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Chapter Thirty-Two

Trent’s long black car pulled up to the curb, a soft hush in the dark In an instant, Ivy was reaching for the handle The front passenger’s door opened, and she was standing in the street, her eyes on the church’s steeple Looking back in, she glanced first at Quen, then at Trent, sitting in the back with me and Bis, Lucy in her car seat between us

"Thanks for the ride, Trent Quen," she said, her voice low but sincere And then she was gone, boot heels clicking on the night-cooled pave Vampires truly were the homebodies of Inderland society, and it had been hard on her in ways I could never ined, low-flying jet to get us hoodsend

"Tell your pilot his pressure control still sucks," Jenks said through the openin parting, and then darted to join Ivy Giving rin, Bis hopped to the open sunroof, and launched himself after them and into the dark

I held a hand toaround in the draft fro out as if she was falling Together, Jenks, Ivy, and Bis ascended the stairs in the dark, pulling the heavy oak doors open to let out a flood of light and pixies I glanced at the headache-inducing cloud of silk and gossaet out-even as glad as I was to get ho to the steeple as he checked in with the pixy on sentry duty I heard a sharp wing chirp and a high-pitched harangue start Jenks wasn’t happy about so More reason to just sit for aot out There were kids shouting soine The trunk whined open, and I shiftedonto my lap I didn’t knohat had happened to ivenmirror-for what it orth "Thanks for the ride home," I said to Trent softly, so as not to wake Lucy "Don’t , Trent tucked a blanket with the Disney logo under Lucy’s chin She squirmed, but didn’t wake "It was my pleasure The honey see at Jenks, who had dropped back down into the church by the sound of it-so his kids alone and that they’d done okay Angels and ass see, I looked at the light spilling fro out of the car only meant more work

"I know I’ve said it before, but thank you For Lucy," Trent said

I turned to Trent, then saze flicked back to him, and I studied his love for her, honest and irrefutable on his face He was different, less confident, softer Orhi her blanket

The thumps from the trunk were obvious, and I reached for the door

"Ceri is due any day now," Trent said, and I wondered if he was trying to get er "But with Lucy there first, Ceri’s baby will be the second born"

I slueneration? Not Ceri’s baby?"

His new softness vanished, and he eyed me steadily "Iht of it "Youed to alarlanced at him "Okay Yes I’d like that Thank you It’s an honor," I said, not sure this was a good idea but gratified nevertheless I had Trent’s trust, and it was apparently an all-or-nothing affair And I guesshe hadready withat the curb They had canceledsince my mom had been stuck in jail while San Francisco rocked and rolled Robbie was never going to forgivenextTrent a last sot out Quen helped ar, never unzipped the entire trip "Thanks, Quen," I said when his pockmarked, weathered face curled up in a s in, I whispered, "And sorry about the ranking elf-baby thing"

He laughed,"She doesn’t care," he said "The two of theh they don’t share a drop of co, he looked to the church’s open door as a strea this in?"

Thinking Trent had to be anxious to get horinned at Trent through the , surprised he’d shifted seats and was now in " I raised a hand, the circle of charht "You’re, uh, a lifesaver"

Oh God I’d said it And what’s ht of the car’s interior "Thank you I appreciate that" Then, as if he’d been waiting for the apology, he reached into an inner coat pocket and extended an envelope

I looked at it suspiciously, shifting the weight of my small carry-on "What is it?"

"If you don’t want it-" he said, and I snatched it Sometimes Trent’s envelopes had money in them "It’s from the Withons," he said as I tore it open and saw a check A nice check Six months’ worth of check Damn, it would pay for a new car to replace the one I’d cracked up on the bridge and then some

"It’s restitution for the trouble they put you through," Trent said, bringingin a rather devious way, and I tucked the money in my back pocket This would help a lot Not to mention that it would be the onlySan Francisco of Ku’Sox ’Course, the dee chunk of the Tenderloin, but that area could use a little sprucing up

"Did you ue filtering out Ahhhh, it’s good to be horatified "You did good," he said, fingers resting gently on Lucy "Have you given any ht-"

"What, you still want me to work for you? I’ the charmed silver heavy onto the braided bit of charmed silver "I told you it was a choice Just say the word, and I’ll tell you the charm to break it We can talk at Lucy’s birthday party You like clowns?"

My ed away froirl to clowns!" I exclai, Trent settled back in the car "Take care, Rachel," he said as thestarted to go up "Don’t be afraid to call ht "You take care, tooTrent," I said, not knowing if it felt odder saying it orit The last ten days had been educational Thein someone he could justtalk to He was never himself, even with Ceri It had to be a lonely way to live

But it wasn’t ave Quen a small wave and turned to the church I didn’t wait for them to leave, just picked up my suitcases and headed for the stairs Jenks arden!"

"Now?" I sta

"Yes! Ibackward as I hesitated on the steps "They attacked two days ago!"

"Is everyone okay?" I asked, lint of his red eyes and his relaxed posture tellingwas fine

Trent’srolled down, and leaning out, he asked, "Is there a problem?"

Concerned, I said, "Jenks says ere attacked two days ago"

Quen paused with his hand on the door, exchanging a look with Trent Was the coven still at it? They’d pardonedreleased Ku’Sox, they weren’t going to do anything about it lest Trent retaliate with so Tink-blasted cotton candy while fairies were attackinga red dust

A faint sot in the car Trent, though, was still leaning out the"Perhaps Quen should look over your security before we go," he said, then ducked back into the car

Quenbehind the wheel but with the door still open "Sa’han?"

Jenks was a bright ball of irritation "My security is fine," he snarled

But Trent was talking to Quen over the seat "It wouldn’t hurt to look around," I heard him say faintly "I’ll come in in a minute Lucy needs attention"

He wants to coe not confused but perhapsindulgent, and it wouldn’t hurt to have Quen look under my bed "Okay Sure I don’t care," I said, and Jenks rose up, appalled

"Rache!" he shrilled

"We’ve been gone for alain "What can it hurt?" But what I was thinking was, What does Trent want?

Quen’s door thu the door shut behind us and dropping the suitcase in the dark foyer Ivy was casually standing at the pool table sorting al felt like it wasas I breathed in the scent of Quen, see dark "We don’t need your help"

Quen flashed a bright srounds" His gaze shifted to Ivy as if for perht with you, ladies?"

Ivy didn’t even look up from the mail "Knock yourself out Stay out of my room"

Quen turned to me next, and when Jenks buzzed off in annoyance, I asked hiain, he smiled, but it was softer this tireat

Quen brushed pastin his wake "I’ you, we’re fine!" came Jenks’s irate shout as he followed hi a bright silver dust "Rachel!" he whined at le pixy kid in the church, not unusual if their dad was on the warpath

I trudged forith my stuff "Go with him if you want"

Jenks rose up and down indecisively as if on a string, but when he heard the back door open and shut, he darted tobackward as he fumed

"What does he want?" Ivy asked mildly as I passed her

"I’ve no idea" I had none whatsoever, but I i to Lucy was an excuse so I wouldn’t see hiht, but he lacked his usual grace, and I knew it bothered hie into the wall in the hallway

"The kids fought the to dairl"

He had alht switch on to see his face screwed up in a nasty expression "Belle?" I asked, rehter had remained behind to watchand overnight case on the bed, I propped the narrow stained-glassopen Night sounds, the scent ofof pixies seeped in Hands on lad to be home

"She has a nahtingit on my bedpost "Didn’t you? Jeez, Jenks She’s been here forand his tiny features cross as I needled hiar it, the sht?" I pro if I should be more concerned

"Yeah," he admitted "But"

"Then relax" I pulled the beautiful dress fro him up on the steeple He probably couldn’t hear me, but he’d come anyway

"You don’t care!" Jenks exclai in my dresser’s mirror "We were attacked and you don’t care!"

"Of course I care," I said, then shut the closet door hard enough to make his dust shake "But I’ve been trapped in a plane with you for five solid hours No one is hurt, and you need to chill!" He was scowling at me, and I lowered my voice "Letat the lintel broughtIt was Bis, his ears pricked and expectant He hadn’t been his usual self during the few days we’d spent recovering on the coast before flying home There was a hesitancy between us that hadn’t been there before, a feeling out of new responsibilities and expectations

Neither of us knehat being bonded meant, but I sensed where he was most of the time, and he knehere I was And since we couldn’t ask Al or Pierce what my responsibilities were to Bis and his toHi me how to line jump wasn’t an issue anymore, so maybe the question was moot

"Hi, Bis," I said as Jenks fumed on my dresser "You want your shirt?"

I ontoto ask you for it," he said, sending a sliver of concern through me "Can you put it on me? I want to show the kids"

He wanted to show the kids Subtle phrasing, but significant He was seeing himself as less of a kid and more of an adult I’d seen it on the jet when he settled into a watchful azine, and how he kept an eye on the people in the airport instead of being distracted by the jets or the people staring at hi up wasn’t bad, but I kind ofHe still had that inquisitive good nature, but noas tee that life wasn’t fair and that bad things happened, even if you watched for theht case Still in a huff, Jenks landed on the open lid We had spent a day at Disneyland before coift shop and generally acting like a chipmunk on Brimstone Bis had contented himself with a tourist T-shirt, but Ivy and I sat on a curb for al for Jenks to come out of the Tink history exhibit Since then, there hadn’t been a single sord using the "Inderlander pioneer," as he now called her

I pulled Bis’s tank top out, carefully folding the brightly patterned bag with Tinkerbell on it after Jenks startedtiny, pained noises when I crumpled it up I couldn’t help but wonder if we had a little crush going Finally I snapped the bright red shirt to get out the wrinkles and held it up to Bis "I don’t think we’re going to have to liht at the screened picture of characters in the latest gargoyle flick

"Too cool," he said, holding his arms up, and I settled the soft cotton tank top over his head, tugging gently to get it around his ears I tried to iine him my size but failed He was still a kid-and my responsibility Damn, how had my mom done this?

"Belle says the battle was Sunday," Bis said, his voice s s," I proh so I could work the tank top around theht that Jenks had died, so they attacked," Bis said, his red eyes glowing "They didn’t knohat to do The kids, I mean Jih was across the street, and it was noon But Belle ake, and she saw thearden and killed everyone if not for Belle"

I dropped back, thinking the shirt was perfect-even if it looked odd on hi, and Ivy’s softof Trent’s cast on the old oak My tension spiked Trent was in arden," Bis said as he looked at himself in my dresser mirror My perfumes were scattered about his feet, and he didn’t hit one as he shifted and turned "Took over the fight Told everyone what to do Kept the lines froot hurt except Belle She took an arrow in the leg"

Alarht you said no one was hurt!"

"A fairy?" he said in disbelief "Since when are you worried about a fairy?"

"When one saves the lives of your children," I said, and Trent thumped to a halt at my door My eyes fell from Trent’s, and I slaly when you talk like that," I said, then turned to Bis, hesitating at the sight of hiining her broken and bleeding so at Jenks as if the pixy was going to protest

A last hard look at Jenks, and I started for the hallway Trent was standing in the doorith Lucy, s of fresh baby powder and baby wipes, and his injured hand gently patted her as he rocked I jerked to a stop when he didn’t get out ofto the floor as I flushed "Co but water, but you’re welcoed back, and I breathed easier "Ivy?" I called as I strode to the kitchen "Belle’s been hurt!"

"Belle?" came from her room "Is she okay?"

"I think so I’ll let you know in a , and Bis was a bright spot as he crawled along the ceiling to get there before me His expression worried, Jenks dusted at ht have otherwise "Ivy knew, too?" he asked, and I realized his somber mood wasn’t because he felt bad but because he was the last to know

I flipped the bright kitchen lights on, squinting Bis had said he’d talked to her; she had to be awake "Jenks, if a fairy can hide in your garden for three race to help your kids survive an attack, don’t you think you should rethink your attitude?" I turned to hi to live to be forty years old You’re going to have to grow up It’s a so on that ride?"

Wings silent, Jenks hovered dead center in the doorway, at a co in the kitchen as he stood between Ivy’s farm table and the center counter My annoyance at Jenks vanished in a flash ofin my unreal kitchen, confused, irritated, and attractive as all hell as he tried to saveits way throughmy chi back to life I’d been mortified when I’d woken up and discovered that the kiss had been real-which didn’t negate how good it had felt, but did leadwith Lucy in his ar it to histhe chrysalis trapped under the brandy snifter where my Mr Fish had once been My beta was still in the ever-after with Al, and I hoped the demon would remember to feed him Maybe Pierce would do it-if he was still alive