“Real piece of work named Allen. He went against my wishes, but it was more than that. He was truly sleazy—made my skin crawl.”
She scowled. “I’ll ask her about that. I don’t understand why she didn’t take care of this herself. Hell, the commission alone would have kept her interest outside of our friendship. Her, I trust. I don’t know any Allen.” She looked at Dax. “Who are you?”
Everett chuckled as he, too, looked at Dax. “Blunt as usual. Trilla, meet my bodyguard, Dax. Dax, this mouthy person is Trilla—my best friend for many years.”
“Bodyguard?” She nearly yelled the word. “What the hell is going on?”
“Come on, let’s have a drink and I’ll catch you up.”
Dax pulled him aside. “I know you two need time to talk, but I can’t leave you alone for long. I’ll be right outside the room.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Everett said, patting his arm before leading Trilla into the family room. He knew Dax’s colleagues were worried about these warper wizards, and he was, too, but he needed to talk to his friend alone.
He went to the bar and pulled down her favorite Russian Gold Vodka. She was going to be happy to have the alcohol when he told her everything. But should he tell her about the magic in the world? Nobody had told him he couldn’t, and she was so level-headed, she probably wouldn’t believe him anyway. He handed her the drink, and decided to go all in. He sat on one side of the sectional, curled his legs underneath him, and cradled a glass of vodka for himself.
He started with the chimera, and by the time he got to the nephrite, he noticed something. She wasn’t meeting his eyes. He stopped talking and stared until she finally looked at him.
“Why do I get the feeling all this magic stuff isn’t surprising you?” he asked.
She briefly shut her eyes, then set down her glass and leaned forward to rest her elbows on her slacks-clad knees. She stared at him for a long time before sighing. “Don’t get mad.”
He narrowed his eyes.
She mimicked his expression. “You’re already mad, I can tell.”
“Yeah, because I’m getting the distinct feeling you already knew all about this secret world of what they call preternaturals.”
“I did…I do. I’ve always been able to see them, Everett.”
He felt a punch of shock in his chest. “Seriously? And you never thought to share that? I thought we knew everything about each other!”
“I told you not to get mad.” She rested her hands on her lap. “I keep this secret from everyone. People would think I was crazy and unable to do my job if I started talking about that part of our world. I actually employ a lot of preternaturals.”
“So they know you can see them?”
She nodded. “A few do, yes. But that’s only been a recent change.”
“So you could see past Dax’s glamour?”
She continued to nod. “He’s an ogre. Big one, too.”
A stab of jealousy went through him before curiosity chased it away. “What color are his horns?”
“They’re a gorgeous green, like marble. He’s beautiful. And don’t think I didn’t notice the sparks between you two.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “You’re sleeping with him.”
Heat crept up Everett’s neck, and he looked down at his glass. “I am.” He looked back up at his friend. “But Trilla, it feels like more than just sex.”
“Really? It’s about time.”
“You don’t think it’s weird that I’m falling for an ogre?”
She waved her hand. “No, not in the least. I’ve known about preternaturals my entire life, and outside of their magic, they’re just like us. They love and make families—live their lives. If he’s good to you, then what does it matter what he is?”
“He’s very good to me. Treats me like I’m something valuable.”
She smiled. “You are. And you deserve someone who feels that way about you. You’ve always dated people who are all wrong for you.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Pot, kettle, black.”
