Relieved, I felt the tension bleed out of me. The tendril of unease was still there, but that was understandable. I had just told a huge secret.
"So what's the plan?" she asked.
I blinked. "Oh, I don't really have one. David isn't going to say anything if he knows anything. I was thinking about seeing Merle today. If anyone knows about the gates, it would be her . . . depending on her mood."
Her features sharpened. "I'll go with you."
A laugh burst out of me. "The last time you visited Merle and Brighton with me, she called you a harlot."
"Oh yeah, she did." She grinned. "I'm sure she's forgotten."
"Ah, no. Every time I talk to her she asks if I'm still hanging out with the 'slut of Satan' and all that jazz. She hasn't forgotten."
"Slut of Satan? Wow. That's an impressive title."
"It is." I grinned. "Anyway, I think it's best if I do that alone."
She pursed her lips. "Is Renny boy going with you?"
I laughed as I stepped away from the tomb. "No. I told him I might know someone but didn't tell him who."
"Smart girl." She looped her arm through mine again and rested her chin on my shoulder, her curls tickling my cheek. "Thank you for trusting me. I was worried. Well, now I'm really worried, but for different reasons."
"I feel you." As we started to walk back through the cemetery, I asked her, "What do you think the ancients are up to?"
Her forehead wrinkled as her brows knitted. "If they want to open the gates then they would want to bring more ancients through. My maw-maw used to talk about the ancients a lot," she said. That was something I didn't know. "You know, the ones who ran the courts in the Otherworld. She said when they joined the Summer and Winter, there was only one prince, one princess, and the king and queen. That they were the most powerful and they controlled the knights—they controlled all the fae. I don't know if that part is true, but does it matter? What if the ancients here want to free them?"
A shiver coursed down my spine in spite of the bright sun. "That would be very bad."
I once asked Tink why the fae didn't stay in their world, why he didn't. He hadn't been all that happy to answer, but he'd explained how the fae had ruled over all the creatures of the Otherworld, enslaving them and nearly killing off entire species. He also said that those actions had severe consequences, but he never elaborated on them. To me, the reason why the fae were here was simple. They'd taken over their realm and now they wanted ours.
With the gateways to the Otherworld closed, they couldn't bring mortals over to their realm to feed on and entertain themselves with.
But no matter what they did, they wouldn't get those gates open.
"Tell me what you find out." Val reached over, slipping my sunglasses off and placing them on her face. I had to say they looked good on her. "I'll help you however I can."
Val and I left Lafayette, heading for the bookstore "Okay. More normal conversations," she said. "You ready for that?"
"Of course," I said, feeling a thousand times better after telling her. Truth kept the soul light.
"So what do you think about this new guy?" she asked as we stepped into the small shopping center across the street from the cemetery.
"Ren?" I looked away quickly because I could feel my cheeks start to heat. I thought about this morning and how his face had popped right into the forefront of my thoughts. "What do you mean? I told you I believe him."
"That's not what I mean. He's hot. Like really freaking hot. And he belongs to a secret organization within a secret organization, so that like tips the scales of hotness. When he was in the meeting Friday night, he smiled and my panties caught on fire." Across from the law offices, Val opened the door to the Garden District Book Shop. "You likie? Because I'd like to get me a piece of that, but only if you're not interested."
I opened my mouth to say no but nothing came out. Nothing. Not a no or a yes. Nothing.
Val spun on me, her eyes wide as she grasped my shoulders. "Oh my God, you're interested in him? You want him to set your panties on fire."
"I really don't want my undies to catch on fire." My God, why did everyone want to talk about sex right now? "At all."
She waved her hand dismissively. "You want him. You can have him. You need to break that epic dry spell of yours, and boy that would be one hell of a way to break it." Letting go, she rocked back on her heels and clapped her hands together. "My little girl is going to get laid!" Shimmying her hips, she squealed. "Finally!"
Um.
Looking to the right, I saw a woman behind the counter staring at us. To my left was a man with a small boy, maybe around the age of five or six.
"How do you get laid?" the boy asked the man.
I sighed.
Completely oblivious, Val spun around and headed straight for the romance section. I trailed after her, almost wishing we were still talking about the ancients. "You know," she said, twirling down a tight aisle, her skirt billowed out around her, "I wasn't joking when I offered to end the dry spell for you. I'm equal opportunity."
Laughing, I stopped in the middle of the row and scanned the shelf by authors' last name. "I know."
She danced over to me and draped an arm around my shoulders. "Girls are so much more fun than boys."
"I don't even need to try that out to know that's true. Wait." I bumped her with my hip. "What happened last night with your hot date? That was a guy, right?"
"Oh yeah." Slipping away, she hummed under her breath as she perused the shelves. "He . . . something else." She peeked at me through thick lashes. "I'm surprised I can walk today."
"Thought girls were more fun," I replied dryly, finally finding the last name Crownover.
"Usually." She picked up a book. "But then there are some guys. Like Ren. They are more fun. So when you going to let—"
"Don't even finish that statement." Spying the book I was looking for, I snatched it up and cradled it close to my chest as I turned to Val. "Look, I'm . . . yeah okay, I'm attracted to him. Who wouldn't be? But I've only known him a few days."
"Babe." She skipped over to me. "Babe."
"What?" I shot her a look before starting for the front of the store.
"You do not need to know him, know him, to get some. You just need to drop those panties." She paused and her eyes glazed over like she was remembering something pretty steamy. "Actually, you don't need to drop them. He could just tug them aside, and that is really hot."
"Oh my God," I murmured, and then louder, "Can we not talk about this anymore?"
"Whatever. Prude."
I smiled. "Ho."
After we paid for our books, I was sure the employees were happy to see us make our way to the exit. Walking out together, I knew I'd made the right choice by confiding in her. Val needed to know what was out there so she could protect herself. I didn't know what I'd do if I lost her.
We ended up at the coffee shop next door and didn't make it any further than the chairs. She continued on about how I needed to be in a bed or against the wall or on a kitchen counter with Ren by the end of the week until she suddenly jerked straight up in her chair, startling me.
"Are you okay?" I asked, leaning toward her.
"Crap. The time." She jumped to her feet. "I've got to go."
I raised my brows. "Hot date number two?"
"Actually, yes." She grabbed her coffee. "How do I look? Delectable?"
"Hot as usual." I held my hand out. "But can I have my sunglasses back?"
"Oh." She laughed, reaching up and pulling them off her head. She handed them over and swooped down to kiss my cheek. "I'll text you later."
"I have a feeling you're going to be really busy later."
She giggled. "If I'm lucky."
Standing, I picked up my sweet tea and bag from the bookstore. "So do I get to meet hot guy who's going to make you walk funny by tomorrow sometime?"
Val stepped back, her skirt swaying around her legs as she smiled. "You'll get to meet him." Biting down on her lip, she winked. "Be careful, okay?"
I reached out, squeezing her hand. "You too."
Chapter Nine