The Last Warrior (Shifters Unbound #13) - Jennifer Ashley Page 0,25
much everything I could. I took a degree at the university. There’s not a translation in English for that degree, I don’t think, but in Tuil Erdannan, I am a master in astronomy and the science of the heavens.”
“Ah, a learned woman as well as a beautiful one.”
He was teasing, but Rhianne flushed in enjoyment. She had no business being flattered by him—her stay here was temporary, and they were from completely different worlds. Even in Faerie their paths never would have crossed.
Ben tucked into his gumbo, oblivious to her fluster. “If you like to read, the house has a huge library, including books on astronomy and astrophysics. It can find you what you’re looking for…if you ask it nicely.”
“A sentient house,” Rhianne said thoughtfully. “How did that happen?”
“Who knows? It’s on a ley line, but there’s also a lot of woo-woo stuff around here. Maybe it taps into that.”
Rhianne’s brows went up. “Woo-woo?”
“Magical shit. Unexplained phenomenon. There isn’t much in the human world, but you get pockets of magic here and there, and it’s concentrated in this area. There are many popular vampire stories set in New Orleans.”
“Are there vampires here?” Rhianne glanced about, but the inhabitants of the restaurant were normal humans. She didn’t have the gift for discerning auras, but she knew the telltale signs of magical creatures.
“Nah. They avoid the place. Had a run-in with a few vampire-like beings Dylan thought about using to help Shifters, but Dylan changed his mind. After I worked my ass off contacting them and setting up meets. Dylan decides they’re too dangerous, and that’s the last I saw of them. Fine by me. They gave me the creeps.”
“This is a very interesting world.” Rhianne finished the jambalaya, which was filling, but she could have eaten more.
Janie came by just then with a plate of doughy pastry covered with icing sugar. “Beignets. On the house.” She grinned at Ben, swept away their dirty dishes and settled the sweets between them. The young man hurried out of nowhere with small, clean plates and set them in front of Rhianne and Ben.
“Janie’s awesome.” Ben offered the pastries to Rhianne.
Rhianne carefully lifted one of the small, delicate cushions and bit into it. She tasted warm, crackling layers of crust and the sweet brush of sugar.
“Women in the village near where I live make something like this,” she said as she savored. “But I think not as good.”
“Food is king here.” Ben ate a beignet whole. “Not just the tourist food you’re supposed to eat, but everything. French, Creole, Cajun, Caribbean, South and Central American, Southern … everything.”
“Have you lived in New Orleans long?”
“Not very. Spent a lot of time in North Carolina and in Las Vegas. Moved here when Jasmine needed someone to look after the house. I knew about haunted houses—I was a resident ghost in one in North Carolina for a while.”
Rhianne narrowed her eyes as she took another bite of the wonderful beignet. “But you’re alive.”
“I know that, and you know that, but the owners of the inn and guests who came for the authentic ghost experience didn’t.” Ben chuckled. “Those were good times.”
“I do not believe I will ever understand you.” Rhianne finished her beignet and chose another. “Though I thank you for showing me your city. Or perhaps you think of it as your adopted city?”
“I do. But you ain’t seen nothing yet, sweetheart. The sun’s still up.”
“And I barely understand your English.”
“You’d understand my goblin less.” Ben waved at Janie, who arrived with a slip of paper that she laid next to his plate. He pulled out his square rectangle again and handed it to her.
“Your coins are interesting.” Rhianne rested her chin on her hand and nibbled the last beignet. “Not coins at all. And they give it back to you.”
“Credit card.” Ben tapped the slim leather pouch he kept the card in. “It’s like keeping a running tally with a merchant and then paying everything at the end of the month. Except a separate company keeps the running tally and pays the merchants for you, and then you pay up to that separate company.”
“Ah.” Rhianne licked sugar from her fingers. “A few hoch alfar tried to set up a syndicate rather like that. Whenever a debtor could not pay them, they’d threaten to take their home or livestock or even their lives. It happened too many times, so a hoch alfar prince had the creditor syndicate put to death.”