“Faeries,” Sionnach answered. “We live for pretty much ever, and we have some traits that are different.”

“I thought faeries were little winged—”

“No,” Sionnach all but snarled. “We’re not the things of children’s stories. I don’t know when that rumor started, but we’re not going to throw glitter at you and simper. We’re the things that nightmares—”

“Shy,” Rika cut him off. She sighed and walked closer to Jayce. Cautiously, like she expected him to flee, she sat down beside him. “There are faeries who are frightening, but not all of us. I don’t mean you any harm. I like you, and I hope you still want to . . . be around me now that you know.”

Jayce looked at her and then at Sionnach. Some part of his mind wanted to explain this away, to have an answer that proved that they were messing with him. The rest of him realized that this was real. He was talking to creatures that shouldn’t exist. He wasn’t afraid, though. Mostly, he was fascinated.

“So why didn’t I see the tail before?”

“Glamour. We can hide our true appearances from mortals, or”—Sionnach vanished and then reappeared crouching down beside Jayce a moment later—“hide from you completely.”

“Whoa!”

Sionnach laughed, turned away, waved over his shoulder, and then vanished again.

“Is he still here? Can you see him?” Jayce asked quietly.

“I can. Faeries can.” She smiled nervously before adding, “But he’s gone now. It’s just us. Is that okay?”

Jayce reached out and traced her cheek with his fingertips. “I’m alone with the girl I like who happens to be even cooler than I already thought. It’s very okay.” He leaned closer and kissed her. He’d known she was different, but he couldn’t have guessed she was this unusual. He was kissing a faery. The thought made him pull back and grin at her. “This is awesome.”

Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

For the next two weeks, the desert fey were quiet. Sionnach had called in what favors he could to assure that Rika had time alone with her mortal boy. Seeing her come out of her shell to be romanced by the human boy was exactly what Sionnach had planned, but as he’d watched them smile tentatively at each other, his heart hurt at the sight—enough that he’d increasingly sought comfort in a mortal as well. He’d let himself grow closer to Carissa, although he’d almost called her the wrong name more than once.