I pulled open the drawer where I stashed the fae vapor and was faced with an empty vial. I slammed it shut and leaned on the counter.

Ten years ago I settled into this city, letting myself root down. I loved games more than anything. Before that, I’d been a thief. It had been fun but there was no one to watch my grand escapades and no loser for me to smile at. It wasn’t the nicest thing but, I loved seeing the look of shock and loss on faces as I took everything they were worth.

Had it really been ten years now?

I ran my nails through my hair and then began opening drawers, looking for the brush that should be on the counter. I kept losing things this week, a novelty I wasn’t familiar with. How did a leprechaun lose things? That was something unlucky people did.

“Are you stealing my things?” I asked the cat playfully. Its tail stopped flicking for a moment, its ears going flat on its head.

The cat kept tangling itself in my legs everywhere I went as I attempted to get ready. It had the uncomfortable habit of staring at me while I went to the bathroom. I reached down and picked it up. The thing was huge, probably thirty pounds of solid cat. I wondered if it was someone’s exotic pet that had gotten loose. He fought me tooth and nail, yawling when I forced it out while I showered.

I tucked the towel around my body and opened the door. Steam from the shower billowed out. The cat sat there, looking pissed off I’d kicked it out. It was an annoying, clingy animal. However, I was desperate enough for a companion and been alone for so long that I actually liked how clingy it was.

“I should give you a name, shouldn’t I?” I hummed as I tapped my lips. A name drifted up in my mind and I latched on to it. “How about Luca?” The cat stilled, its eyes widening. The name wasn’t quite right but close enough for now. It looked up at me with pupils the size of dinner plates. I huffed, bending over to rub an ear affectionately. That man last night had golden eyes.

An odd sensation came over me and I pulled back from the cat and went to my two-story walk-in closet to find something to wear. My fingers dragged over the fabrics as I considered where I would go tonight. A casino was the obvious choice but I’d been blacklisted from nearly all of them now.

A smile spread over my face. Tonight I’d go to Fenrir, which was a club owned by the local wolf pack. Those guys loved a good street race and that sounded absolutely perfect to me. I tugged on leather pants so tight they appeared to be painted on. Then I pulled on a loose hot pink crop top and then tugged out my lime green faux fur coat. Heat be damned. I’d rather sweat than never wear coats. Plus, I mostly wandered at night, when the brutal sun wasn’t threatening heat stroke and the day’s humidity had bled away.