“Gabriel’s texting you from the parlor?” Ricky said. When I looked surprised, he said, “I can tell who it is by the way you replied. Like you were poking someone with a sharp stick.”

I shrugged and grumbled under my breath. We walked out and down the front steps.

“Want to know the trick to dealing with Gabriel?” Ricky said. “Three words. Don’t take offense. No matter what he does or what he says. He probably doesn’t mean it the way it sounds, and even if he does, he intends no actual offense. You’d know if he did. Now, let’s get a coffee.”

“We just had tea.”

“Which we both gulped so fast we burned holes in our esophagi. What you need is a mocha. Come on.”

Ricky started down the sidewalk, TC still in his arms.

“Um, cat?” I said.

“A field trip. He’ll love it. We’ll get him a saucer of cream.”

—

After coffee, we hung out at my apartment for a few hours. At seven that evening, Ricky walked me over to Rose’s and handed me and TC off. He’d come by later, and we’d go back to my place for the night.

Gabriel had retreated to one of the upstairs bedrooms to work.

“Run up and get him,” Rose said.

I followed her into the kitchen and lowered my voice.

“Um, I’d rather speak to you alone for—”

She cut me off. “I know you’re annoyed with him, Olivia.”

“I’m not.”

“He handled that billing discussion badly.”

“If I let things like that bother me, I’d be permanently pissed off with him. I’ve learned what to expect, and not to expect anything more. We’re fine.”

It seemed a good way to put it, balancing honesty with diplomacy, but I could tell by her expression that it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. It can be hard knowing how to discuss Gabriel with Rose. She’s the first to acknowledge his flaws, but the first to defend him, too. Something in what I’d said rubbed her the wrong way.

So I continued. “He’s been great to me these last few days. I know he’s put his life on hold to help me, and maybe I haven’t been grateful enough about that.”

“If you make a big deal out of it, you’ll only make him uncomfortable. But he’ll want to be here when we discuss anything fae-related.”

“It’s something else. A vision, I think.”

My hands started to shake, and I stuffed them into my pockets.

“Olivia . . . ?”

“Ghosts,” I blurted. “Have you ever seen them? Do you believe in them?”

She stepped closer, her voice dropping. “What happened?”