Emerald City Dreamer (33 page)

Jett touched her cheek. Jina's aisling was laced with fear. She fought off the desire to ride the thread home to its source and be consumed by it. "What happened yesterday? What are you afraid of, blossom?" She'd wanted so much to call her Blathin in that moment.

"
It's just... I have some huge decisions, and I don't know if I'm choosing the right thing." Jina's eyes searched for answers on the floor to the side of the bar.

She suspected. She'd seen something, or felt something. Jett had to turn this fear back into love, or risk losing her.

"
Courage is knowing what not to fear," Jett quoted.

"
And what shouldn't I fear?" Jina's aisling reversed direction, pulling Jett towards an undertow.

"
You clearly fear me. But maybe it is I who should be afraid of you."

Jina sat up a little straighter. "You may be more right than you know."

Jett could taste the fear. She shook off Jina's aisling. How long could she last before this dreamer had her?

She bolstered the barrier against Jina's constant, persistent tug. She had done this many times before. She could, and would, resist going too deep.

"
It is better to follow that to run," Jett said. "The fears chase you, but perhaps you should listen to your heart."

"
I'm used to chasing after my heart," Jina replied. "More often headlong into disaster. It's even more confusing when my heart is telling me two different things. Run away. Hold tight."

The dream pulled her in two. "What do you really want?"

Jina looked up at her with her soft, sorrow-filled eyes. "I want
you
. And it scares me. I've fallen in love before. I fall in love with who I
think
a person is, who I
want
them to be. Over time, as they get more real, their layers peel back and I learn who they
really
are. Sometimes, they still match my ideal, sometimes, they don't. And it's painful. And I worry..."

Jina looked at their hands clasped together. She squeezed them, hard. "If there was something about you, something that you knew would hurt me, would you tell me? Right now?"

Jett had to wonder how much she knew. None of Jett's secrets could hurt Jina, but the act of withholding them could. Yet it was too early. The causeway building between them had yet to be completed.

"
We will know each other in time," Jett promised. "We've only been together for a wink. And why rush? I am not asking for forever, not so soon, not until we know more about each other and our love has time to bloom." She wiped a small tear from the corner of Jina's eye, and gave her a kiss.

Jina returned the kiss uncertainly.

The bartender slid their drinks across the counter towards them.

Jett raised her Guinness and met Jina's in a toast. "To many long years together, of us having nothing to fear from each other."

They each took a sip, and resumed cuddling as best they could while perched on barstools. Jina relaxed somewhat, obviously taking comfort in the assurances.

Suddenly, Jina tensed again in her arms.

"
What is it now?" Jett whispered.

"
It's him," Jina said, sitting up, staring towards the pool tables.

She turned, and Pogswoth straightened, glaring at the two, a cue stick in his hand. He grinned.

Jett pulled away, arose, and strode to him. "I told you to stop. Why do you pursue when you know it's futile?"

He chuckled. Jina joined her, stepping slightly in front of Jett, squeezing her hand as if to assure her. She had a worried look in her eyes, though she didn't seem afraid, considering this korrigan had been following her. Jett respected her for that, for her courage and strength.

"
Don't worry little flower. I will defend you," she said, even though Jina seemed to be making every attempt to be the protective one.

"
Defend me how?" Jina whispered.

"
Yes," Pogswoth replied, twisting his hands around the cue. "How?"

"
You know how, louse," Jett said.

"
Sunday, Monday," he sang, and then chuckled. Jett's fury rose. She stared him down; he merely grinned dismissively. His gaze fell on Jina. "Jett tries to save you," he told her cryptically, "but your own defenses make you vulnerable." Then his chuckle turned into hard laughter.

Jina shrunk a little then, all her bravado evaporating.

Jett's Cupid's Arrow should still stand, yet he acted like it didn't matter, mouthing off to her as if she were some trooping pygsie. This insufferable commoner refused to accept her authority.

"
She's still fair game," he managed to wheeze out during his laughing fit. "You can't lord over anyone as you'd like. Not anymore, old crone."

This insufferable upstart stalked one of her own for sport, though he knew he could not have her. If this insolent louse would not respect his betters, he would pay.

"
You filthy slob." Jett glared at him and pointed.

Pogswoth started to chuckle again, but scratched under his hat instead. "Aw fuck, you bitch."

Jett grinned smugly. Now the louse had lice. "Stay away or it will get worse," she said. She hated resorting to such tricks; it wasn't classy. Yet those who allowed themselves to be shaped by democratic philosophy required pragmatic solutions, no matter how inelegant.

"
This won't stop me," he said, throwing down the pool cue. He scratched at his head and hesitated only a moment before scratching his crotch. "I won't let some stuck up old woman tell me what to do or take what is rightfully mine!" He turned and grumbled out the back door.

"
Well," Jett said, turning to Jina. "That must have seemed weird." Perhaps now
was
the time to introduce her to the world of the fae.

"
He's just a crazy homeless guy," Jina replied dismissively, and Jett let it go. If her human mind was still willing to concoct a rational explanation, she'd let it. Poor Jina didn't even understand the kind of danger the korrigan posed.

"
Thanks for saving me," Jina added.

"
It was nothing," Jett said. "I cannot bear to see you hurt."

"
It wasn't nothing. I know what you did. And I appreciate it. A lot."

She didn't know the half of it. Someday, she would. Someday soon. Jett looked forward to telling her, showing her the unseen magic that surrounded them even here, in every living thing, all the beauty... When the time came...

Jett put her arms around her shoulders in a hug that Jina melted into.

"
You wanna go?" Jina asked.

"
We've barely touched our drinks."

"
I don't care. I'm ready to go to your place now."

Jett nodded, happy and proud she'd finally, somehow, won this girl's trust.

She hoped Fiz had cleaned up the living room like he'd promised.

JINA REMAINED MOSTLY QUIET while walking to Jett's house. She had a lot to think about and only a few minutes to make sure this was the right decision.

The trees cast long shadows on the old houses in the setting sun. For once, Jina felt strangely safe.

Jett had played it down, but Jina knew what she'd done. She'd used her glamour to chase Scarf away. Twice. Jina let her fingers brush the tiny daisy in her pocket.

The amulet pulled against her neck like a garrote. The medallion protected her from Pogswoth, and it would just as easily block any of Jett's protective spells. Pogswoth knew that, and gloated.

Either way, Jina could hold her own. If Jett hadn't been there, she'd be dragging Scarf home to Sandy right now.

Sandy did her best. She'd proven that Ezra needed to be stopped before somebody got hurt. But she still wasn't helping with Pogswoth. Jett was. Maybe Trey had the right of it. She could help them find the most dangerous faeries, and know which were a harmless kind of crazy. Maybe Jett could show them how to make more effective weapons and spells.

They were all on the same side. Jina should spill everything.

Jina squirmed inside at the thought of telling Jett about the Ordo. How could she make Jett understand?

These secrets were like a wall that divided them. Jina longed to be free to speak her thoughts. Instead, she asked a mundane question. "You have housemates, right?"

Jett grinned playfully. "So, you can speak." She squeezed Jina's hand three times. "You've not said a word for seven blocks, not even when I asked you a question."

Jina tried not to look guilty. "I just..."

"
Was lost down a rabbit trail of thought. I know. It happens to the best of us. The answer to your question is yes, I have a habit of taking in strays, which you may chance to meet in a few moments. Here we are." Jett led the way up a short cement walkway to a wide wooden porch cluttered with potted plants, lawn statues, and a bicycle.

Jina hesitated at the threshold, a tendril of uncertainty lingering. Last time she'd crossed just such a threshold into a faerie dwelling, it hadn't been so easy to leave.

Jett still held her hand; she gave it a soft tug. Jina sighed and stepped through the doorway. If you're going to do a thing, do it all the way. Just to be sure, she closed the door, opened it again, let go of Jett's hand, stepped back outside, then stepped back in.

Yes, she could leave this house. It was going to be okay.

"
Why did you do that?" Jett asked. Jina just shrugged and took off her jacket.

Jett looked at her oddly, took her jacket, and hung it on an over-crowded rack. Jina removed her shoes and kicked them into the huge pile growing underneath.

Jina heard a fridge door close somewhere. A young man stood at the end of the hallway with a bowl of cereal in one hand and a spoon in the other. Everything about him screamed "typical college student", except for his raccoon tail.

Everything clicked. She had a habit of taking in strays. Her housemates were fae.

"
Hello milady, milady's guest," he said. "Is this the delightful spring breeze you've been gushing about all week?"

Jett smiled. "Yes, Fiz. This is Jina. Jina, meet Fiz."

"
Nice tail," Jina said.

"
You flatter me with your kind words. It is real. Amazing what you can find for sale on the internet. And may I present my cereal? It is getting soggy, so forgive my impertinence." With that, Fiz bowed with a deep flourish without spilling a drop of milk, and ventured upstairs to his room.

Fiz could have passed for a regular boy with an unusual accent and a thing for animals. But in Tir Nan Og, he could easily have a real tail. Or
be
an animal.

She wondered about Pete, the one who made the mead. And Ramon. But Ramon was an artist, like her...

"
I promised you a taste of mead," Jett said, heading toward the kitchen.

"
No," Jina said, shaking her head. That mead was faerie food. The tales were consistent on this matter - you could survive a journey into Tir Nan Og, so long as you refrained from eating the faerie food.

Jett seemed puzzled.

"
Jett, is that you?" A male voice interrupted, making Jina jump.

"
Yes, Ramon my dear. Come in here and meet Jina."

Ramon emerged from the kitchen carrying a bowl of chips. Jina wished she had faesight, like Trey. He was probably like her, just a dreamer.

"
Hello, Jina." He reached out his hand, and she shook it. "I've heard so much about you."

"
Nice to meet you." Jina worried what he thought of her, since she would be sleeping with his... What was Jett to him? And how much did he know about her and the others in this house?

"
I'll leave you two be," he said warmly. "I guess this means I'm sleeping in my room tonight."

Jett nodded, and Ramon skittered off. He seemed happy enough with the arrangement. Assuming he wasn't forced to be happy through some enchantment, like Sandy had been.

"
At long last, we're alone." Jett leaned in to kiss Jina, but something stirred on the couch in the next room. "Not quite alone. Someone has crashed in the living room. No telling who. Could be one of the housemates, or more likely some vagrant they have dragged home."