Page 4 of Soul Sucker

He watched her until she finished the scalding hot drink and threw the cup in the trash. “You free for dinner one night this week?”

She considered his familiar face. He was far too nice to hook up with for just a night and far too dangerous to contemplate having a relationship with. She wouldn’t want to lie to him about exactly what she was, and what kind of work she really did. It just wouldn’t be fair. Some part of her yearned to say yes and to act like any normal, unattached woman, but it would be both pointless and cruel.

“Sorry, Jose. I wish I could.”

He gave an exaggerated sigh. “You’ve already got a boyfriend, right?”

She laughed. “Well I wouldn’t actually say that. But I’m definitely spoken for.”

“Shame.”

She patted his shoulder. “Much better if we stay friends. We’ll always be able to look each other in the eye. I watch the soaps. You know how these workplace romances always end.”

“I suppose you’re right, but I’m going to keep asking.”

“Sure.” She winked at him and headed for the exit. “Have a good one.”

She called Feehan on her cell, related her conversation with Mr. Knight and got the okay to travel on to Golden Gate Park and confront the miscreant. At the bottom of Mission she spotted one of the tourist buses heading out that way and hopped on board. She sat on the open top deck and let the stream of chatter and excitement of the other passengers wash over her as she focused on what she needed to do next.

It was easy enough to find the spot where Mr. Knight had met his unpleasant sunflower. The grass was trampled and bits of leaves floated around on the breeze. The biggest giveaway for Ella was the hint of Otherworld power she sensed still hanging in the air. She turned around in a slow circle before setting her gaze on a group of sunflowers huddled against a brick wall.

“SBLE. Show yourselves.”

Nothing so much as rustled a leaf so she held up her badge. “SBLE. I know you’re there. Come out and we’ll settle this right now.”

She waited, one hand on her weapon, as the four young Garden Fae disentangled themselves from the plants and slowly revealed their true form. With their yellow eyes and greenish skin and hair they blended far too well with the foliage.

“Which one of you interacted with the human?”

They all just stared blankly at her. Sometimes it was uncanny how much they resembled their human counterparts during adolescence.

She snapped her fingers, letting a little of the Otherworld energy signature she’d taken from Mr. Knight bounce off the sullen Fae. “All I have to do is get close and I’ll know exactly which one of you did it. Do you want me to get close?” She focused on the one with the guiltiest face. “Are you really going to let all your buddies take the blame?”

The Fae she’d targeted stepped forward. “It was me. Somakkingwhat?”

“You have violated the conditions of your visit to the human world. You’re only allowed to visit if you don’t interfere with anyone.”

He shrugged his narrow shoulders. “I was just having a laugh.”

“By scaring the shit out of a human?”

He grinned, showing rows of sharp teeth. “I let him live, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but the treaty between our two worlds states that you shouldn’t have made yourself known to him in the first place.”

“It was just a joke. Humans come to Otherworld all the time andmakkabout with us.”

“Bullshit. Most humans who end up in Otherworld have been trapped there by your kind.”

“The empath college is full of stupid humans.”

“Exactly. Do you think any of uslikedbeing stuck there?”

He glanced back at his companions as if looking for support. “You don’t need to do anything about this, right?”

She studied them until they began to fidget. “The human ended up in the hospital so there is already a record of this incident in the system. Officially I should bust all your asses, but I’m in a good mood, so I’ll let you off if you instantly return to Otherworld.” She locked eyes with the tallest Fae. “Deal?”

One of the other Fae nudged him, then muttered something inaudible.

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