My eyes stay glued to the wall as the purple light fades and the clay red bricks return with hints of graffiti letters sprayed on it. I’ve never seen an underfae entrance, magic or otherwise, but often wondered how they move around. Obviously, I didn’t wonder hard enough to go search them out, but it crossed my mind. Especially at first, when I didn’t turn and some of the fae community turned their backs on me.
An outcast.
Like the underfae.
But I was nervous. Underfae are underfae because their appearance can’t pass as human. I could pass. I was just a squib. Who could be more human looking than me? Well, who knows after last night? Humans don’t shoot blue balls out of their hands. So there’s that.
Clanking dishes from the kitchen grabs my attention and pulls me out of my thoughts. “Hey girls,” Betty starts. “I need to run out. Grab a few supplies if you two plan on staying here for a while.”
“I don’t think we are.” I look at Lizzy.
“We may be.”
“Liz. I’m not going to hole up in a stranger’s house.”
She grabs my arm and pulls me close and whispers, “I don’t think it’s safe for you out there.”
“Why?”
“The blue ball.”
“Fluke.”
“You don’t believe that and don’t even try to make me believe you believe it.”
“How many times can you say believe in one sentence?”
“How ever many times I want. I don’t think it’s a good idea to go out until we know what we’re dealing with.”
“You’re really nervous.”
“Well, I’m notnotnervous.”
“I can’t just stop showing up for work.”
“What? The books can’t dust themselves?”
“Rude.”
“It was kind of a serious question.”
“That is my book shop. Mine. There’s no one else to run it if I’m not there.”
“Are there really that many people that come into it?”
“What the hell Liz? Yes. It’s not some cool fancy fae job for Helsgard, but I abandoned that hope when they all but turned their backs on me. No. I went out and worked my ass off to open my dream book shop. It’s old and quaint. I just finished the romance themed room.”
“Whips and chains and handcuffs?”
“Not that kind of romance.”
She frowns.
“That’s downstairs.”
“Shut the front door.”
“Well, technically back door. Its primary access is at the back door.”
