Booker inclined his head. “Fair enough. Is there a reason you’ve never dated before?”

“Yep.” Val sighed. “I stand out in my community at home. Nobody ever asked, and I never liked anyone enough to ask them.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Booker grinned. “For what it’s worth, you stand out here too, Valerie Stonehold, and not in a bad way.”

Val bumped him with her shoulder. “Thanks, man.”

“Any time.”

Val stifled a yawn as Booker’s Jeep rumbled into Bay Ridge. Her belly was satisfyingly stuffed with scampi and garlic butter, and she struggled to keep her eyes open as they approached her house.

“Am I that boring?” Booker asked.

“You’re not boring.” Val stretched. “It’s been a long few days. That’s all.”

“I’ll bet.” Booker brought the Jeep to a gentle halt outside her gate. “Hey, thanks for tonight, Val. I had a great time.”

Val’s hands lay folded in her lap, and she had no inclination to place them anywhere else. “I should be thanking you. I’ve never been…you know.” For the first time all night, heat crept to her cheeks. “I’ve never been pampered before. It was sweet of you to put so much effort into showing me a good time.”

“You’re not the only one. I really enjoyed myself.” Booker paused. “This is the part where we both acknowledge that there won’t be a second date, right?”

Val grimaced. “Yeah.”

“Don’t get me wrong. You’re super cool.” Booker laughed. “I’d love to see you again, but there’s no chemistry.”

“Not even a little bit.” Val chuckled. “You’re hot, but I’m not attracted to you.”

“Thank you for the compliment.” Booker grinned. “Friends, though, right?” He held out a fist.

Val bumped it. “Absolutely. See you at the Iron Fist sometime?”

“That’s the bar in Williamsburg, right? The one that’s recently been renovated?” Booker asked.

“The one I part-own,” Val told him.

“Wait, you’re part-owner of a bar?” Booker raised his eyebrows. “I take it back. Will you marry me?”

Val laughed and shoved his shoulder. “Asshole.”

“I’ll be there some time.” Booker winked. “Thanks again.”

Val disembarked from the Jeep and waved as Booker drove away with a cheerful honk.

Tetra sulked in the passenger seat, arms folded as usual. Val was starting to think that faerie arms were stuck that way.

“I don’t see why I have to work on a weekend,” she whined.

“Because you work at a bar,” Val snapped. “You get Mondays and Tuesdays off. What’s the problem?”

“I’m tired,” Tetra complained. “My feet hurt.”

Val bit her tongue before she ordered the faerie to quit her whining. “One more shift. You can spend tomorrow in bed.”

“Yes.” Tetra brightened slightly. “I still have a season of Sherlock to watch.”

“You watched three seasons in two days?” Val raised her eyebrows.

Tetra shrugged. “It’s really good, okay? Humans are much more interesting than I thought.”

Val smiled. “A friend of mine is working on getting a streaming service that brings human-made TV and movies to Avalon up and running.”

“Bully for them,” Tetra muttered, her gloom returning. “Where are we going? This isn’t the turn you usually make to the bar.”

“We’re picking up Blair and Yuka from their house since they need to get out, but first, I have to make a quick stop. I won’t be long.” Val steered Genevieve into an empty space by the veterinary clinic. “Stay in the car.”

“Fine,” Tetra spat. “Stuck in this thing again.” Genevieve dropped the glovebox open on Tetra’s knees. “Ow!”

Val left them to duke it out and strode into the clinic. An old lady with a cat carrier and a mom with three kids and two puppies watched her enter.

“Hey, Jess.” Val leaned on the counter.

Jess looked up, startled. “Oh, hey!” She paused. “Are...are you here about the dog?”

“Yeah. I’d like to see him if that’s okay.” Val interlaced her fingers.

Jess hesitated. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

Worry clenched Val’s gut. “Is there something wrong with him?”

“No! No.” Jess sighed. “All right. You’d better come through.”

Val followed her down a bare hallway, past the exam room, and into a narrow room where stainless steel cages lined three walls stacked four high. Most were empty. A puppy on a drip wagged his tail in one, and a sullen cat wearing a cone glowered from another.

“Here he is.” Jess gestured at one of the largest cages in the back corner.

Val crouched beside the steel bars. “Hey, boy.”

The dog was so massive that he almost took up the whole cage. He lay on his side, cozy on a blanket patterned with paw prints. His IV bag hung from a stand outside the cage. The white cast on his left foreleg shone in the cage’s gloom, and he didn’t move except for the slow rise and fall of his ribs.

“What’s wrong with him?” Val asked.

“Nothing much, physically,” Jess told her. “Apart from the pelvis and the leg, he’s fine. His bloodwork is great. His scans are all good. There’s no sign of infection.”

“Then why is he just...lying there?” Val gripped the bars. “Is he in pain?”