sorts of metal trinkets, thinking Crash would fit right in. I let myself into the store, the smell of iron, wood, and fresh tanned leather washing over me.
The shopkeeper saw me and smiled until I asked if she had a tourist map of the city. With a grimace, she handed one over. “All the shops have them, you know.”
I nodded. “Yup, which is why I came in here.”
I let myself back out of the store.
Using a pen, I circled the cemeteries. The closest one was St. Louis Cemetery Number 1. I’d start there and see if I could find anything about Homer Underwood.
I got us going in the right direction, telling myself this was why I was here—to find Gran and poor little Charlotte. The last thing I needed was to deal with men and hormones and shedding stupid tears over stupid boys who had to grow up before they’d be worth anything. I may have muttered that last bit out loud.
Kinkly sighed.
“Let me tell you something, girlfriend. Corb told you with his actions he doesn’t trust you to make good choices. He tried not to, but he couldn’t help it—he wants you to be what he wants you to be, not what you are. That’s not love. Something about you truly draws him like a fly to honey, but I don’t think he sees you for who you are. Strong, capable, and independent.” She paused and tugged on one of my curls hanging close to her. “When the right man comes along . . .you won’t have to tell him he’s acting like an idiot. He’ll fight to be what you need from the beginning.”
I stopped dead in my tracks. “Kinkly, that’s pretty damn deep.”
“I have my moments.” She laughed softly. “Fairies aren’t just all fluff and wings.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“I saw the way Eric used to look at me,” she said. “And I liked it. But I knew it would never work long term—I mean, look at us, we couldn’t be more different in size—which is why I pretended not to notice he was interested. Men are dumb. Sometimes they want a woman so bad, they can’t see past the wanting and realize it’ll never work. Sometimes we have to do it for them, cut those ties and say goodbye.” She flew off my shoulder and circled around to face me, flying backward. “Like Corb and you. He wants you bad enough to ignore all the stuff that will keep it from working. But I think you already knew that, didn’t you?”
Again, deeper than I would have thought for the little fairy who I’d thought was oblivious to Eric’s attentions. “You’re better at this than me.”
“Then why am I single too?” She laughed and lowered herself back onto my shoulder.
I laughed with her. “Another point to you.”
It was about then that gooseflesh rose up all over my arms and along the back of my neck. The sound of a drum, deep and rhythmic, boomed through the air as I turned the next corner, already knowing what I was going to see in front of me.
St. Louis Cemetery Number 1 loomed ahead of me, the oldest cemetery in the city.
And something in it didn’t want me around.
17
I rubbed my arms as I eyed the old cemetery gates. Sure, they were open, sure it was the middle of the day and there were all sorts of people walking around the grounds.
But this was New Orleans, and the way my skin had reacted to the proximity of the cemetery was a big fat red flag I was not going to ignore. “Something ugly lurks in there. And I don’t think it likes me.” I spoke quietly, suddenly feeling very exposed.
“Like a troll? They are ugly. Or a boogeyman? Also very ugly,” Kinkly said.
I shook my head and walked along the outside perimeter of the graveyard, about five feet from the fence. “I’m not sure, but I think something else, something . . .” The only word that came to mind was darker, but that seemed as weak as the coffee Alan had liked. I pulled my map out.
Begone.
None of your kind are welcome here.
Curses on you.
I paused and looked around, thoroughly spooked. “You hearing that?”
Kinkly shook her head and fluttered around my face. “I hear people moving around inside and your heartbeat picking up speed like you’ve been running. Maybe you aren’t in as good a shape as you think.”
I ignored her jab. “Yeah, so for now, this is a pass.”