Confusion clouded Skye’s eyes and she slowly shook her head from side to side. “I don’t understand why I craved it. But I’ll never want it again after what happened this time.”
Kheelan steepled his fingers and regarded her with curiosity. She had to be drawn to it by her half-fae metabolism. Why couldn’t she realize her true nature? It seemed wrong to tell her. Surely it was something she must discover on her own. There were only four days left now until Samhain. Could he have been wrong about her? He would have to get his hands on the fairy legend book again, even if Finvorra caught him. He must be missing something. Things weren’t adding up. He stood abruptly, scraping the plastic and metal library chair against the concrete floor.
“Where are you going?”
“Sorry, Skye. I’ve got some investigating to do. You’ve been a tremendous help.”
She stood, looking vulnerable and uncertain. Kheelan felt like he had just kicked a kitten.
“Guess you need to check out that list of names I gave you.” She cocked her head toward the file.
“Right. I’ll walk you home.”
She pulled on her coat with jerky, abrupt movements, then flung her purse over a shoulder. “Don’t bother, seeing as how you’re so busy.”
“I insist.” Kheelan followed her stiff back out of the near-deserted library. He’d pissed her off. Great, just what he needed.
At the exit door, he reached a hand to her shoulder and she shot him an impatient glare. He dug out an iron medallion from his coat pocket. “For you.” He laid it in her hand and her forehead creased.
“What’s this for?”
“An iron amulet, for protection against the Dark Fae.”
Her eyes softened, grew contrite. “I don’t think I’ll need it, but thanks.” She let him clasp it behind her neck. She inhaled sharply.
“Problem?”
“It stings a little. What did you do – put some voodoo mojo on it?”
Kheelan hesitated. The iron was to repel the bad fae, but it burned the Seelie Fae as well. “If it’s too much against your skin, carry it in your pocket.” He started to undo the necklace clasp.
“No, it’s bearable. I’ll admit to being freaked out by the bad Fae. How long does that fairy ointment work anyway? I thought it would have worn off by now.”
He shrugged and watched Skye detour into one of the stacks and run her fingers over book spines on a shelf. “I love libraries. Everything’s so neatly arranged, no matter where you in the country you can rely on the Dewey Decimal System and find exactly what you want.”
He assumed a poker face. “Unless the library uses the Library of Congress classification system, like this one.”
“Smart aleck. You know what I mean.”
“I know Miss OCD poster child.” Skye would be a perfect fairy librarian. He could see her wasting several human lifetimes categorizing the Fae’s mountain of minutia. He had no idea why they did so, although he guessed it was their way of imitating and studying humans. For all their vanity and ego, Kheelan suspected that fairies secretly regarded humans as mysterious and unfathomable creatures. Perhaps collecting all this meticulous information was their way of studying human behavior, trying to find patterns.
As soon as they walked out the door of the ordered safety of the library, they were immediately surrounded.
The screeching assaulted her brain, so high-pitched and careening, it terrified her even more than the frightening apparitions. Skye staggered, then clasped her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. She reeled and gathered into herself, a tight ball of tensed flesh. Kheelan drew her against his chest.
Two things happened simultaneously; all sound abruptly cut off, and the ground shook beneath their feet. Cautiously, Skye unplugged her ears and opened her eyes.
The darkness teemed with alien creatures, all pointing down the road to something invisible to her.
“Phouka,” Kheelan muttered. “Crap.” He grabbed her arm. “My truck’s just ahead.” He jerked his head in the direction of the library parking lot by the side of the building. “Run as fast as you can.”
Skye responded immediately to his urgency and they took off. This drew the attention of the fairies and they began pointing their elongated arms.
“Tacharan. Changeling. They’re coming for you and your girl,” their voices taunted with evil screeches. Their eyes radiated the predatory gleam of cats and owls. One goblin, especially bold, drew close to Skye. He was only as tall as her waist, but he grabbed a leg and pinched her thigh viciously, over and over. The other fairies laughed and egged him on.
“That’s right, Tobogan. Give her a good pinch, she likes it rough.”
“She must be punished for looking at us. Disgusting human.”
“Leave her alone, damn you.” Kheelan smacked his car keys against the goblin’s green, skinny head. “Get out of here or the Phouka will eat you alive.”