Illusions

Chapter Thirty-Five

TAMANI HAD TO ADMIT, FOR AN INDOOR PARTY THAT lacked any Summer illusions, the humans had done a good job. He couldn’t help but smile at Yuki’s seedling-like enthusiasm as she gasped and smiled at the splendor. It was easier to be around her now, knowing she wasn’t the danger — she was just the distraction, and she might not even be aware of that. “This is amazing,” she said, her eyes twinkling with the reflected sparkle of a hundred strings of lights.

Without saying a word, Tamani walked Yuki onto the dance floor, just at the edge, where the crowd was thinner. “You’re lovely tonight,” he said.

Yuki looked immediately shy. “Thank you,” she said softly. “I–I hoped you would like it.”

“Very much,” Tamani replied. That, at least, wasn’t a lie. Her dress was stunning. A different style than he’d ever seen before, but all the more beautiful for that. He forced himself not to think about what Laurel would look like in it. He shook his head a little, a physical reminder that he had other things to concentrate on. “I was sorry to not be able to pick you up,” Tamani said, his voice low enough that Yuki had to lean forward a little to hear him. He laid one hand low on her waist and ran his other all the way down her arm, then folded her hand into his and pulled her close — a traditional dance pose, rather than the strange, leaning bear-hug the humans seemed to prefer — and stepped softly to the music.

“I’m sorry too,” Yuki said. “It… it couldn’t be helped.” She glanced down, and Tamani thought she looked embarrassed. Then, very quietly, she added, “I was packing.”

Tamani felt his whole body tense. “Packing?” Of course she wouldn’t stay here alone during the winter break, Tamani chided himself. Calm down. Hopefully she had interpreted the tight squeeze of her hand as a sign of affection. He led Yuki into a spin under his arm, and then back close where she stepped evenly, expertly, matching him with a delicate grace that marked her as unmistakably fae.

“Klea is coming for me tomorrow,” she said evenly, her voice strained, but controlled.

“When will you be back?” Tamani asked, his voice calm. It wasn’t that unusual.

“I… I—” she said, but looked down, avoiding his eyes.

She was supposed to lie, he could tell. But he wanted the truth. In another few hours it might not matter, but for once, he wanted the truth. He tilted his face close to hers and let his cheek touch her face, his lips just brushing her ear. “Tell me,” he whispered.

“I’m not supposed to come back at all,” she said, her voice catching.

He pulled back, not having to fake the horror written across his face. “Never?”

She shook her head, her eyes darting around the room as if afraid someone would catch her dropping her secret. “I don’t want to leave. Klea — she wasn’t happy that I came tonight at all, but I was not going to miss this.”

This was an act of rebellion then — and one of which Yuki was clearly proud.

He was silent for a moment and Yuki looked up at him, waiting for him to say something, do something. He gave himself another moment to think by pulling her close and listening to her shallow breathing as he again brushed her earlobe with his lips. “Can’t you stay?” he asked, digging now. “Won’t she listen to you?”

“Klea doesn’t listen to anyone,” Yuki grumbled.

He stopped now, stopped dancing entirely, letting the other couples swaying around him make room for them. He reached out a gloved hand and ran his fingers down the side of her face, her heavy lashes fluttering closed at his touch. “How far will you go?”

“I don’t know.”

“Back to Japan?”

“No, no, not that far. I’m pretty sure we’re staying in California.”

He looked over his shoulder when someone bumped him; instead of pulling Yuki in close, he led her into a graceful stretch, then held out his hand, inviting her to come near this time. She jumped at the chance, pulling herself against his chest, lifting her face up close to his as they resumed swaying. “She won’t take your cell phone, will she?” Tamani asked, his mouth only a breath away from her lips.

“I… I don’t think so.”

“Then I can call you, right? And I have a car. I could come and see you.”

“Would you?”

Tamani leaned just a little closer, his forehead brushing hers. “Oh, absolutely.”

“Then I’ll figure out a way,” Yuki promised.

“Why now?” Tamani asked, leading Yuki backward in a slow, waltz-like circle around the human dancers. Even as he pushed her for secrets and signs, she followed him easily, and he found that he enjoyed dancing with her. “Can’t you stay till Christmas? It’s only a few more days.”

Yuki shook her head. “I can’t. It’s… not a good idea.”

“Why?” Tamani asked, injecting a hint of longing into his voice, hoping he wasn’t prodding too hard.

“I—” Her gaze faltered and she looked down again. “Klea says it’s too dangerous.”

The music changed and Tamani led her a little faster now, into a series of more complicated steps. Take her mind off her mouth, Tamani thought to himself. “I don’t want you to go,” he whispered.

Yuki’s face lifted, her eyes soft. “Really?”

Tamani forced himself not to grit his teeth. “There’s something different about you.”

Her expression was momentarily guarded, but she smiled his words away. “I’m not different. I’m just a regular person.”

She was pretty good. But Tamani had been lying since before her sprout opened its petals. “No,” he said sweetly, pulling her tight against his body, feeling her erratic breathing as he did. “You’re special. I can tell. There’s something amazing about you.” He laid his cheek right on hers now, and felt her hand tremble in his. “And I can’t wait to find out more.”

Yuki smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but Tamani felt his phone buzzing in his pocket.

“Just a sec,” Tamani muttered, pulling his phone out just enough that he could see the display. Sure enough, Aaron’s number was lit up on the screen. Tamani looked up at Yuki and apologized with his eyes. “It’s my uncle. I’ll be right back.” He squeezed her hand. “Why don’t you go get something to drink?” He smiled at her for another second before walking quickly from the dance floor.

“I’m really glad I came with you,” Laurel said, looking up at David.

“Really?”

“Yeah. It was good to clear the air. I—” She paused. “You have to know that I hadn’t planned to break up with you. It just happened.”

“I do know that. But I was so riled up. You were justified.”

“I kinda was, wasn’t I?”

David rolled his eyes. “I’ll do better,” he said. “If you’ll just give me a chance.”

“David—”

“I’m going to keep hoping,” David said, raising her hand up to his lips and kissing her knuckles.

Laurel couldn’t help but smile. Over David’s shoulder, she noticed Tamani striding out of the gym, his phone held to his ear, his face unreadable. “Something’s happening,” Laurel said. “I’ll be right back.”

Trying not to draw too much attention to herself, Laurel followed Tamani out into the lobby.

“You raided without me?” Tamani whispered, his eyes darting left and right as he backed into a dark corner, locking eyes with Laurel for a brief instant as she approached. “Well, I’m glad you’re still alive. Goddess only knows what could have happened. What was in there?”

“We raided because I knew you wouldn’t be able to join us.” Shar’s voice sounded in Tamani’s ear. Through Aaron’s phone. Apparently Shar had “forgotten” his iPhone back in the forest. His human trinket. “I told you — you’ve been spreading yourself too thin.”

“You had no right—”

“I had every right. I am in command here, though you seem happy to forget that when it’s convenient to you.”

Tamani clenched his teeth; when it came to matters concerning Laurel, chain of command was not the only consideration, and Shar knew it. “What did you find?” he asked emotionlessly.

“It was empty, Tamani.”

David walked up and stood beside Laurel.

“Empty?” Tamani asked in disbelief. “What do you mean, empty?”

“Well, not completely empty. The trolls we chased down are still here.”

“A month later?”

“I didn’t say they were alive.”

“Dead?”

“One looks like it starved to death. But not before eating part of the other one. The stench was… well, let’s just say I’m not going to be able to smell properly for a long time.”

“Why didn’t they just leave?”

“They must have seen us, known they were surrounded. It was death if they left and I was more patient than they were.” He coughed. “Earth and sky, but they reek.”

Tamani sighed. He had several choice words for Shar, but now was not the time. “Well, thanks for letting me know, I suppose. If you’ll excuse me, I have a job to get back to.” Without saying good-bye he pulled the phone away from his ear and jabbed at the End Call button on his screen, once, twice. Blighted glove! Suppressing a growl, he bit down on the middle finger of his glove and yanked it off, poking hard at the phone to hang it up. He looked up at Laurel and David.

“Why did you follow me out here? I’m making some headway with Yuki and you two hanging around could ruin everything. Go! Dance!” he said, gesturing toward the door.

“Tam,” Laurel said, her eyes wide. “Your hand. Look at your hand!”

Tamani looked down at his hand.

It was covered with sparkling powder.

Not powder. Pollen.

David raised an eyebrow. “Happy thoughts?”

Tamani could see Laurel’s chest heave as she sucked in a nervous breath. “I’m not in bloom,” she hissed.

“No,” Tamani said, terror growing in his chest. “No, no, no! It’s not possible!” Tamani exclaimed.

“Tamani,” Laurel said, her voice eerily calm, “it’s the first day of winter.”

“No!” Tamani felt like about twenty gears had clicked into place in his mind. He shoved his glove back onto his hand, concealing the damning evidence. He reached out to grab Laurel’s arm, not too tight, but tight enough for her to recognize how serious he was. “If Yuki is a Winter faerie, then we are all in very serious danger. She doesn’t just know you’re a faerie. She knows I’m a faerie. There’s no way she couldn’t. Every word out of her mouth since she arrived has been a lie. Every word.” He swallowed. “And she knows how much I’ve been lying to her, too.”

He placed his phone in Laurel’s hand, curling her fingers around it. “Call Shar. He’s on Aaron’s phone. Tell him everything. I’ll keep Yuki at the dance as long as I can. Then I’ll find a way to bring her back to my apartment. You and Shar have to think of something by then.”

“Can’t we wait till tomorrow?” Laurel asked, panic creeping into her voice. “I don’t think we should rush—”

“There’s no time,” Tamani interrupted. “Klea is coming to pick Yuki up and she’s not coming back. Whatever she was sent here to do — it’s done. It has to be tonight.” He hesitated, wanting to stay in the lobby with Laurel. But he gritted his teeth and stood tall. “I’ve spent too much time out here already — she’s going to be suspicious. You guys need to go.”

Laurel nodded and turned to David. “I’ll call Shar from the bathroom — I’ll be right back.”

Tamani watched her walk off. Then he grabbed David’s shoulder, looking him hard in the eye. “Keep her safe, David.”

“I will,” he replied soberly.

It wasn’t good enough. But then, where Laurel was concerned, nothing ever was. It was as good as it was going to get. The human boy hadn’t failed her yet. Tamani could only hope his luck would hold.

He took a moment to try to calm himself as he headed back into the gym. Yuki was standing by the punch bowl and hadn’t noticed him yet. He watched her with new eyes — seeing her as the dangerous creature he now knew she was. She looked so innocent in her sparkling dress. Only now did he fully understand. The large bow in back was just perfect for hiding a blossom.

It took everything he had to smile seductively as he approached her. She had to know his words were a lie. But there was one thing — even from the beginning — that she had always believed. He pulled her back in his arms possessively and his cheek went to hers, his lips pressing softly up her neck and to her ear. “Come home with me tonight?” he whispered.

She pulled back a little, looking at him with wide eyes.

“It’s our last night,” he said.

A long moment passed and Tamani could feel a single bead of condensation building up at the back of his neck as she continued to say nothing — to look into his eyes, searching for truth. “Okay,” she whispered.