Page 54 of Quiver of Cobras
She didn’t even hear me. ‘If I’m good,’ she said, ‘maybe I should go to Morgan instead. Maybe he’ll want me. He looks like Rubus. He’s got to be the next best thing. Isn’t that bar of his round here somewhere?’
‘No. And you can’t fling yourself at Morgan.’
Lunaria blinked. ‘Why not?’
‘Because … because…’ I banked down the sudden wave of jealousy that tore through me at the thought of Lunaria with Morgan, of anyone with Morgan. I took several deep breaths; I had no right to tell her what she could or couldn’t do. Much as it killed me to do so, I veered away from forbidding her to go anywhere near my green-eyed lust bucket and sighed. ‘You have to make your own choices and do what you want to do, Looney. But those choices have to be for the right reasons.’
A brief flash of clarity entered her eyes. ‘Did you leave Morgan for the right reasons?’ she asked.
I ran a hand through my hair. ‘I wish I knew.’ Somehow I doubted it, even knowing everything that I did now. ‘Come on. We’ve still got several ounces of pixie dust to offload.’
‘I’ll take it,’ Lunaria said brightly.
‘That’s probably not a good idea.’
I sighed again. I didn’t like thoughtful Madrona, I decided. She always took the difficult way out.
***
By the time we reached the Travotel, the worst effects of the pixie dust seemed to be wearing off. Lunaria was now groaning and clutching her head. Her skin had a tinge of yellow about it and I made sure not to walk too close to her, as I was sure she was on the verge of heaving her guts up.
‘I have the mother of all hangovers,’ she groaned. ‘Why on earth would anyone willingly take this stuff? It doesn’t last nearly long enough to be worth it.’
That was probably why so many ended up taking more dust. ‘I’m sorry I made you do that,’ I said, actually meaning it. ‘It won’t happen again.’
Lunaria winced. ‘I obviously still have too much of it in my system because I could swear you were just nice to me.’
I glanced at her hopefully. ‘Would you prefer it if I were mean?’
‘Honestly, Mads, I’d prefer it if you just stayed quiet. My head is pounding.’
Fair enough. At least I’d have a good excuse for talking to Timmons – or rather Begonius, as was his Fey name – alone.
I left Lunaria on a small bench in front of the hotel and ambled in. Begonius was already waiting in the lobby, wringing his hands.
‘Hey!’ I stretched out my arms in greeting. ‘Did ya miss me?’
The fact that he took a step backwards was all the answer I needed. He jerked his head at the door leading to his office. I shrugged and went that way, throwing a wave to the receptionist as I passed her. She gave me a puzzled look.
‘You’ve got new staff,’ I commented, once the office door was shut behind us.
‘I had to have the others transferred to different venues after your little stunts,’ he hissed at me. ‘I couldn’t risk them getting suspicious about who I really am – or what I really am.’
‘Sure,’ I said sarcastically. ‘Because having a strange womanstayoncein your hotel and a strange man visit youoncewould lead them to all to immediately believing you’re a faery in human disguise.’
‘Shhh!’
I tutted. ‘I don’t think they can hear us.’
‘You never know. Besides, you might think I’m being paranoid but you’ve forgotten about all that shit that happened right outside here with Rubus. Murders, Madrona. Several of them!’
‘Those weren’t my fault.’
He glared. ‘I didn’t say they were.’
He was certainly very uptight and prickly but I couldn’t really blame him. ‘Look, Begonius,’ I began.
‘Mike. Or Timmons.’ He heaved himself into his chair with a thump. ‘Not Begonius.’
