heads.
Eating or drinking while in the Otherworld holds a similar fate. Humans who eat or drink enough faerie food become addicts trapped in the faerie realm. Even if they escape, food from our world turns to ash on their tongues. Faerie wine is stronger than any human draught and is rumored to have the most addicting effects even if the smallest glass of the stuff is imbibed. To drink faerie wine is to become a slave to one of the faerie courts —a plaything for bored immortals.
I’d been told that the boundaries of Faerie had been sealed, but there were always loopholes and Jinx was unlucky enough to fall into one. If the clurichaun’s bolt-hole was a gateway to Faerie, Jinx could have drunk faerie wine without realizing what she’d done. If she had, would she become an addict forced to live in Faerie?
I stood up, hands shaking, and nudged Jinx again with my boot.
“Did. You. Drink. Faerie. Wine?” I asked.
“Beer,” she mumbled. “Lots and lots of beer.”
“Is that true?” I asked, glaring at the clurichaun.
“’Tis true,” he said, nodding.
I leaned in, sniffing at Jinx’s clothes. She didn’t smell like wine. Before I could straighten, Jinx burped in my face.
“Oberon’s eyes,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “You smell like a brewery.”
Jinx giggled. I wanted to kick her, but instead crossed my arms and glared down my nose.
“That’s ‘cause we were in a brewery,” she said. “This guy’s hiding spot is in the basement of Old Shoal’s brewery.”
It sounded like she said “bashement o’ Old Shhhhoalsh bwewewy,” but I got the idea. My friend had been in her version of Heaven, surrounded by kegs of microbrew beer. She’d been partying in the basement of a local brewery, not Faerie. I shook my head and nudged her again with my boot.
“Come on,” I said. “Get up. We need to get you home before full dark.”
I hesitated, then reached down and pulled Jinx upright. I grit my teeth and slid an arm under her shoulders for support. Most of my skin was covered in leather and denim, but all it took was a small patch of bare skin to trigger a vision. This made carrying my roommate far from ideal. If I got slammed with a vision from Jinx’s past, it would be her fault, but I hoped that could be avoided. We didn’t need any more delays.
“What about my bags?” she asked.
Jinx looked so sad and lost, I melted just a little.
“Can you walk?” I asked.
Jinx shrugged me off and stepped forward. She was wobbly, but remained upright.
“See, I’m fine,” she said.
She staggered and started to fall backward. Crap.
“Here, take these,” I said. I passed Jinx a fistful of shopping bags for each hand, careful to keep her balanced. I had a feeling I’d need my hands free. “Ready?”
Jinx managed to nod without falling over. We were making progress.
“Thanks, I guess, for keeping her safe,” I said to the clurichaun.
I tried not to grump, much. I hadn’t included a clause regarding Jinx drinking alcohol, so he hadn’t done anything to breach our agreement. The faerie had held up his end of the bargain. I could feel the debt between us heavy on my shoulders. I almost hoped he called in his favor soon. I’d have to work a case for free, but that was better than this feeling.
“Safe travels,” the clurichaun said.
He waved a stubby hand, smiling eyes gazing over the spectacles he wore on his red, bulbous nose.
“Safe travels,” I said.
I sighed and pushed Jinx out the door and into the night.
“Oh, crap,” Jinx said, pulling to a halt.
“What?” I asked. “Did you leave something back at the shop?”
“I forgot about my date with Hans,” she said. Jinx frowned at her feet and started to pitch forward. “Guess I won’t be going out dancing.”
Her words were so slurred it sounded like she said, “guesh I won’t be going out danshing” so I was pretty sure she wasn’t making it out on the dance floor tonight. Jinx was clumsy when she was stone cold sober. Drunk she’d be a menace.
“What’s Hans’ number?” I asked. “I’ll call and tell him you can’t make it.”
She blinked at me and stuck her tongue into her cheek.
“It’s in my phone,” she said.
Jinx dropped the shopping bags to the sidewalk and fumbled for her phone. I didn’t want to touch it, but I wanted to get this over with. I reached for the phone with thumb and index finger and scrolled through her contacts list. I found Hans’ number and hit call.
“You’re early, woman,” Hans said.
“Um, this is Ivy Granger, Jinx’s friend,” I said. “Jinx has to cancel her date tonight.”
“Why would she cancel and why are you the one to call?” he asked. “I know she doesn’t have to work late. Jinx had this afternoon off. I checked.”
They’d only gone out on a couple of dates and already this guy was keeping tabs on my best friend? I held the phone so tight I’m surprised it didn’t explode into dust.
“Look, Hans, she had a few too many drinks with a clurichaun,” I said. “Give the girl a break.”
“She was drinking with a clurichaun?” he asked. Hans started breathing heavy and his tone was menacing. “With a FAERIE? That worthless bi…”
“Get over yourself,” I said.
Hans made a strangled sound and spit. The guy had the temperament of a berserker and was known for his rages in the heat of battle. But he wasn’t in battle now and he was talking about my friend.
Apparently, Hans thought the only good faerie was a dead faerie. Some Hunters are like that, a fact I’d be smart to remember. I’d become used to Kaye and Jenna’s acceptance of my half-breed status, but thinking that all Hunters would be as accepting of my kind was foolish.
If I’d known the guy had such a hard-on for faeries, I never would have mentioned the clurichaun. Though I can’t say I’m completely sorry. The Hunter was bad news. If he got this enraged at the thought of Jinx sharing a drink with a clurichaun, what would he do when he found out her best friend, roommate, and business partner was a wisp princess?
“Tell that faerie lover she can lose my number,” he said.
Hans hung up and I handed Jinx back her phone.
“He cool?” she asked.
Jinx was smiling and I didn’t have the heart to tell her that her boyfriend was a racist dick. She’d be better off hearing about the phone call when she was sober. It could wait.
“Sure, he’s cool,” I said, as Jinx picked up the shopping bags she’d dropped and we started our descent down the hill.
Hans was cool alright. His heart was cool as the blade of cold iron I wanted to skewer him with.
Chapter 5
Getting home had been a trial, but we were still in one piece. I couldn’t say the same for Jinx’s footwear. She’d puked into one of her shopping bags before making it home, fouling a brand new pair of shoes. And the platform sandals she’d been wearing? Those she threw into the harbor saying they were hard to walk in. Yeah, it couldn’t have had anything to do with the keg of beer she drank.
When my roommate woke up, she wasn’t going to be happy with herself. A grin slid across my face. Maybe destroying two of her treasured pairs of shoes would teach her a lesson.
