with a curt nod.
“I’m glad to see you again so soon. You ran off so abruptly last weekend.”
“Uh, yeah, I had to work.”
“Then I am fortunate your schedule allowed you to return so quickly.” He looked at her, his smile teetering on doting. Someone sure was enamored.
Naomi realized that too. She pushed an empty cup into his hand. “Say, Cloud, do you think you could get me a drink?”
“Of course.” He rose smoothly. “What would you like?”
“Anything but the Silverheart Nectar. That stuff tastes like motor oil.”
He dipped his chin, then glided toward the bar like an ice skater. As soon as he’d been swallowed by the crowd of dancers, Sera turned to Naomi.
“He likes you.” She grinned. “And he’s cute.”
“Sure, if you like spiky hair and the smell of Fairy Lily.” Naomi stared across the room at him anyway, her gaze lingering on his sculpted chest. He was built like a swimmer. “And he’s always forgetting his shirt.”
“Maybe he just wants to get your attention,” Sera suggested.
“Hmm.” She continued to watch him, and when he returned with her drink, she set it down on the table and stood up. She grabbed his hand. “Come on, Cloud. Let’s dance.”
With bewildered delight, Cloud followed Naomi onto the dance floor. Sera watched them—and all the other couples too. They swayed slowly to the music, their arms wrapped around each other. A fairy woman rose to her tiptoes and leaned in to kiss her partner. Others were kissing too, including… Sera gaped. Wow, Naomi sure moved fast. She was making out with Cloud smack dab in the middle of the dance floor. No one seemed to notice. Well, almost no one.
“A cute couple, aren’t they?” Naomi’s aunt Cora said as she sat down beside Sera.
Sera nodded and took a bite of her cookie. It took the edge off being alone at a party of kissing couples.
“But I don’t think he’s the one,” Cora continued. “No matter what my sister wants.”
“Probably not,” Sera agreed.
“That Cloud is certainly nice to look at, but he’s not good enough for her. She is special.”
“She sure is.”
Cora smiled. “When two supernaturals of different species mate, you never know what kind of offspring you’ll get. Naomi has more power than she knows. She’s just waiting for it to be unlocked.”
“Yes, I’ve felt that. Her magic is different, even than other hybrids.”
Cora nodded. “Naomi’s father was one of the most powerful fairies of his time. Celeste was once a top-rated elemental. She could wield all the elements. Fire was her favorite.”
Sera looked at Cora in surprise. “She feels like earth magic.”
“A Sniffer, are you? You’re the one who uncovered the Grim Reaper?”
“How—”
“How could I know about that when I’m all the way out here, so far separated from the rest of the world?”
“The Council is keeping the details of that encounter under wraps.”
“Secrets have a way of getting out, Sera.”
No shit. And that’s what she was afraid of. No point in bringing that up, though. Instead, she opted for a noncommittal, “Oh?”
“And I used to date someone on the Council. We still see each other from time to time.”
“Blackbrooke?” Sera asked, naming the architect of the Magic Games.
Cora snorted. “No, not Duncan, though I did go out with him once to annoy my parents. He was one of their friends.”
“I see where Naomi’s sisters get their mischievous streak.”
“Celeste had it once too.” Cora’s voice scraped out in a rough whisper. “Long ago.”
“What happened?”
“Celeste and I used to hunt monsters.”
“Like Naomi?”
“Yes. Celeste and Naomi are more alike than my sister would care to admit. Her partner was a powerful fairy named Dash. He came from a commune not unlike this one, somewhere in England. His parents didn’t approve of his choice of profession, so he left home and came to San Francisco. And that’s where he met Celeste. They were the best
“I’m glad to see you again so soon. You ran off so abruptly last weekend.”
“Uh, yeah, I had to work.”
“Then I am fortunate your schedule allowed you to return so quickly.” He looked at her, his smile teetering on doting. Someone sure was enamored.
Naomi realized that too. She pushed an empty cup into his hand. “Say, Cloud, do you think you could get me a drink?”
“Of course.” He rose smoothly. “What would you like?”
“Anything but the Silverheart Nectar. That stuff tastes like motor oil.”
He dipped his chin, then glided toward the bar like an ice skater. As soon as he’d been swallowed by the crowd of dancers, Sera turned to Naomi.
“He likes you.” She grinned. “And he’s cute.”
“Sure, if you like spiky hair and the smell of Fairy Lily.” Naomi stared across the room at him anyway, her gaze lingering on his sculpted chest. He was built like a swimmer. “And he’s always forgetting his shirt.”
“Maybe he just wants to get your attention,” Sera suggested.
“Hmm.” She continued to watch him, and when he returned with her drink, she set it down on the table and stood up. She grabbed his hand. “Come on, Cloud. Let’s dance.”
With bewildered delight, Cloud followed Naomi onto the dance floor. Sera watched them—and all the other couples too. They swayed slowly to the music, their arms wrapped around each other. A fairy woman rose to her tiptoes and leaned in to kiss her partner. Others were kissing too, including… Sera gaped. Wow, Naomi sure moved fast. She was making out with Cloud smack dab in the middle of the dance floor. No one seemed to notice. Well, almost no one.
“A cute couple, aren’t they?” Naomi’s aunt Cora said as she sat down beside Sera.
Sera nodded and took a bite of her cookie. It took the edge off being alone at a party of kissing couples.
“But I don’t think he’s the one,” Cora continued. “No matter what my sister wants.”
“Probably not,” Sera agreed.
“That Cloud is certainly nice to look at, but he’s not good enough for her. She is special.”
“She sure is.”
Cora smiled. “When two supernaturals of different species mate, you never know what kind of offspring you’ll get. Naomi has more power than she knows. She’s just waiting for it to be unlocked.”
“Yes, I’ve felt that. Her magic is different, even than other hybrids.”
Cora nodded. “Naomi’s father was one of the most powerful fairies of his time. Celeste was once a top-rated elemental. She could wield all the elements. Fire was her favorite.”
Sera looked at Cora in surprise. “She feels like earth magic.”
“A Sniffer, are you? You’re the one who uncovered the Grim Reaper?”
“How—”
“How could I know about that when I’m all the way out here, so far separated from the rest of the world?”
“The Council is keeping the details of that encounter under wraps.”
“Secrets have a way of getting out, Sera.”
No shit. And that’s what she was afraid of. No point in bringing that up, though. Instead, she opted for a noncommittal, “Oh?”
“And I used to date someone on the Council. We still see each other from time to time.”
“Blackbrooke?” Sera asked, naming the architect of the Magic Games.
Cora snorted. “No, not Duncan, though I did go out with him once to annoy my parents. He was one of their friends.”
“I see where Naomi’s sisters get their mischievous streak.”
“Celeste had it once too.” Cora’s voice scraped out in a rough whisper. “Long ago.”
“What happened?”
“Celeste and I used to hunt monsters.”
“Like Naomi?”
“Yes. Celeste and Naomi are more alike than my sister would care to admit. Her partner was a powerful fairy named Dash. He came from a commune not unlike this one, somewhere in England. His parents didn’t approve of his choice of profession, so he left home and came to San Francisco. And that’s where he met Celeste. They were the best
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