Suck-up little Glissando thinks she knows angel dust from dirt and tattled on me.'
'Tink's titties, really?' Jenks said in admiration. 'How far can you spit?'
My eyebrows rose. His name was Bis? What kind of a name was that?
Bis puffed up in pride. 'If we've had a recent rain, I can hit a stop sign from a block away.'
'Holy crap!' Jenks's wings lifted him, and he landed closer. 'Think you can hit that creepy angel statue from the steeple?'
Bis's color went silver-white to match the fur on his ears and tail, and gold flecks grew in his red eyes. 'Faster than you can throw toad shit at a hummingbird poaching your nectar.'
'No fairy-ass way!'
'Yes way.' Bis settled his wings against himself. The sound was soothing, and my shoulders eased. I think Jenks had found a friend. It was so sweet I could just barf. Except that he really needed one.
'Bis, it's good to meet you,' I said as I extended my hand, then hesitated. He was only a foot tall, about half the size of most gargoyles I'd seen from the distant vantage of the road. His hand was too small to comfortably shake even if I wanted to chance those raptorlike claws, but I was willing to bet he was too heavy to land on my wrist in a proper pixylike greeting.
With a surprisingly small whoosh of sound, Bis was in a hopping flight. Jenks jerked back into the air in surprise, and I froze when the gargoyle landed on my wrist. He had gone black again, and his huge ears were bent submissively, like a puppy's. And when his smooth skin touched me, I suddenly felt every single ley line in the entire city.
Shocked, I did nothing as my gaze went vacant. I could sense them, softly glowing in my awareness, like potential unmasked. I could see which were healthy and which weren't. And they sang, like the deep thrum of the earth.
'Holy shit!' I gasped, then covered my mouth, embarrassed. 'Ceri,' I stammered, turning to her. 'The lines…'
She was smiling. Damn it, she had known.
The gold flecks in Bis's eyes were whirling slowly, mesmerizing me. 'May I stay, mistress witch?' he said. 'If Jenks allows me to pay rent?'
He was lighter than I ever would have expected, almost not there. 'You can tap a ley line,' I said, still in a pleasant shock. My God, the lines were humming with different vibrations, like different bells have different sounds. The university's was heady and deep, and the one out back was a clear ting. From Eden Park was a discordant twang that had to be that ley line some idiot had built a reflecting pond over, turning it weak and almost dead.
Bis shook his head. 'No, but I can feel them. They flow through the world like blood and leak from the surface like an unhealed wound.'
I took a breath, only now realizing I had been holding mine. 'Jenks, he's got my vote to stay. We can work rent out later, but maybe he can do night sentry duty so you can spend more time with Matalina.'
Jenks was standing on the dresser, his reflection making two pixies frowning suspiciously at me. 'Yeah,' he said absently, his thoughts on something else. 'That'd be great.'
Ceri came forward and made a short, courtly curtsy. 'I'm glad you got kicked off your parapet,' she said, smiling. 'My name is Ceri. I live across the street. And if you spit on me or my friends, I will turn your wings to feathers.'
Bis flashed black and his gaze dropped submissively. 'Yes, ma'am.'
I looked at Jenks, seeing him asking my opinion with just his expression. I couldn't imagine Ivy would protest. I nodded, enthralled.
'Welcome to the garden, Bis,' Jenks said cheerfully. 'Rent is due on the first.'
It wasn't until half an hour later when I was trooping downstairs to call my mom that I realized I'd taken my protection circle down after the gargoyle had dropped through it without a whisper of resistance.
Not before.
Seventeen
Jenks clutched at my ear as David's car cut a sharp right. The small pixy wasn't feeling well, seeing as it was noon and he was missing his afternoon nap. I had told him he could stay home and spit seeds at the creepy statue in the garden with Bis, but he swore so prettily at me that I had invited him along on David's and my run. And I say David's and my run because we both had a vested interest. Now that David had started a real pack, he'd be up for a raise if he could show a significant savings to his company. I just wanted to smack some sense into whoever was summoning Al and freeing him to kill me. Please don't let it be Nick, I thought, brow furrowed. The woman who owned the house was a witch, but that didn't mean Nick couldn't be wrapped up with her.
The day was sunny, and I had my shades on. The cool breeze coming in the open window felt good in my hair, which was loose and flowing. The skies promised to be clear, and with the moon just past full, it was shaping up to be an excellent Halloween night. If this was the group that was summoning Al and I could suitably impress upon them the error of their ways, I might risk going out. Marshal hadn't called, but I hadn't expected him to. I think he was backing off after our very quiet car ride back to his truck. Trent had put me in an exquisitely bad mood. Exhaling heavily, I made a face no one could see. Whatever.
At least Ceri and I aren't still at odds, I thought, smiling faintly. It felt good to settle that so fast, and I was glad I'd taken the initiative. It wasn't that she'd taught me a new charm that made me feel good, it was knowing that I hadn't lost a friendship. The only thing bothering me now was not knowing what was going on with Quen. I hoped he was all right and that Trent was being a drama queen.
David glanced across the short width of his gray sports car as he slowed at a crossing. The sun glinted on his long black hair, which was pulled back in a casual clip, making him look good. 'You should wear a business suit more often,' he said, his low voice mixing with the sound of fighting sparrows. We were out in the suburbs, and traffic was light. 'You look nice.'
'Thank you.' I tugged the blah-brown skirt down over my knees. I had on nylons, and they felt icky. My flat- black, no-heel shoes didn't do anything for me either. And the purse that went with this outfit was so not me. At least my splat gun fit in it. David had insisted I look the part if I was coming with him. If he had made me dye my hair and put on brown contacts, I would have thought he was embarrassed to be seen with me.
'It's not the dress,' Jenks chimed in, yawning. 'She's got a new boyfriend.'
I looked askance at him. 'Marshal? I don't think so. He bugged out pretty fast yesterday.'
Laughing, Jenks darted to David's steering wheel and landed there. 'Sure, he's gone now, but he'll be back. Not looking for a girlfriend, my dragonfly's little green turds. That's the oldest line in the book, Rache. Take a smart pill once in a while, huh?'
We had had fun yesterday, until Trent showed up, but I wasn't sure if I wanted Marshal to call. I mean, I knew what was going to happen if he hung around, and I didn't want to go through that crap again. 'He's coming off a psycho girlfriend,' I said, remembering the soft look in his eyes when he had spun me into him. 'The last thing he wants is another.'
'That's what I'm saying!' Jenks threw his arms up in frustration. 'He's just like you, going from one relationship to another to keep from getting bored, and you are going to get so burned on this one that you're going to need skin grafts.'
I made an ugly face at him, but he only laughed. David was eyeing Jenks to get him to continue, and the pixy was more than happy to oblige. 'You've got to meet this guy,' he said, hands on his hips and his wings going full tilt as he walked along the steering wheel when David turned it. He was in the sun now, and his wings glittered. 'A normal relationship isn't enough for him, and he's got this white-knight complex on top of that, which Rachel fed when we asked for his help up in Mackinaw. I hope he gets smart faster than her, or he's going to be in a world of hurt. Probably find himself turned into a rat or something.'
I didn't appreciate the reference to Nick, and my mood darkened. 'Jenks, shut up,' I said tiredly, then turned to David. 'Have you talked to the ladies about the pack tattoo?'
Jenks snickered. 'Nice segue, Rache. From one pain in the ass to another.'
'Learn a new word, Jenks?' I needled.
