Whatever the bone-winged fae had been about to say, lips quirking up in another closed-mouthed smile, something in Antonio’s comment changed things.Those piercing eyes went searching, and his lips pressed in a thin, too-long line.
“I’m not of the mind to obligate anyone to my bed.”The fae’s words weren’t angry.Just flat.Maybe a little sad, beneath that.“I’m a sluagh.”
Sluagh.Antonio’d never met a sluagh.Didn’t know a thing about them except that Calloway had seemed terrified of them.Grouped them in with all the other death-aligned fae.The ones who wouldn’t be nice to meet.
In Antonio’s experience, the nice ones were plenty cruel.
He stepped out from behind the Pontiac and lifted his hands, palms up and out, like Reece had just a few days back.Before the first of Calloway’s presents.
“Look, man, it was a bad joke.Kelpie fucker aside, ‘let’s tie our souls together’ is too weird to be a pickup line.”He didn’t apologize.You didn’t apologize to the fae.But he could try to blunt the edge of whatever’d cut so deep.“Nothing personal, alright?I just don’t mess around with fae shit.And I’m not your special match.Guessing maybe you took a wrong turn somewhere.”
“You were well within your rights to ask.”The fae tucked in those strange wings, held them tight against his back.“The kelpie and his consort are more in line with the standard.Sluagh are not…” He glanced away, then back again.“We are not sought after.On that note, I need to admit you are not all that special.Hollow aside, I suppose.You’re the tenth match we’ve found.”
Something about the fae’s rasping voice gone cool, and the way he stood, bone wings tucked in tight, felt wrong.It made Antonio think of a blank white page, curling with flame or stained black by a spill of ink.Which made no fucking sense.But the image was unshakable.
Antonio walked closer, hands at his sides.Because… Christ, he wished he knew.Getting closer was a shit idea.And still, he did.
“You really need to work on your sales pitch,” he said, because maybe he could at least make the guy smile.“I mean, negging’s one thing, but ‘I don’t wanna fuck you and you’re not special,’ is taking it a bit far.”
The fae didn’t move as Antonio approached.But those blue eyes remained fixed on his face.
“I don’t know what negging is.”And yeah, there it was, the hint of a smile back on those black lips.“But I said nothing of want.Would you prefer something more impressive?‘Human I don’t know the name of, I come with the offer of power, a bond-tie to a House, and a chance to take down the Faerie equivalent of The Man.’I could throw in a bit about being my one and only, but that would only be true after the oaths.I strongly recommend not requesting poetry.”
“See, that’s more like it.”When had Antonio gotten so close to the guy?Little more than an arm’s length away now.Antonio forced himself to stop inching nearer, rocking onto his toes to keep from pacing.“And maybe try introductions before the whole, ‘I want your soul’ schtick.Name’s Antonio.”
“I go by Declan.”
Declan the sluagh, sharp-edged and gaunt, with piercing, pale blue eyes and bone-white skin run through with cracks of gray.
“Look, Declan, the only thing I want from the fae is to be left alone.This isn’t me playing hard to get.”
“For what it may be worth, I don’t think you’re playing coy.Though, if I may be quite frank, Antonio, I expected you to close the garage doors in my face.Maybe throw a wrench at me.”
“Yeah, I’ve already got one curse.Not really looking to start a collection.”He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck and the horseshoe inked there.“I don’t want power.I’ve got a perfectly nice shitty apartment.And, in my experience, taking down The Man gets you an enforced vacation in a 6’ by 8’.”
Or an overcrowded dorm, guys stuffed fifty to a room.He’d done both.
“Fair enough.I only hoped to meet you and make my offer, which you’ve allowed me to do.No strings.”
It hurt, just looking at Declan.Something about his tight smile, lips drawn over sharp teeth.Something about the careful way he chose his words.Something about soft purple petals, dipped in black, wilting under an unforgiving sun.
No fucking sense.Fae made Antonio crazy.He knew they did.
“Right, well, we met.You made your offer.”Antonio glanced back at the garage he should retreat into.Shut the door and keep the monsters out.
“And you’ve made your answer clear.”Still, that closed-lipped smile.That feeling like dying flowers.
Don’t apologize.He’s a fae.
“Nothing personal.I don’t mess around with fae.But, good luck with the other nine.Names first, yeah?Maybe try a handshake.”The fae’s nails were long, curved, and sharp looking.Black as ink or ash.“And don’t make it sound like you think either of you is unfuckable.”He didn’tquitelook Declan up and down.Too sharp to be pretty.But definitely hot, with those wings and those bright blue eyes.“'Murder punk' is definitely someone’s type.”
“I will keep the advice in mind,” Declan rasped.“Maybe even put all the piercings back in.Be well, Antonio.Mother will keep a better eye on her beast next time.”
Declan turned away and started walking.Antonio didn’t follow him.But he watched him, like he shouldn’t have, until he couldn’t see him anymore.Then he closed the door, picked up the toy Camaro, and climbed into the gutted Pontiac, resting his head on the wheel.Steel, leather, and oil.
Safe.He was safe.
He wasn’t fucking safe.
