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Chapter Thirteen

If it wasn’t for the lack of an ocean, I would have believed I was in Florida, sitting at a tourist-trap, beach-thee kids on spring break The floor was of gray dock planks The stairs had stiff rope railings Fishing nets that had never seen the water were strung under the high ceiling It was busy, and Trent’s hundred bucks had bought us a booth in front of the stage, bypassing the forty-minute wait Maybe et you a table that looked like the back end of a deep-sea fishing vessel

Tired and disillusioned, I looked over the booth It even had fake fishing poles out the back between us and the stage where a scruffy Were was singing about a last shaker of salt No, his lost shaker of salt, according to the paper place mat It must bother Jimmy Buffett that no one could understand his slurred lyrics even if he had them painted on the thick support bea Trent’s shriht, I atethe beautiful serversvaht it odd that vary, I ran h the shrimp sauce and licked it off I was on the outside of the semicircle with my back to the kitchen Ye olde demon killer was to my left, then Trent, Vivian, and Ivy on the other end Jenks was on the candle centerpiece, almost asleep despite the noise My phone said it was seven thirty, but it felt like ten thirty, naptime for pixies and elves on East Coast ti I was feeling better now that I’d had a shower and was in a fresh pair of jeans and a black camisole I hadn’t yet talked to Trent about his new friend, Ku’Sox; I was still trying to wrap myit Maybe instead of trying to figure out if it rong to like hiet about hi, I turned my phone to vibrate and tucked it in a back pocket Jenks had talked to his kids earlier, and I’d fielded another chat with Bis Apparently he’d woken up this afternoon for a fewseen the sun They were at the basilica, a good five ht away, and he didn’t want to leave the pixies alone unless we knew about it He was a good kid I was surprised, though Most gargoyles couldn’t stay awake during the day until they wereacross the table "How co in here is a va?"

Vivian looked up froer to answer, but Ivy was quicker I’d seen her watching so interest "They’re working off their debts," she said as she sipped her soda, looking as sexy as a vodka co with a table of four business since alked in "Really?"

"Really," Vivian said when Ivy air-kissed her chosen one "The head vaas has a policy of free ht be a drop in revenue fro debt Dead or alive"

Trent was nodding as if he’d known, but I’d never heard of an undead va control of another vampire’s familya faint, eager red "That’s e’re stopping in Vegas," I guessed, and she nodded, eyes on the table as Jenks snorted himself aith a burst of yellow dust

"Fewer issues to deal hen I-" She stopped, eyes on the vah, I guess "You think a hu table?" she said, chewing the toothpick the cherry had co an eternity to find the ht" She licked her lips for someone else’s benefit, and I stifled a shiver My eyes flicked to Trent and Pierce Okay, they atching her flirt, too, both of them weirdly intent and detached

Pierce was not happy to be here, which I thought rude since his other option was Al’s box in the ever-after He’d showered as well, so he s, he watched everyone froulping his bubbly soda and wiping his eyes when he drank it too fast Tu his clothes in the hotel drier had taken care of most of the stink on them, and he was back in his tidy slacks, casual shirt, and a vest that was probably fro that silver a that Pierce hadn’t taken it off, even when he’d been in the shower

Trent wasn’t good co that our planned pit stop had turned into a four-hour break at a restaurant he hadn’t picked out We all had to get out of the car for a while, and I still wanted to talk to Trent about Ku’Sox-to find out if he kne bad Ku’Sox was before he let hi sex as she smiled up at our waitress when she came back with another soda for Pierce

"Do you knohat you want?" she said as she set it down, voice raised over theto it on the menu

"Sa other than Latin He’d been born in the early 1800s, and it was possible he couldn’t

"Clam chowder," Trent said as he handed his htly, a vestige of her usual polished self showing as she settled into a faus"

"Oh God, save us," Jenks said, dra his nose "We do have over a thousand o in that tiny car"

"My mom’s car isn’t tiny," I said, and Trent frowned

"It is with five people in it," heher menu to the wo"

I gazed at her in question, but the wo a last note on our bill "Anyone else need anything?"

By the look of it, and the slight nudge Vivian was et him to slide over, Ivy needed so the waitress a folded bill "I want another beer," he said "And if you can get everyone’s meal out here in five minutes, there’s another one of those in it for you"

The woman looked at Ben Franklin’s face and tucked it away "I’ll see what I can do, honey," she said, s at Ivy before she sashayed away

"Beer and soup?" Jenks said as he dusted a thin sliver of silver, his own light hardlyto ood beer mixes with clams," Trent said, his attention on theuncole

"He’s uptight about his ti the words

"And you’re not?"

Trent’s expression froze when she turned to his "Excuse uorous move that made Pierce shiver ’Course it could be the cold pop he’d just slae of the fake boat and swung her feet over Moving with liquid grace, she made a beeline for the va out of her way, and the va for her

"What is she doing?" Trent asked, but Vivian knew, her eyes cast down as she shifted on the bench to make more room for the rest of us Hell, even our waitress knehat Ivy was doing

I took a sip ofIvy drape her ar the rest of us safe," I said, trying not to worry about her She’d be okay And if Vegas had a freethinking master vampire, then this was probably the only spot between hoe off

Jenks frowned, clearly not happy, but as willing as I was to let her take care of her own needs I didn’t know if I should feel upset or not I wasn’t her keeper-but I was her friend

Pierce was ignoring everyone, and Trent didn’t see us down Vivian, though, pushed her glass around, clearly screwing up her courage, and I wasn’t surprised when she asked, "She and you-"

"No," I said before Jenks could offer his opinion "We’re not sharing blood" I felt Trent’s eyes on me, but Pierce didn’t look up fro to the entire table though h to know that for it to happen, one of us would have to change too much If I bend, she’d lose what she loved in ed, fla red in embarrasss, rising up and down as if testing his strength "I’ll keep an eye on her," he said, then frohen Pierce made a rude noise "To be sure she stays safe!" he added sharply "I’ to watch Tink’s a Disney whore, I’ful head toss to Trent and fleay, taking a high path between the ceiling and the fake fishing nets

"We don’t have time for this," Trent said suddenly, and I wondered if Ivy’s and my relationship bothered him Curious

"You’re the one anted to eat," I said

"I rab a decentexcursion ending up in a sideshow restaurant"

That was just rude, not to mention an insult to Jimmy Buffett fans everywhere "We’ve been trapped in that car for two days," I said "We need a break" And I need to talk to you, stupid elf

Trent ran a hand over his hair, leaving it attractively mussed His eyes showed hispeople who had nowhere to go for the rest of the night His frustration peaked "I need to be-"

"In Seattle by Sunday," I said, interrupting hiot that part" I took a sip of my drink, which infuriated hiarita or soet you there, and I will Trust me" That last jab had been sarcastically bitter, but I was ticked I mean, why ask me to protect him on his way out to the West Coast, then free a deent eyes squinting in question She knew so was up, just not what

"Trust you" Trent shifted in disapproval "Seattle is fifteen thousandto San Francisco will take us eight hours, even if we take 95"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Vivian said loudly, and the couple in the next boat over looked at us "Are you crazy? No one takes 95!"

"Which o as fast as ant," Trent said, his eyebrows bunching

"We are not taking 95," Vivian said fervently, and I tuned the Ivy and her blood buddy slip out the back Jenks gave reen, and I turned back to the table "If you get on 95, you don’t stop!" Vivian finished intently

Trent took a swig of his beer, looking nor"

Vivian tossed a hand up in the air and pushed herself back into the cushions "I’erous"

Maybe he’s relying on his de, bad uglies on 95 would be a problem, even if we had to stop Hell, we’d already evaded elven assassins and one severely disturbed demon A soul eater Crap on toast, I had to talk to Trent He’d better not have any idea of what he had unleashed, because if he did, and he’d done it intentionally, I h to just walk away from this completely

Trent leaned toward Vivian "I don’t see any other way of getting to Seattle in tier just in check