Ghost Light

Chapter 28

Steam rolled out into the loft as I opened the bathroom door. My superheated skin and Ceff’s water magic had filled the tiny room with steam so thick I couldn’t see. Not that sight was a necessary sense for what we’d been up to.

I stepped out into the apartment and blinked at my roommate leaning against the kitchen counter. It must have been later than I thought if Jinx was out of bed. Ceff and I were still holding hands, not yet ready to break the connection of our touch. I was pretty sure that if we let go, I’d have to suffer through the visions when we touched again.

Jinx looked between us and shook her head. I was wrapped in an old robe that showed too much leg and Ceff wore a towel low on his hips. Jinx had dark circles around her eyes and held a mug of coffee to her lips.

“I want my prudish roommate back,” she said. “She was much quieter and didn’t hog the shower.”

“Sorry,” I said.

We walked over to the breakfast nook and each perched on a stool facing Jinx. When she slid two mugs of coffee across the counter, I shifted my bare foot toward Ceff’s, twining our legs together at the ankle. There were a lot more ways to remain touching than just holding hands.

I flashed my friend a goofy grin and breathed in the scent of fresh coffee. My grin faltered when Jinx turned her face and I realized the dark circles weren’t entirely from lack of sleep. A large, purpling bruise rose along Jinx’s cheekbone.

That bruise hadn’t been there yesterday, which meant it wasn’t from the cemetery battle. Jinx was clumsy and no stranger to bruises, but the bruise on her face looked suspiciously like the imprint of someone’s fist. I cracked my knuckles and stared at Jinx.

“Are you alright?” I asked. “What happened to your face?”

“This?” she asked. “It’s nothing. You should see the other guy.”

“A man did this to you?” Ceff asked.

His voice was low and threatened violence. I could feel the anger vibrate through his body where we touched. I clenched my jaw and reached for knives that weren’t there. Ceff and I were in agreement. If someone did this to Jinx, they were going to pay.

Jinx shrugged.

“I went to see Hans last night while you two were trying to bring the building down,” she said. “Big mistake.”

Oh crap. I’d forgotten to tell Jinx about Hans’ temper tantrum the night the clurichaun got her drunk. So much had happened since then that the call had totally slipped my mind, but that was no excuse.

“I am so sorry,” I said. “I mentioned you’d been drinking with a clurichaun. I didn’t know he was anti-fae.”

“It’s alright,” she said. “I didn’t know either. I mean, I knew he was a Hunter. But I didn’t realize he was such a racist douche. When I said I’d just helped to save thirty-three fae kids, he smacked me in the face.”

“I’ll kill him,” I said.

I broke contact with Ceff, launched myself from the barstool, and ran toward my room. This was no time for cuddling. I needed my knives. I looked down at the robe and bare legs and added clothes to the list. Ceff, moving fae fast, was pulling on jeans and grabbing his trident.

Hans was going to pay.

“No, wait,” Jinx said.

She stood in the doorway and shook her head.

“I took care of it,” she said. “Plus, if you two, a pure-blooded fae and a half-blood, go attacking Hans, he’ll have the entire Hunter’s Guild on your ass. He’s not worth it.”

I paused while strapping a throwing knife to my forearm.

“How did you take care of it?” I asked. “Did you shoot him with your crossbow?”

After what Hans had done to my friend’s face, I wouldn’t settle for anything less than painful impalement.

“Nope, stabbed him with a hair stick,” she said. Jinx grinned. “I didn’t have the crossbow with me, didn’t think I’d need it on a date with a Hunter. I’m rethinking that for the future.”

With Jinx’s taste in men, that was probably a good idea. Maybe we could find a crossbow dressed up with sequins. Jinx was all about the accessories.

“I hope you also broke up with the guy,” I said.

“Hell yeah,” she said. “I like bad boys, not batterers.”

Jinx had stabbed Hans with a hair stick. It may not have been one of my knives, but Jinx had shown the guy she wasn’t a pushover. I grinned showing teeth.

“If he comes near you again, call me,” I said.

“And me,” Ceff said.

“Like I said, Hans would only be getting his way if my two faerie friends attacked him,” she said. “I’m not getting either of you in trouble with the Hunter’s Guild.”

“Then call Jenna,” I said. “In fact, don’t wait. Call her now and tell her how Hans attacked an unarmed human.”

Jinx smiled and grabbed her phone.

“Technically, I wasn’t unarmed,” she said. “Those hair sticks did a number on his neck. Totally ruined one of his tats.”

“If you weren’t carrying a blade or bow, you were unarmed,” I said. “Hair accessories don’t count. Call Jenna. Maybe you can keep the guy from beating another girl. The Hunter’s Guild has rules and I’m pretty sure Hans just broke a few of them.”

Jinx pulled up Jenna’s number and sauntered into her room.

“Do you think she’ll be alright?” Ceff asked.

“Yes, nothing a little revenge won’t cure,” I said. “Jenna will set things straight. And if that guy ever comes sniffing around here, he’ll come face to face with my blades.”

“You’re sexy when you’re angry,” he said.

Ceff stood beside the door to my room raking my body with his gaze from head to toe. I blushed, realizing I was wearing nothing but a robe and the knives strapped to my wrists. I hadn’t gotten around to putting clothes on yet.

My breath quickened and I licked my lips. I stepped toward Ceff, wondering how bad the visions would be this time around. I looked up into Ceff’s face and his eyes flashed green. For the first time in my life, I didn’t care about the potential severity of a vision.

I kicked the door shut and let the robe drop to the floor.