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Ari was the daughter of a powerful weapons maker and had inherited his talent. She was beautiful in an otherworldly way. Tall, willowy, with dark hair and silver eyes, Ari could stop traffic on a slow day and cause accidents on a weekend.
Her face was heart-shaped with a tiny cleft in her chin. With her high cheekbones and full lips, Ari was a stunner, even when slumming.
Today she wore a pair of torn-up jeans, slip-on sneakers, and a white tank top with a long cardigan. Her hair was up in a messy bun, tendrils sliding over her face when she moved.
“You look like shit,” she said as she slumped in the chair and pulled her cardigan closer around her.
My friends had never learned the art of being nice to people who’d just undergone a traumatic event. “Yes, a few months of torture isn’t great for the complexion,” I said dryly.
The slightest tightening of Ari’s eyes was the only sign of emotion she showed. “When are you leaving?”
“Excuse me?” Ari wasn’t a mind-reader. Her specialty was magic. How the hell could she know what I was planning?
Her snort held a touch of derision. “Please. We might be different types of monsters, but we think alike, Moira. You want to tear that bitch apart.” She leaned forward, her hands on her knees. “And I want to help you.”
My eyes narrowed. “Is this a test? Evie’s right outside the door waiting for me to say the wrong thing, isn’t she?”
“Nope.” Ari leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. “You know a silence spell is up. I don’t know everything that happened to you, but I can tell enough just by looking at you. You’re skin and bones, and there’s a look in your eye I’ve seen before.”
She bared her teeth. “No one who does something like that to someone should see another sun rise.”
My pulse sped up. “You’re serious?”
Ari scoffed. “Fuck yeah, I’m serious. I have a few trusted people to run the shop for a while.” She waved a hand. “I’m also independently wealthy, but traveling the world got boring after a while. You need the backup, and I have the time.”
“What will we tell Evie?”
Ari’s eyes sparkled. “I can see the bargain you made with her sparkling over your skin. What did you agree to?”
I sighed. “I’d ask for help when I needed to.”
“Easy enough. You don’t need the help. I’ll be with you. If we run into a tight spot, we’ll reach out. You don’t get a magical zing for screwing with your bargain, and Evie doesn’t get pissed at you.”
I thought about it, then glanced down at my wasted body.
Ari let out a soft breath. “Not now,” she said quietly. “You aren’t ready.”
She reached over and tapped the bag. “Your guy mixed up quite the cocktail of powerful blood for you.” A soft, sad smile touched her lips. “Give it at least two weeks, Moira. Your vengeance will hold. Rest. Recover. Then come see me at the shop. I won’t go with you if you try to leave before then. I’ve been around this world for a long time, and I won’t let you get me killed because of stubbornness.”
She reached over and took my hand. “Promise, Moira. Take the time your body needs to heal. Then come find me. I promise we’ll chase that bitch around the world until we find her.”
As much as her words pained me, I knew she was right. “Fine.” I gave her a sharp nod. “Two weeks.”
Ari grinned. “Two weeks.”
I glanced up at my IV. “Whose is it?”
The fae shrugged and rose to stretch. “Mine. Evie’s. Tess’s. Cernunnos’s. And the gods only know who else he browbeat into donating. You’re going to be seeing colors once your body stops burning through energy so quickly.”
I blinked. “How in the world…”
Ari reached over and touched my shoulder. “Every single person in this house loves you. Not many people can say they’ve had a banshee pull them back from death before. Take the gift in the manner it was intended.”
She rose, her body sparkling with magic. “Two weeks, Moira. I’ll pack snacks.”
Ari disappeared in a flash of iridescent light, the bubble of silence falling in her absence.
Evie knocked on the door and entered.
