Charming (Exiled Book 3) (8 page)

Ana didn’t have an intelligent-sounding reply. So she said, “Oh.”

Charming opened the bag and shook yummie-looking pastries onto a plate. He then held the strainer over Ana’s cup as he poured tea. She had to admit that she loved the novelty of being served. It made her feel pampered, special, cared for.

She looked up to see Dandelion watching closely over her cup, not missing a thing. Ana knew that she flushed because Charming’s sister-in-law recognized that she was crushing on him.

He sat and took a bite out of a cinnamon roll. “Today is Ana’s first day at work.” He smiled as broadly as if he was a proud parent himself. “She’s going to work for Scar, learning to cook.”

Dandy almost choked on her tea. Charming stood, looking concerned, but she held a hand up to let him know she was alright.

When she was breathing normally again, she said, “You’re sending this human, who’s not even from Farsuitwail, into Scar’s kitchen? To work for Scar?”

Dandy was incredulous and the way she phrased that was a little alarming for Ana.

“She knows him!” Charming said defensively.

Dandy shook her head. “No, she does not. Being served at his establishment and working for him? Two entirely different things.”

“I can take care of myself,” Ana said taking up her own mantel of defense.

Dandy’s expression softened as she looked at Ana. “You’re going to need a
thick
skin. He doesn’t mean to be mean, but things he’ll do will come out that way. If you can let it pass by you like air, you might be okay. I’m just saying this because it’s been my experience that humans are extremely sensitive.”

“I’m not.”

Dandy nodded. “Okay. Forget I said anything.”

“No, I…” Ana started. “I don’t mean I’m ungrateful for the advice. I appreciate the warning. I’m just saying that it would take more than growly gruffness to break me.”

Dandy gave her a big smile then turned to Charming. “I could walk her down to the kitchen and have an eye-to-eye understanding with Scar.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll do it. What are you doing today in our fair city?” Charming asked Dandy.

“A little shopping at the market. A little visiting with friends. Having supper with my kids at the pub. I’ll find out if you’re keeping an eye on them for me.”

“To the extent that I can be in a hundred places at once,” Charming said.

“Leader, Leader,” Dandy chuckled. “Is life hard at the top?”

Charming grew serious. “I know you’re joking, but these murders…”

“What murders?” Dandelion demanded.

“You didn’t know?” he asked.

“Should I have known?”

“Well, I guess not.”

“Don’t keep me waiting. I have kids who live down here in this city.”

Ana observed the back and forth of the conversation with great interest.

“There have been three murders so far. All human. All male. All late teens, early twenties. The other thing they share in common is that they all seem to point toward one of us as the killer.”

Dandelion seemed to pale a little. “How are the humans reacting?”

“Things are under control, barely. The more people are afraid, the more they begin to look at us with suspicion and you know what follows fear and suspicion?”

“Hatred,” Dandy said in a matter-of-fact way. “Charming, I can’t have my kids down here in the city if there’s going to be trouble.”

Charming ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. “I know. I know.”

“Can I count on you to let me know when it’s time to get them out of here?”

“I want
everybody
to be safe, Dandy. You know that!”

“Of course you do. But everybody
isn’t
safe. Some people are dead.”

“We’ll catch whoever is doing this. We have to.”

“And soon or else you know what will happen.”

“What?” said Ana.

Charming and Dandy looked at Ana like they’d forgotten she was there. “The humans will become so afraid of us, they’ll try to kill us all.”

Ana’s brow wrinkled. “How do you know that?”

“Because it’s what always happens with humans,” Dandy replied.

Ana wished she had a counter to that, but couldn’t think of any. She wasn’t the best student of history, but she was afraid that could be true. No wonder Charming was distant and distracted. He was terrified that he might be powerless to stop a race war.

“That’s the reason we’re here,” Dandy continued. “Humans were going to annihilate us because they realized they’d created a species superior to themselves.”

Ana couldn’t help but bristle a little at hearing it said that hybrids were superior in such an offhand matter-of-fact manner, as if there was no challenge to that presumption.

If Charming thought the superiority pronouncement was uncalled for, he didn’t show it. “I remember sitting in the kitchen of my parents’ home in Newland when Rosie mapped that out for us. She said history would repeat itself if we didn’t find a way to make allies of the humans and integrate with them. So we did.”

Dandy gave Charming a pointed look. “But
this
could bring it all down.”

Charming ran his hand through his hair again, obviously frustrated, and knowing he’d be powerless to stop the rising tide of fear if the killer couldn’t be found and dealt with in a way that would appease. What was worse was that the flames of interspecies distrust would be fanned by the groups who were dedicated to promoting hatred of Exiled, even after the alliance was formed.

“I know.”

Ana hated hearing him sounding so dejected.

“Talk to Free.” Charming’s head jerked up. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you’re not good at this job. Everybody knows you
are
good at it. Maybe even better than Free. It’s just that he’s distanced himself from the responsibility which means he might have a different perspective. More objective maybe?”

Charming looked at the floor. “Yeah. Maybe.”

“There’s no shame in needing advice, Charm.”

“Not saying there is.”

“Okay,” she said, glancing at Ana. “I got things to do today.”

When she rose to leave, Charming said, “Wait. What about the thing?”

Dandy shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Ana looked between them, wishing they’d give a better clue as to what ‘the thing’ might be.

As if he read her mind, Charming turned to Ana. “In three weeks we’re having our annual celebration of independence from Rautt tyranny. I think Crave and Dandy should come and bring all the kids.” He looked back at Dandy. “It’s a big deal.”

“It’s also tricky. You forget where those kids came from. Of course we all want to celebrate independence from the Rautt, but I’m not sure how orphans of the Rautt really feel about it. They’re like us. They may hide their feelings, but that doesn’t mean the emotion isn’t there. We killed all their people over the age of twelve. I’m struggling with whether it’s reasonable to expect them to celebrate that.”

“I get it. I really do. And you’re right.” Charming sighed and looked out the window for a few beats. “What if we keep the event, but sort of repurpose it. We’ll call it Jubilee and say it’s to celebrate the
alliance
between humans and hybrids.” Charming lit up. “In fact that’s a great idea. We should focus on all the great things that have come about because of the integration. With the, you know, killings, that couldn’t come at a better time.

“So we won’t make any mention of Rautt or independence. We’ll focus on the four f’s. Food, fireworks, fun, and the future. What do you think?”

His enthusiasm was contagious. Dandy smiled. “Sounds perfect. If you can pull that off, we’ll come. Gladly.” She turned and winked at Ana. “And stay with you.”

“What? Wait!” She definitely put Charming off balance.

“Okay. Not all of us, but seriously, where are you going to put us overnight? Town House can take a few, but that leaves a lot of kids.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out and the kids will have a wonderful time.” He put an arm around her shoulders, gave her a squeeze, and a kiss on the temple. “You, too.”

She laughed and pushed him away. “Get away from me before I tell your brother you’re trying to steal kisses.”

“Go ahead and tell him,” he smiled. “The big lunker needs to up his game if he wants to keep you.”

Dandy giggled in a way that made her suddenly seem both girlish and more approachable.

Ana had paused with a half-eaten cinnamon roll in the air. “Is everybody invited?”

“Of course!” Dandy answered. “You should go as Charming’s date.”

Ana looked at Charming to see his reaction, but if there was any it was undetectable. His expression couldn’t be read and, like all people who’d spent time on the rough side of life, she was an expert at reading expressions and body language. Her survival had often depended on it.

Dandy was clearly oblivious to having engineered an awkwardness that hadn’t existed before. She bustled over to put her cup in the sink and air kissed Charming. “Thanks for the sweet things. Nice to meet you, Ana. Maybe I’ll see you at the pub tonight. And my offer to talk to Scar still stands.”

Ana smiled. “No need. It’ll work itself out.”

Dandy laughed. “A philosopher! Charming, we need one of those in the family.”

She closed the door behind her, leaving the two of them alone.

“Ready for work?” Charming had one eyebrow raised in a humorless way.

“Let’s do it.”

Leaving Ana in the pub kitchen, Charming suddenly felt like she looked very small and vulnerable. He pulled Scar aside on his way out, “I don’t know what all she’s been through, but there’s a reason Rosie brought her
here
to be taken care of and protected. Do not scare her.”

“Scare her! What are you talking about?”

Charming stared at Scar for a few beats. Apparently Scar was oblivious of the effect he had on humans. Either that or he was deliberately playing dumb.

“Just dial it back when you’re interacting with her. Okay?”

“You worry too much, Leader. You go take care of running the world and let me take care of running my bar.”

Charming looked around him and locked eyes with Ana. “See you tonight.” She nodded, but looked anxious which made him wonder if insisting that she take a job had been an ill-conceived idea. “You gonna be okay here?” She looked around and nodded again. He said, “Okay. Later,” but still hesitated, feeling reluctant to leave with her looking so lost.

Ana, seeing that Charming was dawdling, put on some false bravado and waved toward the door. He gave her a little macho chin jerk and disappeared.

“So,” Scar said,” let’s find out what you don’t know.”

Ana barked out a laugh and said, “That’s going to be the fastest interview in the history of questioning.” And just like that she was over being afraid. It seemed that sassiness was a cure for anxiety. It dissipated like the steam rising from the pots behind her.

Scar stared at her for a few beats before saying, “Okay, smart ass. Let’s try this another way. Since you’ve got such big ideas about cookies…”

“Charming told you about the cookies?” She couldn’t hide her delight any more than she could help the smile that popped out.

“Yeah, he did. I’m going to try a test to see if your ‘market survey’ has any merit, but I’m not going to pay somebody else to make something that we could make ourselves. That’s what we have a kitchen for. So I need you to make cookies that are better than the ones the humans sell at that, ah…”

“Bakery?”

“Yeah. Bakery.”