Page 69 of Welcome to Fae Cafe

“I apologize for this in advance,” Kate rasped when he was close enough. “But I need you to do something.”

“Your tone worries me, Human,” Dranian warned. His ever-present snarl seemed to deepen.

“Well… you should never mess with a girl’s hair.” Kate shook her finger in the air. “Now…please, kiss my friend’s shoe.”

The assassin’s green eyes narrowed.

Lily looked back and forth between them. “Why do you keep calling her that?Human?” She imitated his voice when she said it.

“Take off your shoe, Lily,” Kate said when Dranian twitched forward.

“What? Why?”

“Because this is going to be way too embarrassing for him if he has to get on the floor.”

But Lily wasn’t fast enough—Dranian dropped to a knee and Lily jumped back with a shriek when he snatched her foot. He tried to raise it just as his shoulder was grabbed and he was torn back up to his feet by Connor.

Connor inserted himself in front of Lily and Kate, staring Dranian down even though he was shorter.

Kate cringed and slapped a hand to her forehead. “Well, this just got interesting.”

“Out of my way.” Dranian’s tight lips curved around the words, enforced by his wild eyes and rigid jaw. “Or I’ll tear you to pieces.”

Connor’s chin dropped. “Did you just threaten a cop?”

“Take off your shoe, Lily!” Kate pleaded, reaching for it herself.

Lily scrambled to get her heel free, and she threw it at Dranian. The fae caught it in midair and pulled the black slingback heel to his mouth. He pecked it.

Connor made a repulsed face. “What’s wrong with you?”

Dranian’s shoulders relaxed. He dropped the shoe on the floor with a clatter, but his deadly glower didn’t leave Kate. His cheeks were flushed; he looked like he’d been slapped.

“Are you out of your mind, Human?!” Mor’s deep voice boomed as he marched over. “Don’t you know about his past?! You just made him…” It was like he couldn’t even spit out the horrid words. Back by the lobby entrance, Shayne wasn’t smiling anymore, either.

Dranian pushed past Connor to get to Kate. He stood over her, a tower of muscle and fury. It was the first time Kate realized how small she was in comparison. How easy it would be for him to snap her in half with one hand.

“Hey,” Lily tugged Kate back an inch, “take it easy.” But her voice was soft. “I’m sorry about the shoe. It’s my fault—I made her tell you to do that.”

“You’ll pay for it, Human,” Dranian promised Lily without taking his loathing eyes off Kate.

“No, Lily is totally off limits,” Kate said back. “You know what? Go home, all of you. Bringing you here was a huge mistake.” She swallowed the new lump in her throat and put her gaze on the floor. Lily wrung her hands beside her.

Dranian turned his back to them and left without another word. Mor followed.

A second later, Shayne sauntered over to Kate with his hands in his pockets. “Can I have your permission to stay?” he asked. “I have a task to finish.” He gazed over at Lily and bit his lip over a taunting smile.

“Forget it,” Lily said. “I won’t laugh for you.”

“You will. I promise.”

Kate stared after the other two fae disappearing into the cold night. When the community hall door slammed shut behind them, she felt the rush of wind sail all the way through the lobby, across the dance floor, and over her warm skin.

“Why was Mor so upset that I made Dranian do that?” Kate asked, and Shayne’s smile faded.

“Well, you never learned Dranian’s story.” He glanced at his shoes, tapping the toe against the floor like he wanted to kick them off. “I’d better stay here to make sure Dranian doesn’t come back with his fairspear and stab all these lovely plastic air bubbles in a fit of rage,” he said, glancing up at the balloons.

Kate chewed on her lip. “You can stay.”

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