Ghost Light

Chapter 29

“Are you sure you don’t need me to come along?” I asked.

Ceff rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. He was going to visit the cemetery where Melusine had died, and now was buried. He’d been standing in the doorway to our loft, eyes distant, and I wondered if I should have dressed to go with him.

“No, this is something I have to do on my own,” he said. “I must honor the dead in the way of my people. But do not worry, I’ll be back by nightfall.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” I said.

“Until tonight,” he said.

Eyes that had looked sad a moment before, now held the promise of an evening of pleasure.

“Until tonight,” I said.

I shivered, a breeze playing across my legs as the door closed behind him. I cinched my robe and looked around the apartment. Ceff and I hadn’t left the loft in days and the place was starting to look like a boggle pit. I was behind on every one of my chores, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.

I dropped onto the couch, suddenly feeling the fatigue of the past week. I was supposed to be on a week of bed rest, but so far I’d seen lots of bed and not much rest. Having Ceff gone for a few hours would do me good. I needed my beauty sleep.

Unfortunately, my over-caffeinated roommate was bored. She was suddenly single and, since we’d closed the office while I recovered from a lamia bite, had free time. Jinx skipped out of the kitchen and perched on the arm of the loveseat across from me.

“So, you ready to go out and celebrate?” Jinx asked.

“Celebrate what?” I asked.

“What are we celebrating?” she asked. “Oh, I don’t know. How about the successful rescue of thirty-three faerie kids? We made bank on that case by the way, which is another reason to celebrate. And, dun dun dun! There’s the whole you knockin’ boots with his royal hotness. You have to fill me in on all the juicy details. Like how you got past your touch phobia in such a big way. I was starting to think you’d die a virgin.”

Jinx really needed to switch to decaf.

“Let’s just say I had motivation,” I said. I smiled and rolled my eyes. “And that is the last we speak of it. I don’t kiss and tell.”

“Suuure you don’t,” Jinx said winking. “We’ll see about that after a few drinks, and dancing.”

“No way,” I said. I shook my head. “I’m not going out clubbing. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m injured. I’m supposed to be in bed, resting.”

“Right, you were getting so much rest in your bed,” she said. “Seriously, we need to go out and celebrate. I want to hear all about your hot kelpie stud. Like, was he a total stallion in bed? Does he have all his man parts? Inquiring minds want to know.”

Jinx waggled her eyebrows and I blushed.

“We are not having this conversation,” I said, fighting a laugh.

Man parts? Jinx really did have a way with words. A grin tugged at my lips, but I forced them down.

I crossed my arms over my chest, careful of my injured wrist. My wounds were healing fast, a benefit of Kaye’s magic and my fae blood, but the puncture sites on my wrist and side still ached. I really should be resting.

“Okay, fine,” she said. “I’ll stop asking about the details of your steamy, hot, fae sexcapades if you agree to come out and celebrate.”

I groaned and tossed my hands in the air.

“Okay, I’ll go celebrate, but not tonight,” I said. “I have plans with Ceff later, and tomorrow I have some unfinished business I need to take care of.”

“I’m sure you two have plans,” she said. Jinx waggled her eyebrows. “I can wait until after the honeymoon phase, if it doesn’t take too long. How about this weekend?”

“It’s a date,” I said. “Ceff has to return to the sea soon. Just a few more days and you’ll have your roommate back.”

“Good, I was starting to think I’d created a monster,” she said. “When I suggested you hook up with Ceff, I had no idea that meant an all-night light show and the need to reinforce the freaking floor. I’m seriously considering calling a contractor. We don’t want you two falling in on our clients.”

Jinx tapped her foot and gave the floor a significant look. We lived in the loft directly above Private Eye. Maybe we should call a contractor. My fae abilities were awakening rapidly and a newly realized perk was an increase in speed and strength—speed and strength that may someday rival Ceff’s. If Ceff continued spending time in our loft, we could do some serious damage. My bed crashing through into the office below could be bad for business, not to mention embarrassing.

“Go ahead and get a quote to reinforce the floor to my bedroom…and the bathroom,” I said. I felt my ears going red and fidgeted with my gloves. “You said we brought in good money on our last case. Dip into my share for the repair work.”

“Will do,” she said. “Anything else?”

“Yes, um, sorry about the light show,” I said. “I still haven’t figured out how to control my wisp abilities, but I’m working on it.”

“Don’t worry,” she said. “If you start glowing when we go out clubbing, I’ll just tell everyone that you’re rockin’ the latest glow-in-the-dark body paint.”

Apparently, even the threat of me being sentenced to death for public glowing wouldn’t stop my friend from dragging me out to the clubs this weekend. I sighed and pulled myself to my feet. I waved sleepily to Jinx, loped across the floor to my bedroom, and crawled into bed.

The pillow smelled like Ceff and I smiled, warmth spreading through my body. I relaxed, sinking into the blankets. If I closed my eyes, I could pretend he was still here with me. Light shone through my eyelids and I sighed. I’d forgotten to turn off the bedside lamp.

I opened my eyes and reached for the lamp, but the light wasn’t on. The illumination was coming from me. Mab’s bones, I had to get this under control. I was glowing more and more often now.

I needed to find my father. I planned to check in with Sir Torn and my new cat sidhe allies tomorrow, but I assumed Torn would have contacted me if he’d learned anything new. I’d hoped his network of spies would turn up something, but, according to Torn, my father’s trail went cold in Fukushima.

The wisps from the cemetery had spread the word that their princess was in town. Now I received daily visits from the beautiful, glowing orbs, but I hadn’t found a way to question them about my father. I wished I could communicate with my wisp brethren, but so far their language eluded me.

That left one person who might be able to help me locate my father.