Chapter 3 #2
“Does it matter? Only a human with the sight will see that it’s a kobold.”
Right. Because its glamour made it seem like it was a dog.
She was surprised that none of the other park goers had come by to check on her—and that’s when she realized that, somehow, it had gotten much later than it had been earlier and there wasn’t a single person around except for her and this male.
And he definitely wasn’t a person.
She gulped. “It’s still not right.”
He gave her a curious look, as if he wasn’t sure what to make of her. “What will you do for me?”
“Uh— what?”
“I’ll remove the kobold remains, but it must be a fair trade. A bargain if you will. What will you do for me?”
Nothing.
It was just beginning to dawn on Callie that this male might be her savior, but she was already in his debt. So what if he hadn’t demanded payment just yet? He would eventually.
Great.
She didn’t want to get sucked in even deeper. “Forget it. If anything, animal control will come and think it’s a dog.”
“That’s not necessary. I’ll do it for your name.”
“My name?”
It was a question. A way to verify that that was all he wanted from her.
But no matter how she meant it, it didn’t matter if the fae could use her words against her.
As if he hadn’t heard the questioning lilt, he clearly took it as if she was offering her name since he swept down and, spearing the kobold’s crumpled body with his sword again, he easily hefted up the corpse, dropping it into the burlap sack he had tied at his hip.
It must be magic, she thought, watching as the bag swallowed up the three-foot high creature before shrinking to a much smaller size.
The fae male did something then. Cupping his right hand, he conjured something that looked like a fireball.
Then, drawing with the pointer finger on his left hand, he traced a small square.
Wherever his finger went, a flame leapt to take its place until Callie was looking at a fiery shape floating between them.
He pushed the bag with the monster’s body up against it and, in an instant, it was gone.
He waved his now empty hands. The fire extinguished with a faint pop, leaving only a trail of a barely there wisp of pale smoke.
“There,” he said. “Now tell me your name, human.”
In the back of her mind, Callie bristled. She knew he was different—that he was other—and there was no denying the layer of disdain oozing off of his clear voice when he called her human like that. She wanted to refuse him. To shake her head and, clutching her camera, just dash away from the park.
He wouldn’t follow her, would he? There was no reason he would unless he intended to call in her debt for saving her right then.
One look at the determination blazing in his fiery gaze, though, and Callie had her answer.
He would. He definitely would.
This magnificent male stepped out of his world to save her. Even if he regarded her as one of the primitive humans who lived on the other side of the veil, he shielded her from the toothy, snarling creature, and he had gotten rid of its remains.
“Callie,” she offered. “My name is Callie.”
“Take me to your home, Callie.”
No, screamed her sense of self-preservation.
“Okay,” she breathed out.
His name was Ash. At least, that’s what he told her to call him during the short walk back to Callie’s apartment.
He offered to whip up a portal, whatever that meant, but while she was still grateful for his save, she wasn’t so enchanted that she was going to follow a creature of Faerie into some kind of “portal”.
She’d read the stories. She’d done her research.
If she wasn’t careful, she could end up trapped in Faerie.
No, thanks.
She also knew she couldn’t just refuse him.
Ever since she first locked eyes with the golden male, she’d thumbed through all of her books, hoping that her instincts were wrong.
She was convinced that he was Seelie, one of the Light Fae, and a member of the ruling class in Faerie.
Referred to as the Blessed Ones, that was only when you compared them to their dark counterparts, the Unseelie.
Whether they were called Dark or Light, though, fae were fae.
It would be a mistake to offend him, just like she knew better than to give him her full name or follow him anywhere.
It probably wasn’t the smartest idea to show him where she lived, either, but she couldn’t figure out how to get rid of him without insulting him.
When they arrived at her building, she hesitated before walking inside.
At this time of day, Mitch would be at work, but she still had her neighbors to worry about.
Since she’d lived there, she’d never brought anyone home with her, especially not such a stunning creature.
From the faint haze surrounding him, she knew he was using glamour so she could only imagine how much more attractive he looked, if that was even possible.
It had to be, Callie decided. Despite her nerves and her instincts kicking her for getting involved with this Ash, she hadn’t been too distracted not to notice all of the women—and some men—breaking their necks to get a better look at him as he all but swept gracefully at her side.
He caught the attention of almost everyone they passed, but the strangest thing was that he was focused solely on her.
That should’ve been her first clue that something wasn’t quite right.
Callie got lucky. The doorman’s post was empty, and she didn’t run into any of her neighbors as she crossed the lobby, heading right for the elevator.
She jammed the “up” button with her thumb, too unsettled to make small talk with her new shadow as they waited for the car to return to the first floor. When it did, Callie stepped inside, then waited for Ash.
The fae moved to follow her but one step over the threshold and he froze.
His eyes seemed to flash beneath the fluorescent bulbs as he glanced around the cramped space before he shot out his hand, stopping the doors from shutting them inside of the elevator.
Callie could’ve sworn she heard something sizzle, but the sound only lasted a second before Ash moved out of the elevator and back into the lobby.
Maybe it was the dim lighting out there, but it seemed as if he lost some of his deeply bronzed color.
The arrogant expression, though?
Yeah, she decided as she slipped out of the elevator after him, that wasn’t going anywhere.
“Is there another way to your home?” he asked. “Without using that box? There must be stairs.”
“Um. Yeah. I live on the tenth floor, though.”
He arched an eyebrow. From the cut of his uniform to the corded forearm peeking out from under the loose sleeve, Callie was willing to bet that ten flights would be nothing for someone like him—and that wasn’t even taking in account that he was from a magical other realm.
While she usually would get winded after three, he could probably take the ten flights and still be good for another ten.
“Okay,” she said. “If you insist.”
There was that spark in his gaze again. She couldn’t tell if it was interest or, most likely, scrutiny. That she was something he didn’t understand, and that he was working toward figuring her out.
So it was no surprise to her at all when he said, “Oh. I do insist.”
Callie fought the shiver running down her spine.
This was a bad idea, she knew. A very bad idea.
She wasn’t even sure why she was entertaining it.
The shock over the toothy goblin-like creature might’ve gotten him this far, but now that she was safe at home, it would be the very height of stupidity to invite further danger into her personal space, especially with Mitch out.
And yet—
“Come on.”