Page 24 of The Unseelie Wish

Yeah. That. “No. I haven’t.” It was too complicated. Too mixed up in everything else. And no amount of drinking or navel-gazing over the course of the week had done anything to help her figure it out. “But I’ll keep trying to sort it out.” She glanced at the clock. “For the eight hours I have until sundown, and he starts peeling my flesh off with a cheese grater.”

“I doubt he would do such a thing.”

She shot Bayodan a look.

He shrugged. “He is not the kind to cause permanent visual harm to his playthings. Whatever pain he causes you will leave no long-lasting damage in such a way as that.”

“That was not as reassuring as you think it was.” She groaned and put her head back down on her knees. “Not in the slightest.”

“Mm. I suppose I see your point.”

“Can I go for a walk on my own this time?” She stretched her legs. “I promise I won’t fuck off or get abducted by aliens.”

“As you wish. But do—eh—call—if you are in need.” He picked up the burner phone she bought Cruinn and Bayodan for their week stay on Earth. Mostly because she was sick of them lurking. Now they could just text her if they wanted to know why she was in the bath for so long.

That had been a very awkward few minutes of her screaming and throwing things as they did their best to duck out of the bathroom.

Fucking fae.

Never mind the fact they’d offered to join her through the door. While she was extremely aware of the fact that the fae all slept with each other frequently and that it really wasn’t a big deal to them, she really didn’t feel like getting into a three-way with the bizarre couple. Nor did she particularly want to add to the reasons Izael was going to use to justify torturing her.

“Nobody uses a phone to call anymore. It’s only for text.” She stood and grabbed her light coat, slipping her phone into her pocket. “I know it doesn’t make any sense, but that’s how it goes these days.”

“Humans.” Bayodan picked his book back up. “You will forever confound and fascinate me.”

“You can take the books when the day’s over, by the way.” Alex glanced at the collection that ran along the walls of the living room. “It’s not like I’m going to be here, and Pumpkin can’t read.”

Bayodan chuckled. “That you know of.”

Pumpkin yawned, but “said” nothing in return. She was happy that the animal didn’t really “talk” much, preferring to communicate by pushing things off surfaces or simply doing whatever he wanted. Cats.

Alex headed toward the door. “I’ll be back in forty-five minutes or so. If I’m not back in an hour, I don’t know, avenge my death.” She shook her head with a smile. “Which is a joke, by the way.” That’s the last thing she needed.

“As you wish.” Bayodan was already engrossed in his reading again.

She shut the door behind her and let out a breath. It was a dreary, gray day. One of those days that the fog rolled in and stayed in, protected from the sun by the clouds. It made the air misty and damp.

It was as bleak as her mood.

Because everything was just slightly moist, she wasn’t exactly going to go sit on a bench. So she opted for a circuit around the common, hands shoved into her coat pockets, and doing her best to ignore the world.

After this, she’d be back with Izael. He’d torture her. Sure, maybe he’d bring her back during the daylight hours like their contract stated, but she knew she wasn’t going to get a break from the pain.

And if it wasn’t Izael, it’d be Valroy.

Her options were thin. She wanted to wish it all away—wish that she’d never made the contract with Izael in the first place. That, she really did want. But after that? She still didn’t know.

How depressing was that? Everybody had a wish. Everybody. But not her.

“’Sup.”

Alex yelped in surprise, jumping a foot in the air. A few strangers glanced at her, but quickly went on their merry way.

She shoved the culprit. “Fuck you, Puck.”

“Later?” He batted his eyes, smiling sweetly.

“Stop doing that.” She shoved him again. “Drives me up a wall.”