My mouth dropped open, and I spun around to face Brenon. "What? You can't be serious. Taking him to the circus? He's human."
Brenon smirked. "Don't worry. They won't see him as a risk to the curse. He's not exactly my type."
The idea of Joe being anywhere around Evangeline and Miles freaked me out. They weren't exactly the welcoming type. It had taken a lot to get them to not want to kill me, and I wasn't sure they were entirely over that desire yet. "You sure that's a good idea?'
I looked at the two men who were currently occupying most of my heart. The only man in my life missing was Ryder. Thankfully, he was safely away from this mess. No matter the outcome of this attack on Terra, I was going to lose Brenon. I couldn't lose Joe, too.
"Ara, you trust this guy, right?" Joe asked. "Let me do this."
How could I argue with that? He was right. I did trust him. And at least Joe wouldn't be out in the open, unprotected. He'd be with us in the fight. I glanced up at Brenon. "Can you at least ask Goldie to keep an eye on him for me?"
Brenon brushed a stray lock away from my face. "Of course."
"Who's Goldie?" Joe asked.
"She's a friend," I said.
"Kay, do you know where the arrowroot powder is?" Gia asked as she walked into the room.
"I'll show you." Aunt Kay stood, then led Gia away from the room.
"Will you two be with the Circus until tonight?" I asked.
Brenon nodded, then slapped Joe on the back. "Don't worry. I'll keep him busy for you. I'm sure Goldie will have lots for him to do."
"Is the train nearby?" I asked, wondering if I could go with him and return in time. While there had been bad things that happened to me on the train, it felt more comfortable than my aunt's house. I felt like I belonged there. Which, I suppose made sense now that I knew I was half-Fae.
Brenon held up Gia's car keys. "We'll use the bug."
There had been too many goodbyes lately. As much as I wanted to lock down my heart and not let the Ringmaster back in, it hurt too much to fight it. I had hoped we'd have at least a little bit of time together before he returned, but now we were facing the attack on Terra in a few hours. Would they expect me to open the gate right away if we defeated her?
"Hey, we're all going to be fine." Joe pulled me into a hug. "This is going to be over soon. Then everything will be back to normal. We'll go back to my apartment. You can stay as long as you want. I can even get you a job at my company if you want. We always need people who are good with numbers."
Normal. What was that like? Could I even go back to normal? Not long ago, it seemed like the only thing I wanted was a return to normalcy. Boring, even. I looked over at Brenon. He was far from boring. He was nothing like what I thought I wanted in my life, but right now, he was feeling like everything I needed. What would I do when he and the rest of the Fae went home?
"I'll meet you outside," Joe said, leaving Brenon and me alone in the room.
"I should get going," Brenon said.
"We sure say goodbye a lot," I said.
He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine sending tingles through my body. Since our first kiss in the shower, I'd wanted more from him. Leaving him had been one of the most painful things I'd ever done, and with each moment that drew us closer to the gates being open, I knew I'd have to experience that again. I pressed back into the kiss, hoping to burn this memory into my mind forever. Something that I could recall when I was missing him in the future. No other man had ever made me feel the way he made me feel. Not that I'd let many men try, but still, I had the sense that no kiss would ever live up to even our fleeting moments together.
He pulled away. "We'll have more time after you're safe."
I nodded, unable to vocalize the tangle of thoughts surrounding his return to Faerie.
After a quick kiss on my forehead, he left. I stared at the door, watching the place where he'd been just moments before, feeling more confused and overwhelmed than I had when I'd simply been angry at him. Maybe that would have been easier. I shook the thought away. I knew it was impossible to stay away from him.
"You and the Ringmaster," Aunt Kay's voice sounded from behind me.
I turned to look at her.
"Your grandmother is probably turning in her grave."
I ran my hand through my hair. "I don't need this right now, Aunt Kay."
"Magical beings are often drawn to magic that is similar to our own. It brings a sense of comfort. It's why so many Sayges live in the same communities. I suppose I should have expected this from you."
"And why I never felt like I fit in anywhere when I was younger?" I added, surprised at how bitter I sounded.
"I've said I was sorry." She looked it, too.
"I know." I sighed. "I'm sorry, it's just been a long few days. And..." I couldn't finish the thought. The biggest thing bothering me wasn't Terra or our impending battle, and it was sending a surge of guilt through me. Shouldn't I be more concerned about the fate of the world or my own life than a relationship?
"You're worried about saying goodbye," she said.
I nodded. "It's stupid, I know. Please don't lecture me."
"There's no harm in it, I suppose," she said. "Other than the heartbreak when he goes. If you were human, we'd have to worry." She winked at me.
Was my aunt referencing my nonexistent sex life? "Okay, I'm done talking about this. What can I do to help us get ready?"
Chapter 20
I found Maggie and Aunt Kay in the basement in a room that looked like it belonged in a mad scientist's house. Bottles and containers of things I didn't recognize lined the walls. On the table, there were glass vials and a set up of glass bottles, rubber tubes, and measuring tools. It reminded me of my high school chemistry lab. I thought setups like this only existed in the movies. Or drug dealers houses. "What are you guys doing down here?"
Maggie looked up from where she was weighing something on a scale. "We're making iron powder. You really have been cut off."
I stepped completely into the room and looked at the small piles of shimmery silver powder on the scale. "Iron powder? Like shaved nails?"
Aunt Kay laughed. "Something like that. There's a Sayge supplier we purchase specialty supplies from."
I shook my head. There is a special supplier just for Sayge spells? How big was the Sayge community? From what they all had been saying it sounded like it was a small group of people. And now I find out about hidden villages and special mail-order services. Part of me wanted to learn more about this community and part of me wanted to get as far away as possible.
I leaned in closer to an iron powder, and Maggie jumped shoving me away from it. "What are you doing?"
"I was just trying to get a closer look."
"You do realize your half Fae," Maggie said.
"I don't understand any of this. What does that have to do with anything?" I said.
Aunt Kay let out a sigh. "Good catch, Maggie."