Cody winces, practically writhing in his chair until the words finally work their way out of his mouth. “Thank you.”
“That gratitude looked super painful.” I lean forward, frowning in mock concern. “Are you okay?”
“Shut up.”
“This has been such fun, but I actually have work to do.” Jay smacks Cody’s knee. “Rest, idiot. And make sure you cover up on the way home to keep the sun off.”
“My boyfriend has a convertible,” grumbles Cody.
“So buy him another car, with a roof and tinted windows.” Jay glances at me. “Are you coming, Daisy?”
“Sure.” I nudge Nick. “I haven’t found anything remotely plausible related to voice magic. Have you?”
“Not really.” He runs his fingers through his cinnamon curls. “You’ve got sirens, mermaids, banshees, all kinds of female temptresses. Then there’s the alkonost in Russian folklore—part bird, part woman, with a beautiful voice. She’s apparently a messenger between this world and the Otherworld. The Celts have their versions of the Greek muses, the leannán sídhe. There’s the gamayun from Eastern Slavic lore, another bird-woman who communicates with the Other Side. Hindu myths have the gandharvas, nature spirits with gorgeous voices. Lots of lore and pop culture with vampires compelling people to do their will, but I’ve seen nothing about a human girl being able to compel vampires. I guess you’re the only one.”
“Well, I don’t like it,” says Cody.
“No one asked you,” Jay says smoothly. “You should stop talking before you hurt your brain as badly as you screwed up your body.”
Cody glares at him. “Don’t forget, I’m your fucking progenitor. I could take you down right now, you little wanker.”
“In your condition?” Jay’s brown eyes widen innocently. “You really think so?”
“Come on, you insufferable ass. Let’s do this.” Cody struggles with the lever on the recliner, jerking it angrily and unsuccessfully until he gives up and collapses in a pale, sweaty mess. “I’ll beat you up later.”
“Looking forward to it, buddy.” Jay smirks, but when he turns to Nick, his expression is sober. “Watch over him for me.”
“I will,” Nick promises. “And you take good care of my Daisy girl.” He blows me a kiss as Jay and I head out the door.
“What kind of work do you have to do?” I ask him.
“Some emails and a website update. I’ll talk to Slagle again and see if his thirst has lessened at all. And Jordan texted me a few minutes ago, trying to find you. She wants to do a tribute song for George, and she wants you to sing it with her. Her follower count has dropped since his death, and she’s getting some pretty negative comments because he fell while she was scoping out a location. I think she’s hoping the tribute will help restore her image.”
“Jordan knows about Myrtle. I told her this morning.”
“Ah.” He starts the car, but he doesn’t back out of the driveway.
“You didn’t tell Cody.”
“I will, when he’s feeling better, and once I’m sure everything has been properly handled. Officer Sheetal, the woman you saw the other day, is one of ours. A vampire. She and her partner and the chief will cover the incident.”
“And Myrtle? How long can they keep her at the hospital under observation?”
“I don’t know. That’s one of the calls I have to make—to ensure they don’t let her out before she gets the help she needs.”
“She needs ongoing help, Jay. Grief counseling, therapy, maybe medication. And as much distance between her and Tom as possible.” I shudder over his name, and Jay notices.
“He’s a cruel guy.” He pulls backward out of the driveway in a swift, startling curve. “I don’t like the way he looks at you. Like he thinks he still owns you, even though I know he never did. You never loved him, and you should make sure he knows that. Maybe then he’ll back off.”
He doesn’t sound vindictive, only sad and matter-of-fact.
Something inside me shrinks from admitting the truth—that I did love Tom. I was addicted to him, the way I get addicted to candy corn at Halloween, because it’s pretty and sugary and chewy, and even though I know it’s bad for me and it’s going to make me sick, I just keep popping the little kernels in my mouth, one after another, and crushing them into sweet sediment between my teeth.
Part of me never wants Jay to know anything about my relationship with Tom. There were moments of sheer delight, and moments so dark I don’t like to think about them or analyze them too deeply. But if Jay and I are going to rebuild our mutual trust, I have to be honest. I have to tell him the uncomfortable things as well as the interesting or enjoyable things.
“I did love Tom,” I say in a very small voice.
A muscle pulses along Jay’s temple. He doesn’t reply.
“It wasn’t the same kind of love. If that helps.”
His eyebrows lower, and he says, between clenched teeth, “You slept with him.”
“Yeah, Jay. We were together for years.”
Jay’s face is pale and rigid. “But it wasn’t good for you. You didn’t enjoy it.”
“Sometimes I did.”
Jay winces, inhaling through his teeth as if I’m causing him actual physical pain.
“You’re upset.”
“No, it’s just…I always thought you and I, that I would be the one—”
My face roars with heat. “Seriously? You disappeared for eight years, Jay. Did you think I would just sit around and have exactly zero relationships until you showed up again? I thought you were out of my life for good, so yes, I moved on, and I had sex. Sue me.”
“But the first time is—”
