I stuck my ring in his face. “See this? Daryl got it for me, and it’s enchanted to turn black when someone wants to hurt me. It turned black when Ifirst saw you.”
His eyes widened, but he nodded. “I wanted to hurt you before you hurt me.”
“And now?”
“Debatable,” he whispered, taking a hit and passing the pipe.
“Do you want to meet my best friend?” I blew out the smoke and handed it back.
“The kitten skull your bitchy roommate went on about?” He forced a scoff. “Of course I fucking do.”
I let out a choppy squeal, a sound I’d never heard come out of me before, and scooped Nebula up from my bag.
“This is Nebula! His soul is, like,attachedto his skull.” I ran my fingers over the ivory bone lovingly. “And Nebula, this is Skel!”
His soul manifested, oozing from the eye sockets and spilling out on my palms. “Skel? The one that’s been so awful to you? Pandora, what are you doing?”
“Holy fucking Fates,” Skel breathed out in shock. “It talks.”
“And you got her high.” Nebula’s disembodied voice accused.
“Hey, she’s smiling at least,” he supplied cockily.
Nebula was silent for a beat before agreeing. “Fine, but only because of that nightmare.”
“Thanks for waking me up,” I told him.
“Of course,” he said enthusiastically. “I may not have been able to help before, but I can wake you from torment.”
“Help her how?” Skel took a hit and offered the pipe to Nebula.
“None of your business,” he hissed. “I’m a skull. I can’t smoke.”
“Oh, shit, right. Right.” Skel chuckled, offering it to me instead. “I fucking love cats.”
“You do?” I took the pipe and inhaled again. The fae magic swam through my veins. “We have that in common.”
His hand closed over mine, and he brought the pipe to his lips to inhale. His gaze never left mine, then he blew out the magic over my face. “I wonder what else we have in common, princess.”
My heartbeat pounded in my throat. “Well…we can both hear Nebula. Nobody else has ever heard him. I thought Dad did once, but he told me he only heardmetalking to him.”
“No shit?” He flicked his gaze to Nebula before accepting the pipe from me. “Cool. So, Nebs, how’d you die?”
I froze.
“Do not refer to me as Nebs.” Nebula sounded offended. “And do not ask me that. That story is Pandora’s to tell.”
“Aw, come on, Nebs. Totally suits you.” His eyes fluttered shut as he yawned. “Don’t worry. I’m about to fall asleep. Maybe now, you’ll get some rest, princess. Sleep on me. You’re so warm.”
“I don’t want to get trapped in a nightmare again,” I rasped as Nebula’s soul sucked back in. I put him back into my bag and laid against Skel’s chest.
“Why do you think I got you high? Fae magic blocks demonic interference.”
It did?
My body buzzed with magic, and exhaustion funneled through me at the news.
“Skel?” I mumbled softly, feeling the rise and fall of his chest.
