The Fae’s expression grew stony, but I ignored it.
“Hi!” I said cheerfully, shoving away from the wall and catching myself against Rans’ chest instead.
One of his arms circled my shoulders to steady me as he looked down at me in surprise. I smiled up at him, ridiculously happy that he’d come back. A moment later, I remembered that I was supposed to be angry with him for leaving in the first place,
“You left me alone with a faerie,” I accused, aiming for a glower and ending up with something that felt more like a pout. “You suck.”
Maybe it would have had more impact if I weren’t hanging all over him.
His brows drew together. “Are you drunk?”
I started to giggle, only to have it end on a hiccup. “Tinkerbell roofied me,” I said. “With mead. I told him you’d be pissed about it.”
“I think you’re the one who’s pissed,” he said, though his eyes did start to glow with that unearthly inner light.
“Off her arse,” Albigard agreed.
That gas-flame glow turned on him. “You tricked her into accepting a Fae gift. Why?”
Oooh... I’d been right. Rans was not pleased. I turned my attention to Albigard. It felt kind of like watching a tennis match.
“Because that is how the game is played, as you well know,” the Fae said, apparently unconcerned.
My eyes tracked back to Rans.
“You’re quickly burning through whatever goodwill I had stored up, Albigard.”
“Whereas you are making me question whether your association is useful enough to be worth the hassle, bloodsucker.”
Now I was starting to get dizzy again. I tugged on Rans’ sleeve. “Hey. Someone wanna explain using short words?”
Rans looked down at me again, his face still set in hard planes. “You accepted Fae drink.”
Well... yeah? Hadn’t we covered that part already?
“It was, like, half a cup!” I protested. “And it wasn’t even all that good!”
“Not the point,” Rans said tightly. “Accepting gifts from the Fae gives them power over you.”
“Oh.” I blinked. “Okay, that seriously blows. You’d think someone might’ve, I dunno, warned me about that before he left me alone with one for an hour?”
A muscle ticked in the corner of Rans’ jaw. I stared at it, fighting the sudden urge to lick along its tempting length.
“Someone thought he could trust the sparkly little arsehole to behave for an hour,” he said, and Albigard bristled. “Besides, doesn’t your generation read fairy tales anymore? I mean, is it seriously not common knowledge that you don’t eat Fae food or drink Fae wine?”
“It wasn’t wine!” I pointed out.
Albigard’s unruffled act seemed to really be slipping now. He stepped up until he was practically in Rans’ face, glaring at him from a slight advantage of height.
“And do you trust me, bloodsucker?” he asked.
“About as far as I can throw you, Fae,” Rans replied, his voice level.
“Oh?” Albigard tilted his head. “How far do you think that is?”
Rans grinned, fangs peeking out. “Let’s hope we don’t have to find out.”
I poked him in the chest. “Could we maybe compare dick sizes some other time?” I asked, and then frowned, meeting Albigard’s eyes. “I mean... don’t get me wrong, though. His is pretty big.” I hooked a thumb at Rans.
The Fae gave me the same vaguely nauseated look he’d given me when we’d been talking about demons breeding with humans. “I believe we already discussed my lack of interest in your sex life.”
“Your loss,” I muttered. “My sex life is brilliant now.”
Rans tried and failed to stifle a quiet, choked noise. Then he changed the subject.
“I’ve found some people who may be able to provide us with more information,” he said, turning his attention back to Albigard with a bit less threat in his manner. “Which means you’ll be cutting us loose now, in case that’s not already clear.”
The Fae lifted a sharp eyebrow. “Does it? And will you be sharing the results of your inquiries with me if I ‘cut you loose’?”
“Yes,” Rans said. “When don’t I, Tinkerbell?”
“Whoa there, cowboy,” I interrupted. “Is it really a good idea to share stuff with...” I gestured vaguely. “... one of them?”
“He trusts me as far as he thinks he can throw me,” Albigard said in a voice as dry as the desert.
“And I expect I could throw him pretty far, if I had to,” Rans agreed. “It’s not his fault he’s an irritating wanker most of the time.”
There were important undercurrents here... probably. But I was drunk, so—
“Okay, whatever. Can we leave now?”
Albigard looked like he’d be happy to see the back of me. That was fine. I’d be happy to see the back of him, too—and not just because he had a nice ass. I wasn’t interested in his ass. Not when the rest of him made me feel so creepy crawly. Besides, I had a better ass right here. My hand crept down to squeeze it, and Rans shot me an, ‘Oh my god, seriously?’ look that I ignored completely.
“I’ll glamour you again and return you to the airport,” Albigard said, his eyes trailing down to my offending hand on Rans’ ass.
He was probably jealous, and he should be. I grinned at him, wide and stupid, the expression growing even wider and stupider when I saw the pinched look on his stupid Fae face. Hey—if he didn’t want me drunk, he shouldn’t have roofied me with faerie mead, right?
Magic flowed over us, and the muscular globe I was grasping grew a bit softer and squishier. I looked down to see that I was once more pale and curvy rather than slim and dusky. I looked up, and sure enough, Rans was now ash blonde and plain-faced.
“I’ll summon the guards and let them know that you weren’t of use to me,” Albigard said. “When they arrive, act disoriented.”
“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Rans said, the words dripping with irony. “Not for one of us, at least.”
“No. I daresay it won’t,” agreed the Fae, giving me a final, disdainful look.
* * *
Albigard dropped us off with our
