She upended the glass and finished the last drop. She really had been thirsty. They stood without speaking until Jiri cleared his throat with a grating roar and excused himself by holding up his finger. Mistletoe listened to the metallic splat of his spit hitting the kitchen sink.

Dita sighed. “Maj buhe. That man’s habits.”

“I know,” Mistletoe said. “And thanks for the water.” She was still holding the empty glass. Dita studied her face.

“Do you like tea? We were just about to have some.”

*   *   *

Later, when they were sipping the last grainy dregs of tea from their cups, there was another unexpected knock on the door. Jiri and Dita glanced at each other.

“Eighth New York Quadrant Station around here,” Jiri grumbled, getting up from the table.

“This is some kind of record,” Dita agreed.

“Wait!” Mistletoe said, leaping to her feet with a suddenness that surprised even her. “I’ll get it.”

Dita gave her a fierce look. “You expecting someone?”

“I don’t know,” Mistletoe said. “Sort of.”

Before Jiri could step in front of her, Mistletoe raced to the front door. She put her hand on the doorknob and stopped, preparing herself. What if it wasn’t him?

Knock, knock, knock.

She opened it.

“Told you I’d find you,” Ambrose said. “Nice haircut.”

“Nice cheekbones.”

“Who’s here?” Jiri called from the kitchen.

“An old friend,” Mistletoe said, reaching for Ambrose’s hand.

Acknowledgments

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to my parents, whose boundless love and support should be an inspiration to humans and hybrid creatures everywhere. Special thanks to my brother, whose friendship and conversation I value more than he knows.

I’d be lost without my agent, Elana Roth, whose expert guidance is always delivered with intelligence and wit, and whose Twitter feed is highly entertaining.

Thanks to my brilliant editor, Noa Wheeler, for helping me find the story I really wanted to tell over grilled cheese and fried pickles. Without you, this book would be missing its heart.

Credit goes to Matt Lambert for the usage of podcast. Thanks for all your help over the years.

I’m especially grateful to everyone who had the patience and generosity to give detailed, insightful, and honest feedback on a procession of rough drafts and abandoned projects that varied wildly in quality and coherence. Your encouragement kept me going.