“Hey, champ, how’s it going?”
Gary reached up. She picked him up, careful of his bandaged wing. He tucked his head under her chin, snuggling close. To her alarm, he was burning hot. Do gargoyles get fevers?
She went straight to the phone, where she’d left the number for Dr Jake’s after-hours pager.
Gary clung to Selina, refusing to let go of her blouse, so she stood in front of the big balcony window, looking out at the twilight. With her arms full of baby monster, there wasn’t much else she could do.
She thought about facing Jake again. She normally tried to stay away from other supernaturals because, like him, they could sense her fey blood. Everyone assumed the fey were cheats, which was unfair. Sure, their species had different cultural concepts about bargaining. Back in the day, they’d pay in gold that turned into dead leaves or horses that became a pile of straw — but they only did that to people who deserved bad luck. Plus, this was the twenty-first century. Everyone played by human business rules. She hadn’t charmed the snuff box out of Mrs McAdams; she’d negotiated the price fair and square.
Unfortunately, old ideas died hard. Janos certainly wouldn’t keep her if he knew what she was. If Selina wanted to work in a human company, she had to bury half her identity.
By living a lie, was she cheating? Or was she cheating herself? Why, oh, why had she used her magic on Steve? For all the right reasons, her soft heart had dragged her into a mess — with a vet who knew she was fey just by her scent. She felt horribly exposed.
As if picking up on her mood, Gary fussed, restless and uncomfortable. Selina paced back and forth, hoping the motion quieted him. One by one, lights in the surrounding buildings came to life.
The apartment buzzer rang, making Selina jump and Gary chirp. Selina pushed the intercom button to the downstairs door.
“It’s Jake Hallender.”
“That was quick,” Selina said.
“Fast, furry and fabulous.”
That surprised a laugh out of her. “Your self-esteem is doing okay, too.”
Selina pushed the button to unlock the downstairs door, dismayed to find her stomach fluttering like a schoolgirl’s before a big date. Give me a break. Then she opened the apartment door, still holding Gary like a security blanket. Jake arrived dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans and carrying an old-fashioned doctor’s bag.
“Hi,” he said.
“Hi.” Selina swallowed. “Come on in.”
He did, filling the room and making her antiques seem small and flimsy. “You said Gary had a fever?”
Selina suddenly felt feverish, too. “Just feel him. He’s burning up.”
Jake put his bag down and took Gary from her. The gargoyle resisted, nearly taking Selina’s blouse with him. Finally, Jake nestled Gary into the crook of his arm. “A fever’s not all that unusual after an injury.”
“Is there an infection?”
“There was no open wound. It’s more likely the stress of today’s adventures. I can give him something to take his temperature down but the real medicine will be rest and good food.”
Jake’s eyes met hers. “Don’t look so worried. Gargoyles were bred to protect sacred places. They can take knocks and bumps better than most creatures.” He saw the perch and smiled. “I guess you’re keeping him.”
Selina sighed. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
The smile turned to a grin. “I’m glad. He really likes you.”
Jake set the gargoyle down on the driftwood arm of the perch. Gary’s bird-like hind feet clamped around it, leaving his front paws free to reach for the array of toys that Selina had hung from the perch’s other arms.
“So, how are you doing?” Jake asked Selina. He opened his bag and pulled out a stethoscope and thermometer. “I can’t apologise enough for what happened back at the office.”
Selina watched him calmly examine the gargoyle. She could hear the regret in his voice, but also resignation. Maybe wrestling wolfmen was just a day in the life of a veterinarian to the supernatural.
On the other hand, he was opening the door to more than pet owner chit-chat. Part of her wanted to hide, like she always did. A larger part of her wanted to talk to someone about everything that had happened, and Jake was the only choice. No one else knows my secret.
“I’m fine. A little stirred up. Glad what I did for poor Steve went okay. Being a half-breed, I don’t risk using my magic much.”
“Risk?”
She grimaced. “An empath’s powers are fragile. At the best of times, they’re sort of — well — sometimes they just go sideways.
One time my older sister was dating a vampire, and I kept thinking Ew, this guy is dead. Suddenly, he was.”
Jake looked shocked and a little amused. “Dead? You killed a vampire? That’s not exactly empathy.”
“Like I said, my magic is wonky. And I don’t know that killed is the right word. I sort of de-lifed him for a while. And there he was, rotting on the kitchen floor, half an hour before prom. I don’t think my sister ever forgave me. I mean, he was supposed to be the hottest guy around, all pale skin and tousled hair. Suddenly he was Mr Stinky in a cummerbund. I was so in trouble.”
Jake shook his head, laughing softly.
Selina slouched miserably against the wall. “Hey, it wasn’t like I meant to do it.”
“What does your family do?”
“My dad and sisters are sorcerers for hire. My magic wasn’t reliable enough for that.”
“So you struck out in your own direction.” He gave Gary a treat and then slipped the gargoyle a shot when he wasn’t looking. “I did that too. There were four boys in my family, and three of us wanted to be alphas.”
Selina squirmed. It was a strange conversation to be having with a near stranger but Jake listened with the same intensity with which he looked at her. She could tell he was absorbing every word. It must be something to belong to a wolf pack, if they’re all like this.
She’d never been so very much the centre of attention. She could feel herself craving it, like an instant addict — and the gentle, clever way he handled Gary was mesmerizing. Whoa, slow down there, kiddo. Don’t make this more than it is.
“Where does your family live?” he asked.
She cleared her throat, drawing herself up. Distance yourself. “A long way away. I’ve kept what I am a secret up until now.”
Jake put his medical instruments away. “Don’t worry. I get it. The business world is fey-averse. I won’t tell a soul.”
The way he said it made Selina feel bad about involving him in her lie. “Sorry.”
He snapped the bag shut, his expression suddenly tight. “It’s not just the fey who’ve got a bad rep.”
“But we’re the only ones who can’t join the Chamber of Commerce, or get an import/export licence, or bid on government contracts. Wereanimals aren’t treated that way. Neither are vampires.” Selina heard the heat in her voice, but couldn’t help herself. “Not all fey are leprechauns, you know. Most of us are honest.”
Jake shook his head. “Some humans still think my people carry lycanthropy. I wanted to be a doctor. Only the vet school would accept my application. Of course, to a werewolf, vet and doctor are pretty close to the same thing. Then again, I might have tried to be a cop and ended up the dogcatcher.” He laughed ruefully.
“So you don’t even get the prestige of being an M.D.?”
Jake continued to smile, but something more serious lurked in his eyes. “The prestige I can live without, but I wish I had more resources. There’s a lot of work to be done in supernatural medicine. As you saw first-hand, no one has even discovered an effective sedative for people like Steve.”