I stood up and started for the hall closet, pulling two blue blankets from the top shelf and tossed them to Trey. “I’m going to get some shuteye. It’s been a long day,” I said. A sad smile twisted his lips. “Yeah, me too.” “Help yourself to anything-there’s some left over Chinese and juice and beers in the fridge.” Trey threw me a half- hearted smile. “Thanks, Dulce. This means a lot to me. I owe you one.” “No worries,” I said and started for my bedroom. “Night, Trey.”
###
I woke up to the sound of the shower running. Trey had literally made himself at home. Not that it bothered me. I sat up and sighed, pushing my feet into my dog slippers. I plodded into the living room and noticed Trey had folded the blankets neatly in a corner of the couch.
I started for the kitchen to put the coffee on. The shower stopped and moments later, Trey walked into the kitchen wearing his clothes from last night. “What’s for breakfast?” he asked and I suddenly had the very strange image of waking up to him every morning. Egad. “Just the leftover Chinese food. Want some coffee?” “No, no coffee, but do you mind if I help myself to the Chinese?” I shook my head and handed him a fork. “Go for it. Are you driving to Headquarters now?”
“Yeah,” he said as he pulled a box of Chinese from the fridge. He started in on the cold, fried rice right away, not even pausing to take a seat. The dude was serious about eating.
“Do you need to stay here tonight?” I asked, trying to sound…friendly. It wasn’t that I’m a bitch or anything. I’m just not really used to having company. Maybe I’m a little on the anti-social side. But, considering Trey’s current state, he needed a friend. He shook his head. “No, I think I’ll be alright. I’ve got to get over it anyway-it’s not like I’m going to move in with you.” He actually looked hopeful. “Exactly. Will you do me a favor, and talk to Sam, she’ll put a protection spell on your place.” “Yep, I’ll do that,” he said. “I’ll call you tonight to see how you are.” “What are you up to today?” he asked.
My thoughts returned to his question and my face flushed. Sam was meeting me in about an hour to go to my ear augmentation consultation. Not like I wanted to admit that to Trey anytime soon. “Oh, Sam and I are meeting for lunch.” It was sort of the truth, we were planning on getting lunch-afterwards.
Trey finished his rice, threw the container in the trash, and then faced me with a big grin. He started for the door, looking one hundred times better than he had last night. “Well, I guess I better get to work. Thanks, Dulce.”
“Sure, Trey, I’ll see you later.”
###
Thirty minutes later, Sam and I were sitting in the waiting room of Dr. Goodman’s. I hadn’t been able to shake my intense feelings of anxiety, guilt and excitement-anxiety because I was eager to hear what the doctor would say; guilt because it was like I was failing some part of me just by considering this; and excitement because I’ve always hated my ears. Now, they all warred with each other until I felt nauseous. “Trey came to my place last night,” I whispered. Sam dropped the magazine she’d been reading back on the side table. “What for?” she asked and wiggled her eyebrows. “I didn’t think he was your type.” An image of his shiny forehead sweating bullets littered my mind. “Come on, Sam. You don’t think I slept with Trey, do you?” She started to laugh. “No, I guess that would be totally weird.” “I haven’t had a date in a while, but I’m not desperate.” “Okay, point taken. Why did he come over?” “He saw a vision of Fabian’s murder.” Her eyes went wide. “Did he see who did it?”
“No, not exactly. Just that the creature was female. He was super freaked out, though, and stayed the night. I’m worried about him.”
And honestly, as much as he annoyed me, I was worried. If what Trey said about the creature sensing him was true, he could be in serious trouble. I faced Sam again. “Can you put a protection spell on his place?” “Yeah, sure. Why was he so scared?” “He was worried the thing might come after him.” “Do you think it will?” “I don’t know.”
She was silent as she considered it. “You know Quillan is going to be pissed off if he finds out you’re still working on this case?”
“Yeah, I know. That’s why he isn’t going to find out.” I considered telling her about Knight. Part of me knew I shouldn’t-that it was top secret, but the other part of me wanted to gab. That part won.
“You’re never going to believe this, Sam, but…”
“Dulcie O’Neil?” the receptionist interrupted and gave me an expression that said I’d better hurry.
I guess Dr. Goodman didn’t like waiting for his patients. Wasn’t that the pot calling the kettle black? I stood up and started forward, Sam behind me. The receptionist led us to the first room down the hall and told us to take a seat. She closed the door behind us, and we were alone again.
“What won’t I believe?” Sam started, her eyes sparkling.
“Some detective from the Netherworld was sent over here to find out about Fabian’s murder. He said that someone summoned the creature from the Netherworld.” Sam’s eyes went wider. “That’s an automatic death sentence for whoever called it.” “I know. Anyway, this detective said he had orders from the Relations office to work with me.” “Wow, Quillan is going to be uber pissed. Or does he already know? Is that why you’re off the case now?”
“No, Quillan doesn’t know. The order to put me under protection came from the Relations Office. Quillan had nothing to do with it. No one is supposed to know I’m working with the Relations team on the case.”
Sam crossed her arms against her chest. “My lips are sealed. You know me.”
“Yeah, that’s why I told you. So, the kicker in this whole thing is that the detective is that guy from Fabian’s shop. The stranger.” Sam gasped. “Dulce, you need to be careful. What if he’s involved?” I waved away her worry like an errant fly. “He’s not. I checked out his badge. He’s legit.” “What’s his name?” “Knight.” “Wow, sexy name. Is he as hot as you first thought?”
I paused. Was Knight as hot as I’d first thought? Hmm. An image of him in tight black leather pants erupted in my mind. That broad, muscular chest. Sparkling blue eyes and black hair. “Hotter.”
Then the door opened, putting a halt to our conversation. The doctor was tall and his forehead so high, he must’ve had a big brain. He smiled at both of us, but I couldn’t really say he saw us. It was one of those polite but completely impersonal smiles. He closed the door behind him, and in perfectly upright posture, took the leather chair in front of us, swinging around until he looked like a corpse going through rigor mortis.
He glanced at what I presumed was my file, flipping through the pages with ennui. “Which of you is Dulcie?” he asked in a high-pitched and nasally voice. “That’s me.” He didn’t glance up but continued shuffling through the library of papers. “You’re here to find out about ear augmentation?” “Yeah, I don’t like the points at the top of my ears.” He still hadn’t acknowledged me. “Are you a fairy?” “What else would I be, a Vulcan?” Sam laughed, the doctor didn’t. I dropped the smile from my lips and nodded. “Yeah, I’m a fairy.” He sighed. “That makes it a little more difficult.” “Why’s that?” Sam asked, her voice wary. The doctor eyed her down his ski-slope nose. “And who might you be?” “I’m Sam, Dulcie’s best friend.”
He faced me again, ignoring Sam. She glanced at me, anger etching her features. “It’s difficult because the properties in your blood and tissue are different than a human’s. The operation requires some extra equipment and possibly more anesthesia,” the doctor concluded.
Extra equipment?
“Okay,” I said, not really sure what else to say.
He stood up and towered over me. He motioned with his long fingers that I should stand. I handed Sam my purse and got to my feet. Then he turned me so I was facing the wall and shifted my hair behind my right ear. He ran a cold finger down the length of my ear, and I shuddered involuntarily. “They certainly are pointed, aren’t they?” “She’s a fairy,” Sam snapped. “I don’t see anything wrong with them,” I gave her a discouraging look.
“Yes, that’s a matter of opinion, I suppose,” the doctor said, and a wave of resentment wafted through me. Why did doctors have to be such jerks?
He turned me to face him again. “Other than those ears, you are beautiful.” It was the same thing Jack had told me for five years. “An ear augmentation would make you perfect.”
I sat down again, feeling like I was selling my soul to the devil. I glanced at Sam, who was feigning interest in her shoes. A fierce pink had taken over her cheeks. “How long would the surgery take?” I asked, trying to draw Sam’s attention away from her irritation. “Maybe two hours. Depends on how much you bleed.” I disregarded that statement. “What would it cost?”
He shrugged, and that meant it would cost more than I wanted to spend. I had a lot of money in savings- granted it was so I could retire from law enforcement and focus on writing full time. I guess I could work a little
