As ever, Farvin rose to the occasion. “Whatever, fairy. How many inches does your kind pack, anyway? Five? And twig thin, I’m bettin’.”
Schwint gave me a meaningful leer. “You know fairies can morph into anyone they want to.” His eyes traveled down Farvin’s body. “Maybe I’ll let Finn find out what it’s like to be with a foot-long werewolf.”
It took a few moments for Schwint’s meaning to sink in. When it did, Farvin’s face contorted in disgust. “Ah, fuck, dude!” He glared at Marina. “Can I please kick these queers out already?”
She rolled her eyes. “And take away your reason to hate the world? You’d be miserable!” She shifted her attention to me. “So, the voice is still gone when you’re here?”
I nodded. “Yeah. It’s the only peace I have. I even told my folks I’ve started coming to the Square again.”
“Bet they loved that.” Marina picked up the thick hand towel and started wiping down mugs that were air-drying behind the bar. “Evenmyfolks hate me working here, and they aren’t near as goody-goody as your family.”
“I think they’re okay with it, actually. Well, not really. They hate it. But I’d had to start missing work again. They get that it’s the only place that makes my body feel tolerable at all. Otherwise, all I’ve been able to do is lay in bed with a migraine for days at a time.”
She set down the current mug and picked up another. “Yeah, I remember you saying that. You said it often stops late evening, early morning though, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Just enough time to be able to talk to people a bit and then fall asleep.” I looked over at Schwint. “It’s not been the most fun beginning three weeks of a budding relationship.”
“Nah, that hot warlock ass is worth it.” Schwint gave me a loud kiss on the cheek. “We’ll figure it out. We’ve gotta.”
I couldn’t believe Schwint was still dating me. The first week or so hadn’t been bad. We’d been able to go on a few dates, have really great sex, have a lot of fun. Then the voice started talking more frequentlyyelling, actually. A few hours a day at first. Demanding that I listen. That I do what I’m told. That I follow orders. Never mind that he never told me any order or gave me anything to listen to other than insults and curses and telling me to do some pretty sick shit. Soon, the berating began to last all day. The next week, the screaming stopped and the migraines took over.
It was during one of these migraines that Schwint swept me up and shoved me into the truck and drove me to the Square. I couldn’t remember the drive over, but he later had me in hysterics as he told me about learning to drive on the Five. As soon as we passed the entrance, the migraines stopped. The screaming stopped. Only a few well-timed insults here and there, and even those were beginning to dissipate the more time we stayed here. Whatever it was or whoever he was, either he didn’t have as much power to affect me here, or the Square was exactly where he wanted me to be. I had a gut feeling the latter was the more accurate.
Through it all, Schwint had been caring and nurturing. He always kept me laughing. Even when I’d realized I had started to fall for him on our first date, I didn’t expect this other side of his nature to be so strong. It made me fall for him even faster, and made me more nervous he was gonna bolt any minute if we didn’t get it figured out soon.
Marina leaned her hip against the edge of the inner counter. “From what you’ve said about your folks, I’m surprised they’re not here with you. Protecting you from all us evil monsters and our bad influences.”
I laughed, but more because she’d hit on the truth than because it was funny. “That’s exactly what they wanted to do. But I refused. I can’t imagine them here. In the place I’ve done—”
Farvin cut in. “I’ve seen ya in action, dude. You don’t need to describe it. Never thought one of Wendell’s kids would be so fucked up, man.”
Marina shot him a dirty look.
“They know that Schwint is here with me and that he’s promised to not let anything happen to me or let me do anything I shouldn’t. They don’t know the specifics on that last part, but still.”
She turned to Schwint. “You’ve met the in-laws already?”
He grinned as he shook his head. “Nah, we’re not moving that fast. Not even in gay time.”
I gave him a shove. “For now, this is where I have to be if I have any chance of not blowing my brains out. Or having them implode.”
“I’ve told you, Finn.” She put her hand on mine, uncharacteristically friendly. “You’re safe at the Square. I’ve always told you that.”
“I know. I don’t get it. You’ve told me that. That werewolf who sliced that guy’s throat said something like that. Even the witch over there told me that.”
Schwint swiveled his barstool, meeting me head on, his face serious. “What witch?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.” I motioned out the window, across the Square. “The one who owns Gifts.”
“Hazel?”
I shrugged again. “I don’t know her name. The one with the fake wart on her nose.”
“Did she read your palm?”
I nodded again.
He popped off the barstool. His wings appeared and levitated him off the ground a few inches as he gripped my arm. “Come on!”
