Batty for You (2 page)

“Step into the circle. The window is coming into alignment.”

Bets clutched her bag and stood on the glyph in the centre of the room. A flash of light and she was standing on a wooden platform with two friendly faces smiling at her.

“Welcome to the Crossroads, Bethany. May you find what you seek.” The woman with white hair smiled.

“Thank you.”

“I am Teal, this is Tony. Please come this way.”

Tony approached. “I can take your bag to your domicile. Where are you staying?”

Bets started to answer when Teal spoke. “Put her in the Open Heart.”

Bets had been booked into one of the hostels, but the Open Heart seemed a much nicer place if the name was any indication. It was everything she was striving to achieve.

Tony blinked and smiled. “Yes, love. I will tell Teebie that there is an incoming guest.”

Teal linked arms with Bets and handed her a small charm on a leather strap. “It will allow you to make purchases while you are here that will go on your account, and it will also shift with you.”

Bets nodded and fastened it quickly before relaxing her arm in Teal’s grip. The tour began and Bets paid close attention. Her radar wasn’t effective while flying, so she needed to rely on her knowledge of locations.

They walked through the commercial businesses, and Bets took a look at the available clothing. When they left the general store, she asked, “Why do you want me to stay at the Open Heart?”

“I think you need a little more friendly contact, and Teebie will provide that.”

“Teebie?”

“She is the djinn who runs the Open Heart. I get the feeling that you are used to dealing with members of the fey community.”

Bets blinked. “Um, I guess. One of my best friends is fey.”

“Well, djinns are desert fey with blue skin. Teebie is bluer than most. Oh, this is the Crossed Star Bar. Most folks meet here, it is open day and night. You can drink, dance and hopefully meet someone who interests you.”

Bets blushed at the matter-of-fact way that Teal described it. “It isn’t like going to a buffet.”

Teal shrugged. “It is what you want it to be. Men and women who are looking to connect come here, and it is their choice how the first impression will go. No one knows you here; you can create a new persona or simply be yourself in a way you could not do back home. Just know that your beast will speak through you here—you will feel, react and flirt as the inner animal does, not as your conscious mind does. You have to let it go.”

“That is going to be difficult.”

“Meet the right man and it is the most natural thing in the world. Meet the wrong one and you will both feel it.” Teal smiled.

A quick tour of the Crossed Star brought Bets a lot of attention. She knew that she was attractive enough, but being a cute brunette with dark brown eyes also made her blend in to the background of wherever she was. Walking next to Teal, there was nowhere to hide.

Men smiled, winked and nodded in her direction but none of them approached her. Teal was right, her inner beast was giving off the correct signal. Right now, she was curious but not receptive.

Spike and Chuck were both on duty, and they greeted her with friendly smiles. Bets smiled back and then the tour was continued.

“Why did I need to be introduced to the bartenders?”

Teal glanced at her. “They would normally introduce themselves, but I decided that knowing them before you went out for the evening would give you a bit of a boost.”

Bets smiled. “It will. Thank you.”

“Good. Well, here we are at the Open Heart. Teebie is a hostess without par. You will be very comfortable here.”

“Thank you, Teal. This wasn’t really well thought out, and yet, I haven’t been able to think of anything else. Isn’t that weird?”

“It is more common than you would think. The final shove that drives folks here is usually quite the moment. What was it for you?”

Bets walked up the neat path with Teal and rubbed the back of her neck. “It was meeting a shifter who flirted with me and being unable to do a single thing. I couldn’t flirt back; I was just locked in the social niceties of two strange animals meeting in the wee hours.”

“And neither of you could expose themselves to the other. Rough. Well, here, the etiquette is to tell them when you are comfortable with them.”

Bets nodded and smiled brightly at the blue woman who opened the door.

“Welcome to the Open Heart Bed and Breakfast. I am Teebie and I will be your host during your stay.”

“Thank you, Teebie. I am Bethany and I am delighted to be welcomed into such a comfortable situation.”

Teal nodded and took her leave.

Teebie led her inside with a gentle smile. “I am delighted to have room for you. Your timing was ideal.”

“Once my family knew I wanted to come, they got me the funds immediately.”

She looked around at the charming portraits and the elegant furnishings. Having enough exposure, she could feel fey magic as well as the rarer shifter enchantments.

Teebie gave her a commiserating look. “Family can be rough, but here, you are encouraged to stay until you know you have a good fit. After you have mated though, you are asked to leave quickly so that you don’t cause any uproar with the unmated males and females. The scents of a new couple can be overpowering and impair judgement in those around them. It is not a nice complication.”

Bets made a face. “Right. My sister and brother-in-law were disgusting to be around after they first connected, and when they started having sex, it caused a lot of rage in the unmated members of the family, not just myself.”

“That rage is frustration and it spreads quickly. We try to keep things moving smoothly here and that kind of hostility becomes difficult to control.”

“So, until I find a mate, I can run around with impunity, and after I find him, I have to leave.”

“Correct. Don’t worry; there is a very high success rate here.” Teebie paused and pointed out the breakfast room, the dining room and the study with the cozy fireplace.

Teebie leaned in. “Are you a nocturnal sort of bat?”

Bets whispered softly. “Yes, and no. I am a fruit bat. A flying fox. I don’t use radar when I hunt so dim light is usually my forte.”

“Good, so we don’t need the uppermost room. First floor or second floor?”

“Second floor is fine as long as there is a window that opens.”

“Excellent. Second floor it is.”

There was a flicker of fey magic and Bets smiled. “You just moved my bag.”

Her host grinned. “I did. Well spotted.”

They walked up the flight of stairs, and at the second floor, Teebie led her to her room, showing her how to unlock the door with the charm on her wrist and telling her to settle in.

“How fancy should I dress for going out this evening?”

“As fancy as you are comfortable with, or as casual as you want to be. Listen to your inner beast and let it choose. Since the human part of you has been unable to find a match, this is the time to let your instincts run the show.” Teebie winked and closed the door.

Bets looked around the comfortable and cozy room before she went to the window and opened it. She could see all of the Crossroads from her room, and it was a charming sight.

Down there, the man for her might already be waiting. It was an old-fashioned desire to want a mate and family, but it was what she was programmed for. Generations of women in her family had found their mates within the community, but she was the odd one out. She was alone already by virtue of her particular bat, but now, she was the only unmated woman in the family. She wanted to leave, to run, to hide, but not to do it alone. That was why she was here, she wanted someone to hide with and shut out the world.

Hopefully, he was somewhere in the Crossroads.

* * * *

Weller entered the Night Star Diner after dark. It seemed that the fairy who ran the place preferred evening shifts.

The tall, elegant man was cleaning the counter, and he smiled as he looked up. “Good evening. Menu?”

“Just coffee, thanks.” Weller took a seat at the counter and settled in, slowly stirring sugar into the coffee moments after it arrived.

The proprietor continued his casual clean up and Weller wondered where to start. Finally, he asked, “Did Josh’s son come by?”

“Yes, he and his friends are on landscaping duty for the next five years. They can’t come i to the diner, but Josh will know if they are holding up their end simply by driving through the parking lot.”

“Good. Good.” Weller made a face and blurted it out. “The woman who was here, Bethany, does she live nearby?”

“Yes, but you won’t find her at home right now.”

Weller nodded. Of course, a woman with her charm had evening plans.

“She is at the Crossroads as of this afternoon.”

Weller heard his spoon clatter to the counter. “What?”

“Running into you and knowing that there was no proper way to meet you again was the final straw. She is looking for a man she can keep, one who will hold onto her as well. If I am not wrong, you are a fox, yes? Male foxes are not known for their fidelity.”

Weller shifted and he felt colour heat his cheeks. “No, we are not known for it, but bound by the magic of the Crossroads, no male has strayed.”

“Is that what it takes to create fidelity in your kind?”

“Fey are not any more faithful than foxes from what I have heard. What does it take for you?”

The proprietor smiled and inclined his head. “I suppose it would take a binding charm.”

“Then don’t lecture me about what it takes, sir.”

“My name is Dromer. Bethany is a friend. I don’t want her hurt.”

Weller blinked as the elf was suddenly in front of him and staring down at him from his incredible height.

“You do not need to worry about it. I can’t get at her if she is at the Crossroads.” Weller sat back and gave him a narrow-eyed look.

Dromer smiled with a knowing gleam in his gaze. “Right. No possible way you could get there, unless you know a transporter and can get to the next window location.”

Weller gulped down his coffee and tossed three dollars on the counter. “Thank you for the information. I am glad that the issue with Jerry sorted itself out.”

He walked across the diner and was out the door in seconds. He grabbed the phone in his pocket and was dialling in seconds.

“Hey, Norm, this is Weller. I was wondering how soon you could get me to the Crossroads?” He waited for the answer while Norm got his location and turned to see the elf in the doorway of the diner giving him a thumbs-up.

If he did manage to find Bethany and their beasts agreed on it, he was never going to live this down.

Oddly enough, when he asked his beast, it didn’t care.

The first night at the Crossroads was fun, but no one sparked her interest. Bets went home with feet sore from dancing and a light buzz.

Teebie greeted her when she wobbled in. “Did you have a nice evening?”

Bets grinned. “I did. Everyone was so nice, and we were all just trying each other on for size, so to speak. I saw a few couples connect, and it was wonderful to watch.”

“Did you want a nightcap before you head up?”

Bets sighed happily, “Thank you for the thought, but I want to get up and explore tomorrow. I would rather do it with a clear head, and one more glass of wine might tip me over the edge.”

Teebie’s smile was gentle. “Then enjoy your night and get to bed. I am very happy you had a nice time.”

Bets headed up to bed and relaxed the moment she was inside her room. She opened the window and changed with the air blowing in. Once in her sleep shirt, she climbed between the sheets and inhaled deeply. The night air brought her pollen, the scent of fruits and the occasional pheromone burst from couples in the distance. The air of the Crossroads was alive and she wanted to learn as much as she could before she took flight.

She fell asleep smiling and targeting the fruit for her change the following day.

The scent of bacon and freshly baked something or other was floating into her nostrils and that was enough of a wakeup call for her. Bets got out of bed and took a shower, putting on her clothing and pulling her hair back in a ponytail.

With a spring in her step, she headed down the stairs toward the smell of breakfast.

A few couples were sitting in the breakfast room and Bets waved shyly. “Hello.”

They welcomed her and she settled in, muffins and bacon with anything she could imagine as an accompaniment. The large platter of fruit that waited caught her attention and Bets went in with no restraint.

She enjoyed the glow from the new couples, and when they left, she was a little sad. Teebie came in as she was finishing up the last of the grapes.

“What are your plans today?” The djinn waved her hands and the table was clean of crumbs while the dishes cleaned themselves and waltzed back onto the sideboard.

“I want to head into the forest and shift for a while then back here to change before dinner and more dancing at the Crossed Star.”

Teebie collected her plate with a flick of her fingers. “It sounds like you like the dancing.”

Bets sighed and propped her chin on her hands. “It is the closest thing to flying on the ground that I have ever done. I like it a lot.”

Teebie sighed and said, “Well, you can hang around here or you can go out to experience the day. Your choice, but I have to prep for a few new arrivals. My business day is just getting started.”

“Understood.” Bets got to her feet and headed out the door and for the dense forest down the lane. There was a world to explore and no one to tell her no.

* * * *

“Good morning, Weller. I understand you were a last-minute addition to our roster here.” The hostess smiled at him, her teeth white in the blue of her skin.

Weller inclined his head. “It was a sudden decision. I have been thinking about it for some time, but then, there was a woman who got away because of species protocol and I decided that I was tired of having formalities keep me from a woman I know is mine.”