Kelpie (Come Love a Fey) (6 page)

He
took the shoes from me with a look of mild disgust, curling his long toes into
the carpet.  Geez, even his feet were beautiful.  “Why?”

I
planted my hands on my hips and stared up at him.  “Look, don’t start this
fairy crap with me.  You are a human being.  People wear shoes.  Besides, they
won’t let you in this bar- ah
tavern
- if you don’t have shoes on.  No
shirt, no shoes, no business….you know?”  I puffed a strand of light brown hair
out of my face.

He
raised his eyebrows at me, as if I was the crazy one here, “These….
things
are
supposed to be shoes?”  But he stooped and put the stupid things on.

“Fine.” 
I said sourly.  “Let’s go.”  I grabbed my purse and headed out, Leith following
behind me, closer than my shadow.

We
made our way to the parking lot in silence, and I directed him toward my blue
Honda Civic.  The car was an older baseline model, with manual everything.  I had
read somewhere that this was the model that was the most frequently stolen.  No
self-respecting thief would want mine.  I unlocked the driver’s side and leaned
across to unlock the passenger door.  Leith hesitated, but he finally got in. 
He looked around the interior of the car with a flat expression.  I could just
imagine the judgments behind those sharp blue eyes.

“I
know it’s nothing special, but it’s dependable and it gets great gas mileage.” 
I don’t know why I felt like I had to explain.

He
didn’t say anything.  I started the car, but didn’t put it in drive.  I waited
patiently for my companion.  He gave me a questioning look, and I gestured to
the seatbelt.  “Train’s not leaving until you buckle up.”

I
waited for smart-ass questions about how a seat belt worked, but he seemed to
have no problem.  Then again, he had just watched me buckle mine.  He was a
fairy after all, not an idiot.  I sighed internally and gave a mental eye roll.

“So
where is this place you want to go?”  I shifted the car into reverse and pulled
out.

He
frowned, considering.  “I’m not entirely sure where it is.”

“Great.”

We
approached the road and he gestured toward town.  “Go to the busiest part of
the city.”

I
clenched my teeth and turned right.  “Uh-huh, then what?”

Leith
sat ramrod straight.  I don’ think he could look more uncomfortable.  Maybe he
was pretending this was his first time riding in a car, since he was a fairy
and all.  His long fingers fiddled with the vents.  “My people are always at
the center of things, even if humans don’t see them.”

Okay
.  I shook my
head.  “You still believe you’re some kind of fairy?”

He
ignored me.  “The tavern- ah
bar
- will be within walking distance of the
most popular human establishments, maybe just off the beaten path, so to
speak.”  I ignored the lightly mocking note in his voice.

His
exploration moved to the radio controls and he jumped when the music blared to
life.  I reached over and turned the volume down, smiling as he tried to hide
the startled expression in those big blue eyes.  He was a great actor.  He sure
as heck looked like he had never seen a car radio before.

“Can
we please listen to what they call rock?”

I
glanced at him doubtfully before finding a local rock station.  Not what I would
expect a fairy horse to choose.  Maybe he wasn’t such a good actor after all.  “Fine,
but if I hear even a hint of eighties cock-rock, I’m changing it.”  He covered
a surprised cough and nodded.  Apparently, the non-human had been watching
music videos while I was at work.

“So
what did you do all day- besides grant freedom to my goldfish, oh magical
kelpie?  Did you find anything interesting on the news?”

He
nodded eagerly.  His deep voice was full of wonder.  “There is instant access
to everything now.  It’s very interesting.”  He frowned in thought.  “But humans
haven’t really changed much in the past two hundred years, aside from
technology.  Their basic nature appears to be the same.”

I
noticed that he was now using contractions.  Then I jerked my gaze away from
his beautiful mouth. 
Wait a minute.
 “Two hundred years, huh?”

He
shrugged.  “It seems that is how long I slept.”

I
raised my eyebrows.  Not just a fairy then, a two hundred year old fairy.  
Oh
boy
.

We
reached town and he gestured left at the second light.  “Down this street, I
think.”

I
looked around, considering.  The street was just what he had described, a block
away from the few really popular hangouts.  It was home to a little, run-down pool
hall where the over thirty crowd tended to hang out, and a couple of small
restaurants.  The sun was going down and I noted that some of the streetlights
weren’t coming on.  At the end of the street was a little dive bar with an old
wooden sign over the door.

I
snorted.  “
Good Neighbor Tavern
, huh?  I think that might be false
advertising.”

Leith
sat up straight, all his attention on the bar.  “Pull in.  That’s it.”

I
dubiously followed his instructions, but didn’t turn off the engine.  “Are you
sure about this?  That place looks pretty shady.  I have a really bad feeling
about going in there.”

He
turned to look at me, placing a big hand on my knee.  A slight grin turned up
one side of his wide mouth.  I shook myself mentally.  He was not attractive. 
Not at all.  Too skinny, too angular, too… homeless.

“It
only seems bad to you because of the glamour.”  He said calmly.  “Fey use magic
to discourage humans from entering.”  Oh yeah, also too crazy.  Let’s not
forget too
crazy
.  

Leith
opened his door, slipped out, and headed for the bar.  He paused to wait for me
and the last of the lingering sunset touched his hair.  It glistened as if it
were wet.  I could just drive off and leave him here.  Problem solved.  I
weighed this in my mind as I sat gripping the steering wheel.  The summer night
felt heavy, and I could hear insects singing, even this far into town.  Sighing,
I took a minute to make sure my cell phone was handy.  I might need it to dial
911 when we were robbed. 

Leith
led the way into the bar.  That bad feeling got worse the closer we got.  The
hair stood up on the back of my neck and I could almost believe his crap about
magic.  Everything in me wanted to just turn around and walk away- fast.  I
instinctively stepped closer to him, placing a hand on his broad back.  For
some reason it seemed to help.

The
old wooden door swung open with a groan like you’d expect from a haunted
house.  I was apprehensive of what we would find inside, but the interior turned
out to be normal.  A light cloud of smoke hung over the bar, and the place was
very dim.  The set-up wasn’t anything special.  There were pool tables in the
center of the room where a couple of groups were having a lively game.  Round
tables and booths lined the outer perimeter of the room, and a pair of big screen
TVs, showed the football game.  A morbidly obese guy slouched at the end of the
bar, cradling a frosty mug.  I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.

“Well,
it doesn’t look so dicey after all,” I said hopefully.  “Maybe the food is
decent.  I bet they at least have an edible burger… and maybe some fried fish.”

Leith
nodded, but didn’t comment.  The bartender, a dainty blonde in a tube top and
low-rise jeans, glanced at us as we made our way to one of the booths.  I slid
into the fake leather seat across from Leith.  He had picked a booth in one of
the darker corners, and I had trouble reading the shiny, plastic coated menu
under the meager light from the little green lamp that hung above us.

An
older woman with an apron and comfortable shoes came over carrying two glasses
of ice water.  “What can I get you?”  She directed a big grin at Leith while I
inspected my glass for lipstick rings.  I was shocked when he smiled back.  He
usually looked so stern.  Of course, it wasn’t a very warm smile, but it was an
improvement over no expression…  I think.  He was showing way too many teeth.  The
woman stared at him in surprise.

I
cleared my throat and the waitress- Lola, according to her nametag- glanced my
way.  “Do you have any specials tonight?”

She
glanced at her little notepad.  “Sure hon, we’ve got draft beer for half price
‘til ten.  Our dinner specials are the Good burger, and the fried fish basket
with coleslaw.”

I
glanced at Leith.  He arched one eyebrow at me and compressed his lips. 
Judging by the twinkle in his eyes, I thought he was suppressing a smile.  He
tapped his fingers on the table.  I hoped being out in public wasn’t going to
cause some sort of psychotic episode.  “Um…  I’ll have the burger- well done. 
And my friend will have the fish basket.”  My eyes traveled over the sharp
angles of his cheekbones.  “Can you add an extra serving of fish to that?”

Lola
smiled.  “Sure hon.” She looked at Leith again, her eyes lingering.  “I’ll
bring you a beer on the house.  It looks like you need it.  Irish red?”

He
shook his head curtly.  “Ale.  I’d also like to speak with the owner of this
establishment.”

Lola
looked regretful.  “M ain’t here tonight hon. Sorry.”  She darted a glance at
me, and Leith pursed his lips.

“Then
leave him a message, if you would.  Tell him The Kelpie is looking for him?”

She
turned on a heel and left without a word.

“Geez
Leith,” I said, tracing patterns in the condensation on my glass of water.  I
held it up to the meager light.  Was that a lipstick smudge?  “What’s your
problem?”

He
gave me a direct look that was chilling in its intensity.  “Someone betrayed
me.  When I find out who it was, his life is mine.”

I
gaped at him.  Maybe I should have called that cab after all.  I opened my mouth
to reply, but stopped short when I saw what was approaching our table.  Leith
saw my gaze drift past him.  He straightened, but didn’t turn to look, his dark
eyes on my face.

A
beautiful woman was walking toward our table.  Correction-she was rolling
toward our table.  She didn’t seem to have feet.  She gifted me with a soft
smile, and I tried not to stare.  I couldn’t look away though. 
Holy cow
. 
She was all soft curves and swaying hips.  She had honey colored hair that was
piled in a loose bun.  Everything about her was soft and feminine and…. lush.

She
stopped at our table and Leith looked up at her with a weary expression.  “Mair...you
are M?”  His expression was flat, but his deep voice hovered somewhere between
suspicion and hopefulness.

The
woman gave Leith a once over, her big eyes sweeping his frame without a change
in their politely curious expression.  Everything about her seemed womanly and
nurturing.  She bore the quiet beauty of an expectant mother- all glowing and fruitful.

Her
soft expression changed to bored impatience as she studied my companion.  “The
wait staff said there was someone here who insisted on speaking with me- someone
claiming to be The Kelpie.”

I
watched their little scene unfold, rapt.  Was she really going to play along
with his bull?  He seemed familiar with this place- maybe he was a regular and
they were used to his particular brand of crazy.  Leith raised a black eyebrow
at her question.  “You, of all people, should know who I am.”

She
laughed.  “I don’t know what you are playing at, my friend, but imitating that
creature is dangerous.  The master has been dead for two hundred years.  I hear
he was murdered- betrayed by one of his closest followers.”

Leith
was unmoved by this news.  “Obviously I am alive and well.”

She
snorted, and a calculating look entered her eyes.  “I hear it was a perfect
assassination.  Only one of his true friends could get close enough to poison
the creature and murder him as he slept.”  She crossed her arms and studied her
fingernails.  “I hear that the betrayer then returned to Underhill with the
horse’s blood soaked mane as proof of his devotion to the Underhill lords.  All
of Underhill rejoiced in the death of a lord who would live side by side with
filth.  That’s what happens when our kind associate with humans.”

Leith
took a breath to say something, but he paused when the waitress arrived with
our food.  She slipped the plates onto the table and skittered away without
meeting anyone’s eyes.  The atmosphere was a little tense.  I reached for a
fry, but it slipped from my fingers at Leith’s sharply uttered, “drop it!”

The
woman’s gaze drifted to me and she smiled that warm smile.  It didn’t reach her
eyes.  “And what purpose do you serve?”

I
rolled my eyes. 
Whatever
.  “Sorry, I’m not playing dungeons and dragons
today.  I’m just here for food.”

She
grinned.  “Hmm…I see…food.”

There
was a call from the kitchen and the woman glanced that way.  “If you’ll excuse
me, you’ve wasted enough of my time with your little game.”  She turned to go,
but paused, looking back over her shoulder.  “Just so you know how serious your
little masquerade is- I hear that all of that person’s closest followers were
also killed in the same manner.”