Chapter 2

"You're late."

I had just walked in through the door of the bustling Jameshouse when I heard the voice. I looked up through a few strands of my black hair to see Brody. His muscular forearms were exposed where his shirt sleeves were rolled up. One side of his dark wavy hair brushed his brow, framing his bright blue eyes.

Eyes that tempted me into some pretty bad decisions lately.

"This is the third time this week. If I wasn't correcting the time sheets you would already be fired. It only takes three, and in the last month you have been late five times." He sighed dramatically, and then the ghost of a playful grin flitted across his full lips. "You're very lucky it's me and not Jessica in tonight."

Jessica, the other supervisor, always gave me the rowdy tables. Groups of men that would make a crude jokes—usually directed at one of my body parts. It certainly didn't help that the dress code practically required we wore the skimpiest clothes possible.

"I am quite lucky," I said pulling off my denim jacket with a large grin. Our eyes caught, and I sensed the lingering tension between us. It had been that way for days now. After a few too many moments looking into his eyes, I turned away. I brushed past him so I could go put my things in the back.

"You staying later tonight?" he asked, catching my arm in a familiar gesture. I had known Brody for a long time. We went to the same elementary school as kids, and it was me who introduced him to my best friend Priya, his current girlfriend. They had been dating for three years now. But, that didn't change the lingering attraction between us. A history of mutual crushes as children that grew into a pattern of flirting as adults that neither of us could seem to shake off.

"Yes," I said, not removing my arm from where he touched me. His fingers caressed my bare skin, giving me goosebumps. He didn't answer me, and I struggled to untangle myself from his gaze.

"Briana's coming to meet me after my shift," I said, breaking the moment. "Didn't she tell you?"

Brody frowned while darting his gaze away from me, dropping his hand. "She might have," he muttered. "I probably wasn't listening."

Yeah, I had heard plenty about his lack of listening lately. It was hard listening to Briana complain about it when I had the sneaking suspicion I was partially to blame for his wandering attention.

I felt terrible. Yet, there was a part of me—a small yet loud part, that felt a rush. And though, another part of me hated hurting Briana—or anyone for that matter, I still couldn't shake the invigorating rush that pursuing something forbidden gave me.

There was something inside of me that wanted adventure. It wanted to test the boundaries that constantly piled on top of me, and the urge made me do things I shouldn't. Even when I knew I there would be disastrous consequences, it was hard not to follow my impulses.

Brody nodded to the table just coming in, a group of young people whose loud voices filled the room. It was a nice-sized table, the zone itself favorable on the busy nights for the high tips I was likely to get. "That table's yours. You should probably get to them soon, they look thirsty," Brody said, shaking off the awkwardness of the moment with a devastating grin.

I quickly turned away from him, feeling all kinds of traitorous things in my body. Oh, good God, I was in trouble.

In the backroom I glanced in the mirror, making sure my makeup was still in place, and ran my hands through my hair to tame it from the big gust of wind that had greeted me earlier when I had exited my car my. I left to enter the restaurant, passing through the kitchen. I almost walked into two other waitresses there to place their order.

I stifled a groan. Just my luck. Had Jessica been working, the whole malicious trio would have been in.

"Emma, Cass," I said with a strained grin. Emma eyed my outfit, not even trying to hide her frown. She arched a brow, eying my black mini skirt paired with tall black leather boots. A zipper ran down the center of my skirt, the soft leather molded to my hips. I had paired it with a fitted black long-sleeve, but it wasn't meant to be modest. It was fitted so tight the outline of my breasts was perfectly visible.

It was no secret Emma thought I was a tramp. I personally didn't think that with her string of back-to-back boyfriends, we were all that different.

A cheerful smile filled Cass's face, her fake, blonde hair styled into a high ponytail. She looked like a model, and always acted like everyone's best friend. But it turned out she was just as catty as the rest of them, preferring to befriend those that benefited her the most. Currently, that was Jessica. And Jessica hated me, so Cass did too.

"Oh, you're working tonight." Like that wasn't obvious. "It's already so busy!"

I cringed at her fake enthusiasm. She was the bubbly over-the-top type of person that employers in the service industry seemed to love.

"Yep," I said shortly. Already heading to the table Brody and mentioned. "Best get to work!"

"Ugh, I can't believe that she has the good tables again," I heard Emma mutter, not so quietly that her voice didn't carry over the music. "It's only because she's sleeping with Brody."

"Shh," Cass replied in over-dramatic alarm. "He has a girlfriend, doesn't he? I've seen her."

I could practically hear Emma's sneer from where I was, partway to my table. "Oh. He does, did you know it's her best friend? Fucking disgusting, what she's doing behind that poor girl's back." I felt myself walking a bit slower, some of my usual indifference towards them wearing away. Maybe they weren't completely wrong.

Brody and I hadn't slept together, but there wasn't exactly nothing between us. It was probably only a matter of time until we crossed that line too.

"That's awful," I heard Cass say, quieter now. I stumbled in my shoes, blushing as a young guy looked over from a table next to where I was. He reached out to steady me, his eyes kind, the hand that lingered on my waist not so much.

"Yeah. Apparently, her grandmother died a year ago, and she's been going off the deep end ever since. Partying, drugs, sleeps with everyone. She's going to get herself knocked up or kill herself in the process, if you ask me," Emma was saying, every one of her words felt like a stab in my back.

She was wrong there. Drugs and alcohol wouldn't kill me, at least I didn't think so. I had an unnaturally high tolerance, but that didn't change what she was saying. What I had heard others say--what my own mother and father whispered when they thought I wasn't listening.

Reckless. Out of control.

I let out a heavy breath, moving further so I was finally out of earshot. I brushed it off, like their words didn't sting—like they didn't mean anything. I plastered a smile on my face, greeting my table with my usual false charm. I needed those tips, after all.

And for a little while, maybe I even fooled myself that I was happy too.

#

Sometimes when I danced, I felt alive.

At least, more alive than I ever had before. It was like I was actually feeling something, the void inside me was not quite so empty. I loved the rush. I loved the sense that I wasn't just some zombie moving through life, repeating a pattern of motions leading up to my ultimate death.

No, when I danced moment I was free.

I could see the hum of my life between my fingers. Light was playing across them in shimmering waves as it switched from red, to blue, to purple, then back again.

Briana slung her arm around me, a large smile on her face. It was just me and Briana, and an overwhelming feeling of love filled me as I smiled back at her. Her long blonde hair danced around her face, and her smile grew wide as she pulled a packet from inside her bra.

"Want more?" she asked. I shook my head. I would probably have to head home soon. The reminder only served as a sobering stab of guilt as I remembered my earlier argument with my mother. She shrugged and put it back, straightening out her tight-fitting clothes. She let me out of her grasp to spin in a circle then turned back to me, wide-eyed. She held her arms out to me.

I couldn't help but take hold of them. I could never refuse a dance. The music washed over me, rising up, and up, and up...

Tomorrow, I thought, tomorrow I will stop whatever it is between me and Brody.

We danced. The beat was no longer able to keep up with our endless flow of energy. We spun around, letting the room engulf us. That is until my high started to wear off and my mouth felt like sawdust. For a moment as I looked up over Briana's shoulder, I thought I saw a man with horns and tusks grinning at me. I blinked my eyes, but it was just some college kid dancing with his buddies. He winked at me and I tore my gaze away.

"I'm going to go get some water!" I yelled at Briana over the music.

She gazed at me, but it was more like she was seeing right through me, the neon lights of the dance floor flashing in her green eyes, giving them an eerie glow. This time when she smiled, her teeth looked sharper than I ever remembered them being.

I shivered, suddenly feeling all too sober again. The room felt like it was spinning. I staggered to the nearest bar.

"Water," I yelled over the blaring music. It all felt too loud. My voice came out hoarser than expected, my throat sore. It was as if all my numbed senses from before were amplified tenfold.

Something felt different tonight. The quick high I usually got had faded, but for some reason the drug itself was still taking its toll. I stared at the bar while the bartender filled a glass with ice, then sprayed some cool water into it, passing it to me. I clasped it in my hands eagerly, then blinked, almost dropping the glass on the floor.

For a second it had appeared as if the water in the glass hadn't been water at all, but dark red swirling blood. The bobbing ice cubes had not been ice, but round bobbing eyeballs staring right back at me. Then it was gone, clear water the only thing in my glass. Over the music, I thought I heard a giggle.

I stared at it for a long moment, waiting to see if it would happen again.

Nothing.

"You okay?"

My eyes shot up to the bartender, who hadn't moved yet to take another customer. The air appeared to shimmer between us, shades of blue and pink reflecting off of it as if it were filled with iridescent dust.

I lifted the glass to my lips after staring at it another moment, making sure it was water. Blessed wet coolness passed my lips, and in a few seconds, I placed the empty glass back on the bar.

"Much better now!" I said, plastering a smile on my face. Panic bubbled up inside me but I forced it down. It was cording its way through my stomach, creating tight knots.

Stay cool, I fumbled for my phone. What the hell had I taken? The last thing I needed was to start tripping out at the place I worked.

My phone lit up once I had managed to pull it from my tight purse. It was already past one in the morning, the date reading May 1st. My mom's words from earlier came back to me, and I let out a deep sigh. Perhaps it was time that I turned in for the night.

I looked back at Briana, who was still dancing. I didn't want to leave her alone, but I also knew she wouldn't be ready to go yet. After a moment's hesitation, I turned towards the door in a hasty retreat.

Coward.

Before I could get far, however, a warm hand landed on my arm. I looked up to see Brody gazing down at me.

"Leaving kind of early, aren't you?" His blue eyes crinkled in amusement, and I remembered the way he had been looking at me earlier. When Briana and I had entered the dance floor, he hadn't been able to take his eyes off me. I licked my parched lips and carefully pulled my arm away from him. Brody frowned.

He looked normal, with no green lights in his eyes, and no glass of blood in his hands. But Brody was his own kind of dangerous. A kind that I suddenly didn't have the energy to deal with, despite feeling so full of it only a short while ago.

"Yes, my mom and I argued earlier and I figured I shouldn't stay out too late tonight."

Brody's gaze softened, and he nodded in understanding.

"Hold on a sec, I can drive you—"

"No," I said shortly. "I can get myself home. I'm fine."

His eyes widened. "To hell with that. I saw you drinking tequila like it was water."

I pursed my lips. That was an exaggeration.

Well... mostly. I had had a lot. But that was only because it took that much to feel even a little drunk.

I guess it had all finally caught up with me.

My temples throbbed and I lifted my hand to my forehead in annoyance. "Seriously, I'm fine. I'll take a cab if it makes you feel better. You need to stay here, anyway."

Brody stared at me, his lips tugging to the side. I looked over to see that Briana had stopped dancing. She was staring right at us, unmoving.

I straightened, unconsciously stepping back from Brody.

"You need to look after your girlfriend," I said, the harshness in my tone catching me by surprise. In reality, knowing Brody would get her home safe helped make me feel a little bit better about bailing without saying goodbye.

I needed to get out of there, and quick. My head hurt and the urgency to just get home filled me. Fear prickled at me from what I had seen earlier, and somehow the idea of being home and somewhere safe felt like the only thing that could make it better.

Here I was, a nineteen-year-old adult, and still being home in the same house as Mom and Dad made me feel safer. Go figure.

Brody flinched, following my eyes to where Briana stood. I took the distraction as an opportunity to slip past him, losing myself in with a group of people heading outside for a smoke.

It wasn't until I was outside that I realized I didn't even have my coat, or my bag with all of my belongings, including the rest of my cards and car keys. I didn't have enough cash on me to catch a cab, having spent the last of it on the last round of drinks for me and Briana. If I went back inside I would have to face Briana and Brody again, and for some reason that seemed a whole lot less appealing than the twenty or so minutes, it would take me to walk home in the cooling night air.

I crossed my arms and started out, setting a quick pace out of the parking lot. I would just come get my things from my locker in the morning, and use the spare key Dad kept outside to get in the house.

Being outside helped settle my nerves, the fresh air filling my lungs. I tilted my chin up, walking quickly and sticking to the busier streets. Not that many people were still out on them at this time of night.

It was some time later when I was well and far away from the bar, but still nowhere near home, that I heard it. It was a clattering sound, almost like the clopping sound of metal on concrete. I spun around, looking at the empty sidewalk behind me. Nothing was there, but uneasiness clung to me. I couldn't shake the sensation that someone, or something, was there, watching. A flicker caught in the corner of my eye, but when I spun towards it, the grassy lawn between two houses was as empty as the sidewalk I walked on.

I shivered, but not because I was cold.

I was definitely tripping. What the hell did we take?

I started walking again, hearing another sound. This time it was a neigh like a horse was running along the ground beside me. I looked up to see a full moon overhead, glowing down on me. It was colored an orange-red, and looked so big it appeared as if I could get up on my toes and grab it from the sky.

I walked even faster, my legs moving quicker and quicker, until I was running, dignity be damned. I could only go so fast without breaking my ankle in these damned shoes.

A path opened up to my side, a shortcut that passed through a densely wooded area. It was one that I usually avoided at this time of night because the homeless often took shelter in there. However, it was a much faster way to get home.

Unbidden, one of my Gran's old tales filled my mind as I ran towards the trees.

"Granny, why are there no faeries in your house if the veil between the realms is so thin? You have a nice house, if I was a faerie I would want to live here."

She snorted like such an idea was preposterous.

"Faeries can't just enter a house, a thaisce, they have to be invited."

I had frowned at this, for it seemed like a silly thing to keep such powerful beings away. Surely it wasn't that simple.

"Invited," I replied with a frown. "So there's no faeries here?"

"No, just you, me, and your mother and father, little one. To invite a faerie in, I need to make it a lot more inviting. As you can see, I have no plants or jewels on display, and I never place a bowl of milk on my windowsill. I keep windchimes outside, for they hate the noise and will avoid it. Still, be sure to never put a mat that says 'welcome' outside your door."

I gazed up at her with rounded eyes, her face wizened and old, but always holding its own elegant beauty, despite seemingly having passed on all her youth to her son. I was disappointed, for surely a brownie that wanted to partake in household chore would keep me from having to do the dishes by hand.

"Oh..." was all I could say.

"Don't look so glum. Faeries are tricky creatures, and you are better off never meeting one. Even the good fae will try to lure you back to their realm. You are safe when you are home, remember that, for it is important."

I remembered.

Maybe I was hallucinating. Maybe there had been something else in the drugs Briana and I had taken, but there was no mistaking that I didn't feel safe. That whatever was following me, be it a good faerie, or one of the bad. If it was a ghoul of some other concoction or just a figment of my imagination—I needed to get home.

And fast.

I turned down the path, entering the thickly wooded forest.

It wasn't until it was too late, that I remembered another thing Gran had said. A warning.

"Never enter a forest at night. That's where the faeries like to come out to play, and when the veil is thin , a girl like you may never be able to escape."