Shadowglass

Vine leaves ruffled on the pine pergola, dappling the afternoon sun pleasantly on my face. The air swarmed with deliciousness, my nose orgasming in a wash of melted butter and coffee and peppery tomato bruschetta. Valentino’s was half-empty, too late for lunch and too early for dinner, and a caramel-eyed waiter winked at me as he glided by between empty linen-draped tables, his tray laden with scones and iced chocolate drinks in tall glasses.

I kicked my feet against the wooden legs of my chair, enjoying sultry summer warmth, and dipped my spoon in the berry ice cream mountain on my plate. Chocolate sauce dribbled down pink slopes, loaded with colored sprinkles, and I caught it with my tongue, dark cocoa sweetness melting into my mouth. Mmm. Valentino’s has the best fudge sauce in the whole world.

Across from me, a fat green spriggan with an armload of shopping bags slurped a latte, bubbles frothing out her nose. In the corner, a pair of black-suited trolls muttered and gulped espressos, tusks gleaming and sharp yellow claws digging into the little cups, and next to them a giggling blue air sprite swiveled golden wings and poked his nose into a plate of whipped cream.

Next to me, Andy reclined in his chair, long denim-clad legs stretched out. The crisp black ends of his hair stuck to his dark cheeks in the heat, and sweat slicked his arms with copper as he scooped up an icy pink blob. His bangle rainbowed in the sun, green and blue swirls flashing. Left arm. Definitely the left.

Summer, ice cream, cute waiters, a date with Indigo. Doesn’t get much better than this.

Except maybe not being chased by gangsters or going insane. But you can’t have everything.

I chewed on a marshmallow, soft sugar popping between my teeth. “So . . . what’s the story on you and this mirror, anyway? You did for Jinxx already. Whadda you care?”

“You first.” Andy sucked ice cream from his spoon, his lips gleaming a surreal pink.

Nerves squiggled my blood. I didn’t want to tell him my stupidity. “Why do I have to go first?”

“I asked first.” An errant strawberry blob dribbled down his fingers, and I watched to see what he’d do. The ice cream test. Waste it? Wipe it? Would he be swift and thoughtless, or deliberate?

He ducked and licked the drips up. Slow, sensual, savoring, his dark tongue sliding lovingly over his knuckles and his claws. Not a drop spilt. I squirmed, my damp thighs sticking on the cane. Sweet and dead sexy at the same time. Great. I’m turned on just watching him eat ice cream.

I swallowed my next mouthful too fast, and my freezing throat ached. “I asked last night. You first.”

He shrugged, crushing chocolate shavings into the plate with his spoon. “Told you. Jinxx wants it back. You’re lucky he’s not coming after you.”

“Yeah. Guess so.” I recalled Jinxx’s strange, absent touch and shivered. Andy picked at a stain on the tablecloth, determined to look at it instead of at me. Did he care that I’d slept with Jinxx? A little bit jealous, even?

At last his gaze met mine, soft warm gray like rain clouds. “So what’s your story? Why fence it one day and scrabble after it the next?”

I stuffed more ice cream into my mouth, my teeth protesting with a cold spike into my gums. My voice squelched through a freezing mouthful. “No reason. I realized I got ripped off, that’s all. Danny’s a sneaky little shitball.”

Andy laughed, silver teeth sharp. “Right. You looked into the glass.”

“Nope.” I gurgled as I swallowed, my throat sore. How did he know? Had he looked, too?

“Did so.”

“Did not.”

“Did so. How’d you know it’s a mirror, if you didn’t open it?”

“Did n—Oh.” He had me there. I sighed. “It’s shiny, okay? You should understand that. I saw a pretty shiny thing and I took it. But it wasn’t as much fun as I thought, so I got rid of it.”

“Don’t believe you. What happened, Appolonnia?”

His gaze didn’t falter, and my spine prickled under his scrutiny. I bristled, mirrorspiked words bubbling up in my throat. “Nothing, okay? Just this stupid guy on the tram, and then I messed up our fortune-telling con because I couldn’t lie, and then there was this vampire and I wanted him to drink me and Jinxx said he’d make me better if I gave the mirror back and then you came along and pulled that switch on me like you do, nasty one minute and nice the next, and what the hell is it with that anyway, and then Ashley hissed at you and I went with him and we had sex. Three times. In front of Charlotte. And now she hates me and he avoids me and we owe the Cruz's five grand by Friday and Danny’s dead and the Parentes are chasing me and I’ve ruined my life over a piece of fucking glass. Okay?”

My stomach tied in bulging knots, and sickness threatened to swamp me. Surely he’d despise me more than ever now. Tears slashed at my eyes like acid, and I fumbled them away, dreading the look I’d get from him, that little upturned lip of disgust.

But he just chewed his claw, silvery teeth flashing. “So . . . Jinxx will cure you if you give it back?”

My strangled heart relaxed, just a little. He wasn’t judging me. I sniffed, stupid gratitude tearing me up all over again. “Yeah. Lucky for me we’re both taking it to the same place, right?”

“Lucky. And Ashley . . . isn’t your boyfriend, then?” He scratched at the tablecloth, like he wasn’t really interested in my answer.

I scraped my face clean with my palm, my throat tight. “No, he’s not my damn boyfriend. He’s not even my friend anymore. Dead grandmothers and incest. Don’t wanna talk about it. Okay?”

I rummaged in my bag for something, anything to do that didn’t involve thinking or looking at him. Diamonds spilled over my sticky fingers. My phone tumbled out, the screen flashing neon with a new text message. I ignored it. Probably Ashley, giving me shit. I wasn’t in the mood.

Coins rolled onto the tablecloth, a couple of bucks at most. Good thing this woolly mammoth–sized sundae was on Andy. Tissues. A squashed green jelly bean. Can opener. Lipstick, color orange. And amongst the rabid gleam of diamonds, a flash of scarlet-spiked silver.

I stared, and scrabbled the diamonds aside.

Notes

KyeForce is back!!! Fuck yeah!!! My day has been made.
Hope you enjoy this little filler!

Stay Weird Baby Bats
- Grimm ;)