He points to the stinking, yelling crates. "First, we shall examine our creatures. Then, I shall wash you. Then we can begin our search."

He bends for her kiss, and this time when he kisses her in return, she doesn't protest. Her soft lips squash a little under his, warming the seductive taste of rebellion.-Bite,- whispers the mirror slyly,- whispers the mirror slyly,-lick, swallow,- and a rush of burning blood melts his resolve's cold sh.e.l.l. and a rush of burning blood melts his resolve's cold sh.e.l.l.

Her fingers shake in his flame-rippled grip, and she fidgets. "Must you wash me, Akash?"

"I like to look at you. I wish to make you even prettier. Don't you want me to?"

She blinks shyly. "If you wish it."

She still doesn't understand. She has her own wishes now. He squeezes her little hands together. "But do you wish it, Indra?"

Confusion clouds her face. He kisses the crease between her brows, and that rebellious taste flares stronger. He smiles, free at last, and tilts her chin up to bring her lips to his.

A shocked moment, and then her warm lips spark alive into a feverish kiss. Akash trembles against her, his body awash with strange needy sensation. She doesn't taste of flowers and breeze and raindrops, the bright comforting taste of home. She tastes of flesh, hot and glorious, her lips smooth and supple on his, her tongue emerging shyly to rub against his. He sighs into her, sharing their breath, and the little sound she makes in her throat tastes of bewilderment and fresh desire.

But she breaks off, her breath heaving and scarlet flooding high in her cheeks, and avoids his eyes.

He knows now what wanting involves. So easily fed, this need. He reaches for her, his body burning.

But she shakes him off with all her strength. "No, Akash. It is not right. I do not wish it." Her flushed face tightens in disapproval, and she runs, her footsteps disappearing into the gloom.

"Indra. Return." He clenches shaking hands and calls out to her, the fairy's stolen sparks fingering his skin. But she doesn't turn. She won't obey him. Something is broken. He hurries after her, out into the dirty alley where broken gla.s.s glints orange in fresh sunlight. Hot summer breeze caresses his face as he searches left and right. She's gone. Hiding. From him.

Akash licks stinging lips, still wet from kissing her. Her taste lingers in his mouth like an accusation. His newfound pride hurts, bruised by her rejection. He could find her, punish her, twist her naughty body to his will, make her hurt and cry and bleed to wash his dignity clean.

The fact that he even thinks that forces a strangled scream of fury from his throat. He whirls and grabs the mirror, ripping it open with a vicious squeeze. The gla.s.s glints at him, uncaring, and steals silent black fingers toward his misbegotten soul.

A sly caress inside him, soft and dark like midnight feathers. His will wilts, parched by her absence. What is there, without that perfidious sky? Without her? He is alone. Alone, and lonely.

The mirror cackles, triumphant.

The sound coats his courage in fresh steel. He is not alone. He still has purpose. He will stay in this painbright world that fires his blood, and nothing Shadow can do will stop him. Kane has answers, and Akash will have them. He must.

He wills his stare stronger, his eyes blazing back at him from the gla.s.s like sapphire frost. "No. Obey me. I am stronger here. Obey."

The mirror squirms in the clutches of his death-blue gaze and relents with a petulant snivel.

Impish thing. Defeated, or just giving in for now? Akash frowns. He knows capitulation. He's been there himself so many times, the reluctant smile, the modest lowering of eyes, the whispered acquiescence in return for freedom.

But no matter. Purpose served.

Akash smiles at his new servant, and flame flickers from his teeth. "Good. Never mind the other creatures for now. Find me the yellow girl."

The mirror whimpers and obeys.

16.

Vine leaves ruffled on the pine pergola, dappling the afternoon sun pleasantly on my face. The air swarmed with deliciousness, my nose o.r.g.a.s.ming in a wash of melted b.u.t.ter and coffee and peppery tomato bruschetta. Valentino's was half-empty, too late for lunch and too early for dinner, and a caramel-eyed waiter winked at me as he glided by between empty linen-draped tables, his tray laden with scones and iced chocolate drinks in tall gla.s.ses.

I kicked my feet against the wooden legs of my chair, enjoying sultry summer warmth, and dipped my spoon in the berry ice cream mountain on my plate. Chocolate sauce dribbled down pink slopes, loaded with colored sprinkles, and I caught it with my tongue, dark cocoa sweetness melting into my mouth. Mmm Mmm. Valentino's has the best fudge sauce in the whole world.

Across from me, a fat green spriggan with an armload of shopping bags slurped a latte, bubbles frothing out her nose. In the corner, a pair of black-suited trolls muttered and gulped espressos, tusks gleaming and sharp yellow claws digging into the little cups, and next to them a giggling blue air sprite swiveled golden wings and poked his nose into a plate of whipped cream.

Next to me, Indigo reclined in his chair, long denim-clad legs stretched out. The crisp black ends of his hair stuck to his dark cheeks in the heat, and sweat slicked his arms with copper as he scooped up an icy pink blob. His bangle rainbowed in the sun, green and blue swirls flashing. Left arm. Definitely the left.

Summer, ice cream, cute waiters, a date with Indigo. Doesn't get much better than this.

Except maybe not being chased by gangsters or going insane. But you can't have everything.

I chewed on a marshmallow, soft sugar popping between my teeth. "So . . . what's the story on you and this mirror, anyway? You did for Kane already. Whadda you care?"

"You first." Indigo sucked ice cream from his spoon, his lips gleaming a surreal pink.

Nerves squiggled my blood. I didn't want to tell him my stupidity. "Why do I have to go first?"

"I asked first." An errant strawberry blob dribbled down his fingers, and I watched to see what he'd do. The ice cream test. Waste it? Wipe it? Would he be swift and thoughtless, or deliberate?

He ducked and licked the drips up. Slow, sensual, savoring, his dark tongue sliding lovingly over his knuckles and his claws. Not a drop spilt. I squirmed, my damp thighs sticking on the cane. Sweet and dead s.e.xy at the same time. Great. I'm turned on just watching him eat ice cream. Great. I'm turned on just watching him eat ice cream.

I swallowed my next mouthful too fast, and my freezing throat ached. "I asked last night. You first."

He shrugged, crushing chocolate shavings into the plate with his spoon. "Told you. Kane wants it back. You're lucky he's not coming after you, magpie girl."

"Yeah. Guess so." I recalled Kane's strange, absent touch and shivered. Indigo picked at a stain on the tablecloth, determined to look at it instead of at me. Did he care that I'd slept with Kane? A little bit jealous, even?

At last his gaze met mine, soft warm gray like rain clouds. "So what's your story, Ice? Why fence it one day and scrabble after it the next?"

I stuffed more ice cream into my mouth, my teeth protesting with a cold spike into my gums. My voice squelched through a freezing mouthful. "No reason. I realized I got ripped off, that's all. Quang's a sneaky little s.h.i.tball."

Indigo laughed, silver teeth sharp. "Right. You looked into the gla.s.s."

"Nope." I gurgled as I swallowed, my throat sore. How did he know? Had he looked, too?

"Did so."

"Did not."

"Did so. How'd you know it's a mirror, if you didn't open it?"

"Did n-Oh." He had me there. I sighed. "It's shiny, okay? You should understand that. I saw a pretty shiny thing and I took it. But it wasn't as much fun as I thought, so I got rid of it."

"Don't believe you. What happened, Ice?"

His gaze didn't falter, and my spine p.r.i.c.kled under his scrutiny. I bristled, mirrorspiked words bubbling up in my throat. "Nothing, okay? Just this stupid guy on the tram, and then I messed up our fortune-telling con because I couldn't lie, and then there was this vampire and I wanted him to drink me and Kane said he'd make me better if I gave the mirror back and then you came along and pulled that switch on me like you do, nasty one minute and nice the next, and what the h.e.l.l is it with that anyway, and then Blaze hissed at you and I went with him and we had s.e.x. Three times. In front of Azure. And now she hates me and he avoids me and we owe the Valentis five grand by Friday and Quang's dead and the DiLucas are chasing me and I've ruined my life over a piece of f.u.c.king gla.s.s. Okay?"

My stomach tied in bulging knots, and sickness threatened to swamp me. Surely he'd despise me more than ever now. Tears slashed at my eyes like acid, and I fumbled them away, dreading the look I'd get from him, that little upturned lip of disgust.

But he just chewed his claw, silvery teeth flashing. "So . . . Kane will cure you if you give it back?"

My strangled heart relaxed, just a little. He wasn't judging me. I sniffed, stupid grat.i.tude tearing me up all over again. "Yeah. Lucky for me we're both taking it to the same place, right?"

"Lucky. And Blaze . . . isn't your boyfriend, then?" He scratched at the tablecloth, like he wasn't really interested in my answer.

I sc.r.a.ped my face clean with my palm, my throat tight. "No, he's not my d.a.m.n boyfriend. He's not even my friend anymore. Dead grandmothers and incest. Don't wanna talk about it. Okay?"

I rummaged in my bag for something, anything to do that didn't involve thinking or looking at him. Diamonds spilled over my sticky fingers. My phone tumbled out, the screen flashing neon with a new text message. I ignored it. Probably Blaze, giving me s.h.i.t. I wasn't in the mood.

Coins rolled onto the tablecloth, a couple of bucks at most. Good thing this woolly mammothsized sundae was on Indigo. Tissues. A squashed green jelly bean. Can opener. Lipstick, color orange. And amongst the rabid gleam of diamonds, a flash of scarlet-spiked silver.

I stared, and scrabbled the diamonds aside.

Tarnished silver skulls glinted up at me, ruby eyeb.a.l.l.s flashing, threaded on a fat spiked chain.

My stalking biker boy's necklace. Tangled in the diamonds from Quang's safe.

I recalled the kid's weird blue eyes, the way he'd smiled at me when I hit him. Like he expected me. Like he'd been listening. Excitement tightened my throat. "Look at this!"

Indigo wrinkled his nose. "Yuck. Bit morbid, isn't it?"

"It was in my diamonds. I saw a guy wearing it at the Court last night."

"So?" He dipped up some ice cream and flicked it at me.

Chill stung my cheek. I wiped it off and glared at him. "So, sometime between last night and this morning, he's swapped it to Quang. How much you reckon it's worth?"

Water flooded his eyes, and he sniffed, wiping his nose. "Chromium. Stinks like rotten apples. So they're real rubies. So what? Wanna put all that back in your bag before someone rolls you for it?"

Caution. Boring. Antic.i.p.ation thinned my pulse, and I bounced up and down in my seat, water droplets spraying. "But what if that guy swapped it for the mirror?"

"Maybe. Coulda swapped it for a couple hundred bucks and a b.l.o.w. .j.o.b, too. Mosquitoes and chopsticks, Ice. You're grabbing at anything."

I scowled, my enthusiasm dented. "Sure, go all superior on me. You got any better ideas?"

Indigo glanced at the coffee-chugging trolls and casually pushed the diamonds toward me without looking. "Cactus up your nose, Ice, will you stop attracting attention?"

My wings bristled. "Why've you gotta-?"

A thick hand slammed onto my shoulder. "Nice diamonds, fairy girl. I think they're mine."

I gulped at those sharp European consonants. My voice shriveled to a husk. "Sonny . . . I mean, Mr. Valenti. Hi. I was just looking for y-"

"Good of you to bring 'em by." Sonny loomed over me, his hulking leather-clad shoulders blocking out the sun. Dark, hard-eyed, his mouth thin and stained from too many cigarettes. A bit like his cousin Angelo, without the teeth or the old-world manners. With a permanent case of fire ants up his a.s.s because his self-absorbed and glaringly gay cousin Nino had to die raped in some sordid hotel apartment before Ange would give Sonny Nino's place as second in charge. Jealous as a s.h.i.thouse dog because Ange still prefers lizard-a.s.s faeborn confidants to him. And in an eternal bad mood because Ange still won't give him the other thing he wants, that h.e.l.lcursed blood infection that makes you last forever.

All of which makes Sonny V one big, ugly, bad-tempered Italian dude.

My excitement bubbled forlornly, lost in smothering dismay. I never get to keep them.

I stole my hand out, but Indigo wrapped his arm around me to hold me back. His whisper warmed my cheek. "Too late. Leave it."

The fact that he'd warned me only stung my despair harder. I wriggled, helpless. Why'd I have to flash them around like that? At Valentino's, of all places?

Sonny lifted a fistful of shinies twinkling to the sun, his broad forehead creasing. "Very nice. How much you and your pals owe me again?"

I hate it when they ask questions they already know the answers to. Never bodes well. I swallowed, dry, and firmly pushed Indigo's arm away. "Five thousand."

"These'll be nice, then. Good girl." That condescending smirk I hated.

I managed a weak smile, faint brightness struggling in my heart even though rage lathered my blood at this forced meekness. At least something good might come of this. He'd leave us alone, at least for a while. "So we're square, then?"

Sonny stuffed my lost jewels into his pocket and turned away. "Sorry. I can only accept payment in cash. End of the week, darlin'. As before."

I gaped at his wide black-clad back, indignant. "But that's not fair!"

Sonny halted.

Indigo's arm tensed on the table, muscles twisting. Sharp unease sliced my nerves. Oops. Oops.

Sonny turned and pounced on me.

I yelped and jerked backwards, but he was quicker than he looked. He wrapped his fat fingers around my shoulder, his dirty teeth shining an inch from my nose. "Life isn't fair, fairy girl. Wanna talk about it?"

My shoulder screeched, pain warm and horrid like his coffee-soaked breath. His fingers crushed into my collarbone, and anger flared hotter than the hurt. My rage boiled over, and I swatted at him, claws raking. "Ow! Get off me, you dirty fairy-beating a.s.shole."

"Umm. Yeah. We were just leaving." Indigo folded his long hand over mine and squeezed, hard, and the twin pressures made me gasp at my foolishness.

But Sonny shoved me, and I tumbled, ice cream splashing. I scrabbled for Indigo's hand, but my fingers slipped, and my bony b.u.t.t bounced on the hard floor, crumpling my wing tips under me. My palms skidded and ripped on sandpapery tiles. "Ow! That hurt! Stupid p.r.i.c.k."

Sonny wiped the hand he'd hurt me with on his pants, and his flat gray eyes gleamed disgusted as he loomed over me. Behind him, the two trolls lumbered up, their suits too tight, big green foreheads shining dully in the sun. They fixed beady little eyes on me and grunted, thudding their scaly fists together.

My skin shrank. I scrambled back a few inches like a frightened crab, banging my head into the latte-swilling spriggan's chair. Surely they wouldn't. Not in front of everyone.

But the cream-nose fairy had already crawled away under the tables, and the shop-till-you-drop spriggan sidled from her seat, hairy ears pinned back like a scared dog's. She scrabbled for her shopping bags and ran out, toeclaws clicking.

Now Valentino's was empty.

Sonny grinned. "Say you're sorry."

At the sight of that supercilious smile, rage lit me up like a flash-bulb.

Memories erupted over my skin like lava. All the times some brainless gangster had threatened me, all the times I'd ever dredged up a false smile and fluttered my lashes when I felt like raking my claws down their smug faces. Every guy who tried to force me, every fae-dissing idiot who ever hit me or teased me or threatened me, pushed me against a wall as they pa.s.sed or pretended I wasn't there. Even when I was a little girl, all the times I'd stared wide-eyed at humans, their safe families, their careers, their rich carefree lives, and someone said, No, darlin', you can't ever have that. You're different. You're trash. You're just a silly fae girl. Get back in the dirt where you belong No, darlin', you can't ever have that. You're different. You're trash. You're just a silly fae girl. Get back in the dirt where you belong.

My skin swelled with angry vapor, and mirrorstolen courage ignited my blood like wet phosphorous.