her hands. “I don’t know, do I? All I know is he was supposed to marry Lenorae and fled from the altar—probably because he found out she’s a Ruby realm demon—and then he went back to sort it out because of his family’s honor and fae politics he wasn’t at liberty to explain.”
Dy cocked her head. “Fae politics. Do you even hear yourself, Arantxa Evermore?”
It did sound a little crazed.
“You’re out of your fucking mind even considering getting yourself mixed up in this situation,” Dy exploded.
Cha pointed at her. “That’s Phinny talking.”
“Well, Phinny’s right!” Dy jumped up from her hay bale and paced like a furious curupira.
Finally she stopped, faced Cha, and blew out a long breath, clearly struggling to control her temper.
At least she wasn’t flinging fireballs, though that could have been from an abundance of caution in not wanting to burn down the barn.
“Cha, we’re not kids anymore. We have adult lives and responsibilities and—”
“You do,” Cha pointed out. “I don’t have anyone that I’m responsible for except Katu. No one else I care about except him, you and Phin, and the kids.” And, she realized before her words had even faded from the air, Azul.
But you’re not responsible for him, her brain argued. He would laugh in your face at the very notion.
That was true. Azul possessed tremendous magical powers. He didn’t need her, a mere human.
But he does need you! Her heart cried. He risked sending Lenorae for you.
“He’s your person, isn’t he?” Dy asked quietly, as always seeing right through her.
“You are my person,” Cha answered, feeling stubborn about it.
Dy softened. “Oh, honey. Of course I am. And you are mine. That will never change. Besties forever.”
“Besties forever,” Cha echoed, then sat heavily on a hay bale. “Dy… I might be in love with him.”
Dy came over and sat beside Cha, nudging her hip against Cha’s to make her move over, and leaned her head on Cha’s shoulder. “Isn’t that what I said? And you were all, noooo, I’m not that stupid.” Dy pitched her voice in an imitation of Cha’s whiskey tones.
Cha couldn’t help chuckling. “I don’t sound like that.”
“I don’t think you’re stupid,” Dy said after a moment. “You’ve always had a level head about your affairs.”
“It was easy to because none of them mattered.”
“And this guy is different.”
“You could say that. Fae. Prince. And he’s purple.”
Dy snickered. “Only his hair and eyes.”
“And his wings.”
She lifted her head and stared at Cha in astonishment. “Wings?”
“Huge ones, like a bat’s. Soft and sensitive. And he can use them like additional hands.”
“Oh my,” Dy said faintly.
“Thinking about switching teams?” Cha teased her.
“Surely there are female fae with wings,” Dy retorted. “Phinny and I have talked about inviting some new lovers to join us, once she’s done having babies.”
Cha felt her brows climbing. “You have?”
Dy wrinkled her nose at Cha’s astonishment. “You don’t have the market cornered on sexual adventures and we’re mothers, not dead. Yes, we have.”
“The pretty brunette down the street?”
Dy slid her a sideways look. “Maybe,” she admitted. “Though we haven’t tested the waters there. Say, does Prince Charming have a sister?”
“I don’t know,” Cha answered, thinking back. “He didn’t talk about his family much except to say that it’s complicated. I don’t think he likes them very much.”
“Well, he can join our club,” Dy commented sourly.
Cha held out a loose fist and Dy bumped it, then both women flared their fingers making exploding fireball sounds.
“Seriously,” Cha said. “There’s no future for us. Even if he hadn’t made that clear, that much is obvious. Unless I want to be his human pet, which…”
“You’re way too feral,” Dy agreedagreed, and Cha laughed.
“But I have to help him. He saved my life and by extension yours. I can’t not go. I would always wonder if…”
“Then I’m going with you,” Dy said, standing and dusting off her pants. “But we’re going to be smart about this.”
“Why start now?” Cha shot back.
“Ha ha. We’re not going with Lenorae anywhere. She’s giving us directions.”
“She won’t like that.”
“She can fight me.”
“And Phinny?”
Dy sighed. “She’ll forgive me. Once she cools off.”
“Ten years from now?”
“Maybe twenty,” Dy admitted with a sigh. “I’m going to talk to her. Then we’ll negotiate with Lenorae.”
“Which will be worse your lovely wife or the giant demon?” Cha speculated, then locked gazes with Dy.
“Phinny,” they said in unison.