“I’ll consider it. But not tonight,” I said, and the queen’s smile faltered.
“Fine.” The heel of her shoe clicked on the ground, accenting the word. Then she turned to Falin. “Accompany her. If she gets too weak, carry her back to Faerie if you have to. If my planeweaver fades, I’ll be very disappointed. The rest of you, let’s go.”
Falin nodded without a word and passed the knapsack of bones to Ryese. He grimaced, taking the straps with two fingers and holding the bag away at arm’s distance, but he followed his aunt. The rest of the council fell in step behind them. The queen cast one more appraising gaze my way, then turned on her heel and bustled out of the garage. Maybe it was a display of power, or maybe it was just her irritation getting the better of her, but a trail of snow flurries followed in her wake. Despite the warm autumn night, they clung to the cement several seconds before finally giving up and melting into wet dots.
The small procession had already turned the corner before I looked away. Falin said nothing, but walked back to his car, slid in, and then popped the passenger door open for me. I stared at it.
Guess I have an uninvited houseguest a little while longer.
• • •
Roy, my self-appointed ghostly sidekick, was in my apartment when we arrived home. He’d apparently been pushing Scrabble pieces around on the counter for quite some time because he had several completed words. That might not sound like such a feat, but when you don’t exist on the mortal plane, manipulating objects that do takes quite a bit of energy and concentration. He looked up when I entered, his thick-framed glasses sliding down his shimmering nose.
“I was in the office this afternoon but nobody was—” He cut off, his mouth dropping open and a Scrabble tile falling from his fingers. I didn’t have to guess too hard on why.
Icelynne had followed me home.
I would have rather she hadn’t, but hey, I already had one ghost hanging around, why not two? Also, I felt bad for her. She had spent most of the drive to my house crying in the backseat.
“Alex, who and what is that?” Roy asked, shoving his fists into his faded jeans and backing up several steps. As a whole, ghosts tend toward a solitary existence. They are remanent traces of their own will, empowered by energy. When that energy runs low, some ghosts have a bad habit of cannibalizing their fellow spirits.
“Roy meet Icelynne, and vice versa,” I said as explanation of who. I pointedly ignored the “what” part of his question.
“Uh, hello,” Icelynne said. She wasn’t exactly hiding behind me, but it was a near thing.
Roy didn’t reply. He just stared. He usually had perpetually bad posture, moping around with slumped shoulders, but he was standing at his full height now, his dingy flannel shirt swaying in an unfelt breeze rolling through the land of the dead. I wasn’t sure if he was getting ready to run or rush her.
I shook my head. Ghosts.
“Play nice,” I said, and then walked across the room and sank onto the bed. I was so tired. If I blinked too long I’d probably be out for the night. But I couldn’t do that. I had to get out of this ridiculous ball gown and get to Tamara’s dinner. I bent to unzip my boots, and PC jumped in my lap. He licked my chin twice, and then hopped down and paced in front of the door. Damn, he needed a walk. I’d totally been slacking in my job as a puppy-momma today.
“I’ll take him out, if you want,” Falin said, grabbing PC’s leash. The little dog lifted on his back legs, pawing the air in front of Falin.
“Would you? That would be great.”
He gave me a smile that probably would have been dazzling if I hadn’t been so bone-dragging tired. Once the door shut behind him, I changed as quickly as my aching body would allow, but I’d only barely finished when the door opened again and PC rushed back inside.
I was officially running late now. Holly hadn’t waited for me. I couldn’t blame her. After all, I’d told her not to when I’d texted on the way to Faerie. But that meant I didn’t have a ride, and with dark having officially fallen, I couldn’t drive myself. I considered asking Falin along as my date, but that seemed way too weird, especially since I’d be doing so just for his car. So, I called a cab and hoped the restaurant served energy drinks, or at least espresso. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter 11
I woke the next morning to the sound of my phone blaring R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It,” which wasn’t what I’d left my ringtone set as. Roy. I needed to have a serious talk with that ghost. Neither he nor Icelynne had been in my apartment when I’d gotten home, but clearly he’d visited during the night. And his outlook on my current situation leaves something to be desired. Or maybe it was on his own situation. I didn’t have time to puzzle over the meaning of the ringtone. Fumbling for my purse, I dug out the phone and stared with blurry eyes at the display. The number didn’t look familiar.