It was the “please” that did it. I stepped back, letting him pass. After all, he might have been opinionated and bossy, but he had rescued me. I could hear him out. Besides, I needed to give him back his shirt.
He watched as I knelt and placed the dagger back in its holster, then gave himself a tour as I dug through the pile of clothes by the dresser. I ignored him as I searched for the oxford he’d let me borrow after he’d burned my tank top. I should keep it as a replacement. Of course, what I’d do with a man’s oxford—especially one cut to cover Falin’s broad shoulders—I didn’t know. I finally found it and folded it, ignoring the wrinkles.
Falin was standing by my counter staring at the two mugs of now-cold coffee. I hadn’t gotten around to dumping them yet. He lifted one mug. “Was someone here?”
“Is my personal life any of your business?”
“You should turn on the news.”
Was that in response to my question? What have the reporters dug up now? He just smiled at me. Dropping the shirt on the counter beside him, I walked over and flipped on the TV.
The chief of police appeared on the screen. “—are currently searching for the source of the leak. But I will go on record to say that the city hired Ms. Craft because of the mysterious circumstances surrounding the late governor’s death and disappearance. We acknowledge her as an expert in her field but will be flying in other grave witches from around the world to confirm her findings before we move forward.That’s all.” He turned, and the screen cut to Lusa’s face in the studio.
She smiled at the camera, not glancing at the notes in front of her. “That was the official report given an hour ago in a press conference called by—”
I hit the MUTE button as I wondered which bean counter had determined the city would be better off claiming they’d hired me and having to face the financial consequences of breaking a “no magic” living will than to admit unauthorized magic was used in their morgue. I turned back to Falin. “So now I was officially hired? Do I get paid?”
His lips parted, but his face was torn between amusement and bewilderment. “You don’t get arrested.”
“Great. So you came by to let me know yourself. How sweet.” I moved to the door, but he didn’t follow.
“No, I’m here because you’ve been poking around in my case, and I think you know more than you’re telling. Even if you don’t, someone thinks you do.” He hooked his thumbs in his belt, the movement making his jacket gape open and revealing his shoulder rig. “You have resources that could be useful to me, so I’m proposing we work together. A partnership of sorts.”
If there was ever a time I needed to be able to cock my eyebrow in sarcastic disbelief, this was it. Damn stitches. I settled for leaning back and crossing my arms over my chest. “Sorry, I’m done looking into Coleman. I have other things to worry about.” Like a creepy spell.
“You’ll have to find some other witch to help you find Coleman’s killer.”
“I’m not looking for the killer. I don’t think Coleman is dead. I think he changed bodies.”
I tried not to let my shock show on my face—really, I did—but I could tell by the sly smile that tipped his lips that he could read my surprise.
“You already knew that,” he said.
Who the hell is this guy? He gave the impression of distrusting witches and fae, but he accepted magic that scared the shit out of me without blinking. How did he even know about the body thief?
And what else did he know?
My hand crawled to the cotton patch on my shoulder.
A little information swap might be useful, but I needed to know more first. “What’s your plan?”
“There’s a charity dinner at the governor’s home tonight. All the movers and shakers will be there. If Coleman’s new body is still in the city, he’ll attend. I want you with me to help pick him out of the crowd and to shake him up a little.”
“In other words, you want to use me as live bait.” I shook my head. “I can’t just crash a party at my father’s house. I’d never make it past the front gate.”
Falin only smiled and headed for the door. “I’ll pick you up at six.” The door shut behind him.
Damn. I hadn’t agreed to anything, but I’d go. I knew I would. The party would give me a good chance to take a look at my father, too, though there was no guarantee I’d be able to tell whether he was possessed.
Now I really needed to call Tamara. And I needed to borrow a dress.
Chapter 10
“It’s not a date.” I growled and shook my head, vetoing the whore red tube of lipstick Holly pulled out of her makeup case.
“He’s picking you up, right?”
“Yeah, but—”
She waved a hand through the air and then pulled a slightly less whorish red out of the bag. “And you’re going to a fancy dinner?”
“It’s business.” I took the makeup case away from her and dug through her lipstick selection.
Holly smiled at me, the kind of smile that said she’d stopped arguing to amuse me. A knock sounded on the door, and Holly jumped to answer it.
Tamara bustled in, two dresses slung over her arm.
“Sorry; I got here as fast as I could. I wasn’t sure what you needed, so I brought a cocktail dress and an evening gown.”
She held up my options, and I pointed to the slinky black evening gown. Accepting it, I hurried to the bathroom.
“I’m so excited. I’ve never heard of Alex having an official date before,” Tamara said.
“It’s not a date,” I called over my shoulder. “Besides, I’ve been on dates before.”
“Taking guys home from bars does not count as dating,” Tamara yelled back.
“Neither does this.” I closed the door on the sound of her and Holly giggling.
I slid out of the robe I’d worn while Holly fixed my hair and makeup. I still had the cotton patch on my shoulder. The dress had a halter top, so my shoulder would show. I pulled the patch off and examined the scratches underneath.They hadn’t even had the decency to scab over. With a sigh, I tossed the patch in the trash, then stepped into the dress.
Tamara and I were the same height, but she was a full-figured woman with curves I envied—and clearly couldn’t fill. What should have been a clingy dress fell shapelessly around me. I glanced at the clock: five thirtyseven.
I didn’t have time to beg another dress; besides, Holly and Tamara were my only girlfriends, and Holly was a good head shorter than me.
I stepped out of the bathroom. “Help?”
“Don’t worry; we’re on top of this,” Holly said, hurrying forward.
“I have safety pins,” Tamara added, and then they both escorted me back into the bathroom.
I posed like a mannequin as they filled the dress with black safety pins. “So, any news on how the tape was leaked?”
Tamara grimaced around the pins in her mouth and said, “Nothing official, but Tommy disappeared.”
“Your intern?” Holly asked.
I nodded, only to get yelled at to stay still.“It couldn’t have been Tommy.” Though he was rather terse the last time I saw him.
“I don’t think so either, but his disappearance doesn’t look good for him.” Tamara motioned me to turn.
Stay still. Turn. Still. I sighed. “So, since the chief says I’m officially hired, when can I take another look at Coleman’s body?”
Tamara gave me a sharp look through the mirror but didn’t answer. I didn’t really expect her to. We all knew my “hire” was a cover-our-asses move. I wasn’t getting another look at that body unless Falin escorted me to the cold room himself.
Tamara stepped back. “I think you’re done.”
“We are awesome,” Holly said, her reflection beaming at me from the mirror.
I made a full turn in front of the mirror. She was right.
I could barely tell the dress was being held in shape with pins.
“My saviors.” I pressed my hands over my heart. My fingers brushed the skin around the scratches, and pain shot through my shoulder. I winced. “Tamara, can I ask one more favor?”
A loud knock sounded on the door. Damn. Falin couldn’t be fashionably late, could he?
“I’ll get it,” Holly said, scuttling out of my overcrowded bathroom.
“I’ll do you a favor without you asking,” Tamara said.
“Wear this and lose the boots.”
She held out a thin silver necklace with a delicate charm shaped like a ghost. The charm gave off a faint magical buzz.
I could feel the complexion spell, but it felt more specialized, as if it was designed for … “Bruises and cuts? Did you make this yourself?”
“Yes, and you’ll need to personally activate it.” She handed me a finger stick.
Ewww. I hated charms that had to be personalized with blood, but I wasn’t about to turn down a gift like this.
Once the charm was activated, Tamara helped me fasten the silver chain, and I blinked at the mirror. The bruises, which had faded to green today, were completely gone. All traces of the stitches were absent, too.
“Impressive. I don’t know how to thank you.”
She smiled. “Just have fun.” She pretended to flick away a tear. “I feel like I’m sending my little girl to the prom.”
“Shhh. He’ll hear you,” I whispered. “It’s not a date.”
I tugged at the skirt of the dress, then remembered it was held in place with pins and forced my hands off it.
“There was something else I wanted to ask you. Can you look at the spell on my shoulder?”
Tamara frowned. “There’s no spell on your shoulder.”
I froze, my breath turning solid in my lungs.Then, as if trying to catch up for the lost moment, words flew from my lips. “There is. I saw it in the Aetheric. It had these weird dark tendrils and—” I trailed off at the increasingly confused—and alarmed—look on Tamara’s face.