I paused.I hadn’t yet gotten used to how much some humans cared as to who was fucking who.Back in Otherworld, it only mattered when the subject of producing an heir arose.Here, it seemed certain factions wanted to regulate the sex partners you had.Which, of course, seemed both preposterous and wrong.
Iris seemed to notice my hesitation.“Did I say something wrong?”
“No,” I said.“I’m still…there are certain human preoccupations that I don’t understand.I may be half-human, but I was raised in Fae culture.It doesn’t matter.”Turning my thoughts to other matters, I added, “Should we decorate with more than the pumpkins?For Samhain…Halloween, I mean?”
“Well, actually, the FBH witchesdocelebrate Samhain, and some also celebrate Halloween,” Iris said.“Think of Halloween as a secular party day.I think it would be fun, to be honest.”
“Then maybe you can pick up what you think we need?”I asked.“Just take whatever petty cash you need for shopping.”
Iris nodded.“I can do that—” She paused as the door opened and Chase Johnson came in.
Speaking of rolling eyes…
Chase Johnson was a swarthy man, a detective who had helped us get adjusted when we first arrived about six months ago.He was the brainchild behind the FH-CSI.The Faerie-Human Crime Scene Investigation Unit gave the police the chance to merge the Supe Community residents with humans, bringing them into positions of authority.
Given the scope of the organization, it had been the perfect choice for the OIA to use, to hide our clandestine assignment to Earth.We had a conduit to local law enforcement without having to break cover.
Chase knew who we were, though I hadn’t told him the real reason we were ordered over here.Not yet.
I didn’t enjoy talking about my prick of a boss back in Otherworld.Lathe had been after my ass the entire time I worked for the OIA.And when I’d refused to spread my legs for him, he had managed to find a reason to send us Earthside, after a number of bad write-ups.
The shop bells jangled as he closed the door behind him, shaking the rain off his head.
“Hey, Camille, Iris.How goes it?”Chase was a little too friendly for my tastes, and he had an unnatural fixation for breasts, but unlike Lathe, he never pushed the boundaries.
“You’re wet,” I said, grinning.
He blinked.“Um, it’s raining.”
“Here.”I tossed him the towel that we had behind the counter.“Dry your hair.”
“Thanks,” he said, picking it up.“Mind if I sit?”
I shook my head as he took a seat at a folding table we kept near one of the bookshelves.I picked up the letter and sauntered out from behind the counter to join him.
“So, I got this today.”I tossed the letter onto the table.
He arched his eyebrows, opened the envelope, and withdrew the paper.As he shook it open and read it, he let out a grunt.
“First question: do you have any idea of who sent this?”He glanced at the envelope.“No return address.”
“Astute observation,” I said with a snort.“We already figuredthatout.As to:do I know who sent it?Not in the least.Could be any number of people who don’t like seeing the Fae flaunt their existence.I thought you might add it to the pile.”I had already accumulated five or six of these missives, and each one was safely in a file folder on Chase’s desk.
He tucked it away in his pocket.They had already checked for fingerprints on a few of them, but the letters passed through so many hands that Chase deemed it useless to check the envelopes.The letters themselves were devoid of prints, so whoever sent them must have been wearing gloves.
Chase yawned.He winced as he stretched.
“You okay?”I asked.
“Just tired,” he said.“And I ache.I had a rough night.”
I looked closer.Helookedtired.Chase was usually pretty upbeat, and he was in good shape, so for him to look off said something.
“What happened yesterday?”I asked.He had done us a lot of favors and, other than him poking around my skirts, he was a good-hearted man.We had seen that several times.Chase always tried to give kids a break when they were hauled into juvie, and several had gotten their acts together thanks to his tough-love advice.
He shrugged.“We were chasing some sort of creature through a park.It ran between a couple of huckleberry bushes.I was in front, so I followed it.I…” He paused, looking uncomfortable.
“What?Spill it,” I said.The shop was empty, so I decided to pry a little.