“I think we should have another get-together. To celebrate the lives of those we lost,” I added so I wouldn’t sound insensitive.
She tipped her head, studying me.
“I’ve been with you for months now, Hannah. I know you better than anyone else. I see the way your hand is shaking. You’re not okay. Is it because of yesterday, or did you have another bad night?”
I fisted my hands and sat on the kitchen stool.
“Both,” I admitted. “Last night was the worst yet.” My gaze darted to the cupboards. I needed to keep better track of our alcohol stock. How had we run so low?
“And what happened yesterday didn’t help,” Emily said in soft understanding.
Of all the people who’d been in that RV with me, she’d been the only one who hadn’t found another roommate when we’d arrived here. James and Mary, the older couple who’d been in the RV with us, had a reason to need their own place. Oldness. While our group had been together, the couple hadn’t complained about my nightmares or my screaming, which made them okay. Just not today.
I moved to the door and slipped into my coat and boots as I spoke.
“You should go check on James and Mary. I’ll walk around and see who might be interested in coming over.”
“Okay, but stress that we’re asking for more than just alcohol. And spread the word that anyone without food should arrive after dark. I’ll see if any of the other girls want to join us.”
I waved in acknowledgment and quickly left.
Outside, evidence of the day before painted the trampled snow red in places. The few swallows of vodka sitting in my stomach hadn’t even come close to dulling my senses enough to unsee the reminder of the devastation. The screams echoed in my head.
Don’t think about it. I plastered a happy smile on my face and started making my way around the neighborhood. Just make it through today, and you’ll be fine.
Keeping my eyes off the bloodied ground, I waved to the fey I knew, which were most of them, and paused to talk to the ones who’d provided what I needed in the past.
“Hey, Fyllo. Any chance you still have some of that scotch left? We’re having another get-together tonight.”
“I gave you the last one. But there is another bottle like it that I could bring. It’s new.”
Since the fey couldn’t read, the bottle could be anything from fancy cooking oil to sparkling grape juice.
“Nope. Nothing new unless it’s tested ahead of time,” I said, pretending to look upset by the news. “If you have a roast or something, that could work, too. Emily wants someone to bring something edible. But only one person. We don’t want to waste food by making too much.”
He blinked at me, a common quirk the fey all seemed to share when they were deciding how to respond.
“I have no meat. I do have cheese toes.”
“We’ll pass on the junk food. Maybe you’ll find something that meets the requirements before tonight,” I hinted. “You know what I like.”
He nodded thoughtfully then took off at a jog toward the wall.
What I liked and what Emily liked were two different things. We’d agreed to set food and booze as the price of an invitation to our little gatherings. She thought the fey brought mostly booze because they knew I liked it, which I did, not because it was the sole item I encouraged.
Watching Fyllo go, I exhaled slowly and kept my smile in place. Hopefully, he’d find a bottle of something good and not a stupid roast.
I continued along the sidewalk until I saw Tor and waved for him to join me. He was always good for something liquid.
“Just the fey I wanted to see,” I said with a smile that hurt my face.
He smiled in return, showing his pointed teeth.
“Hello, Hannah. Why did you want to see me?”
“Emily and I are having a get-together tonight, and I sure could use some of that brandy you found.”
He nodded.
“I’ve been saving it for this,” he said. “We can play your games, and I will win a kiss.”
“You got it, big guy.” I winked and waved goodbye.
The moment I turned my back to him, my well-known, thousand-watt smile dimmed. There was no way I was going to kiss anyone tonight. “Stage five clinger” didn’t even come close to describing the level of clingy, needy infatuation mouth to mouth contact could elicit from a fey. I’d long ago drawn the line at hair touching