“Don’t do anything stupid?” Eli muttered to himself as he caught up. Like what? Like interfere with a horny vampire trying to make up for the last ten years?

He wasn’t the only one sticking close, the dwarf took the extravagant surroundings in, telling Trixie, “Our stuff is much, much tinier. And people don’t think it, but elves are super delicate and small, right? But such assholes and they’re who we’ve gotta deal with.” He picked his foot up to check. “But not even one dead pixie under my boot or nothing. Those elves charge extra if you maim one. Kill it, no complaints though. I guess ‘cause dead pixie’s can’t complain, right?”

But as he chuckled and went on and on, Trixie, usually the one chatting without pause, kept her eyes on the front desk and the fawn behind it flipping through a large book.

“For here or to go?” she asked, her nasally voice coming with a snort.

Two hands came down on the counter as Manny leaned forward. “For here. Biggest room you have got.” He dug into his pocket then offered up the dwarf’s abandoned runes. “I am spending it all.”

Quite pleased, the fawn reached for the treasure but met up on resistance.

“Two. That’s the most we offering,” Trixie said, guiding over half the stones back to Manny’s direction. “And we taking a moderate sized room with a high ceiling.”

Manny cut her a look. It spoke of evil and Eli inched around them, determined to step in the way if he had to. To his surprise, the vampire swung his head around to face the fawn. His scowl never changed.

“Well,” that nasally voice said, “that’s still very generous. High ceiling it is. What is it you are interested in? What do you like?”

“Blondes,” Manny announced, grinned.

“He doesn’t like blondes,” Trixie said, stepping forward. “A brunette with a lighter highlight is better.”

This time when Manny swung his head around to face her, he said with more conviction. “Blondes.”

For a long minute, Trixie returned that glare then said, “These are Rune-kind, not humans. Blondes come with different Runes so they look more ethereal. Namely, fairy.”

Manny clenched his jaw. Finally, he muttered to the fawn, “No blondes.”

After adjusting the auburn rune stone in her neck broach, the fawn flipped through the book. “Is skin color an issue?”

“No,” both spoke in unison.

Under Manny’s sharp glare, Trixie wisely took a step back.

“All right. No blonds so all Fae are out,” she muttered. “Even the ones of Fae descent from the south.”

“Yes. A hundred times yes,” Manny decided.

Eli calmed. This was his first time in such an establishment and while the pretty colors and lights captivated him, what was truly surprising was how detailed this selection was. Thanks to this experience, he also learned a lot about the creatures of Runes. Trixie had been right—even Fae from different contents with darker skin still had blond or light-colored hair. That wasn’t all she was right about.

“Here.” Manny stabbed the book, grinning. “A minotaur. This is what I want.”

But as he spoke, the fawn, and truthfully everyone else, stared at Trixie. Everyone but Manny who still braced himself against the counter by his forearms. “Did you hear?”

The hostess met his gaze finally.

Then it came. “He’s not getting the minotaur.”

Manny easing up and standing to his full height sounded his annoyance. He’d had enough.

With a look of hate, he turned to Trixie but told the fawn. “I want the heifer.”

“Don’t you listen to him. He’s not getting the minotaur,” Trixie said, leaning around him. “Under no circumstances.”

Manny met her face to face. “Where the hell do you get off—”

“Girl minotaur’s are still bigger than you. Bigger the size, bigger the runes. Bigger amount of energy used up. Remember France?”

That last question put a dent in Manny’s stone-cold expression.

Trixie didn’t let up. “‘Member Prague?”

Embarrassed, Manny turned to regain his previous posture of leaning forward.

He muttered, “What else you got?”

After giving Trixie a long hard stare, the hostess tried to salvage her business. She leaned in, whispering, “Something exclusive...mermaids. Mermen. Fully-fledged. No enchantment or nothing.”

Manny’s grin widened. “That so?” He paused. “But it’s a fish—”

“Mammal,” the dwarf corrected. “This is amazing. I’ve heard stories.”

“Yeah? Okay—”

“No.”

This time Manny pivoted, and she took a step back.

“You won’t get a solid foot placement in water. Dat...and the smell of fish.”

Manny let out a deep breath then turned his attention back to the counter and the book atop it.

“You got....” He hesitated. “You got anything...in feathers?”

“Feathers?” the fawn hazarded. “Like...like a harpy—”

“No. Fuck no,” Manny protested. When he remembered himself, he glanced at Trixie’s uncomfortable face but said to the fawn. “No. Nothing like that. Like...like an angel or something?”

The hostess let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, you frightened me. This place’d be a laughingstock of people caught wind of something like that. Harpies? Uck.” She flipped through the book, saying, “But no. Angels are quite rare. If you see anyone advertising that, know it’s a lie. If we don’t have it, it doesn’t exist. How about—”

“We’re losing time.” Trixie eased Manny aside and turned the book around. When she found what she wanted, she tapped it. “Here. A succubus.”

Manny scowled. “You sound like my father. No way. It’s similar enough to a harpy. Pass.”

It was one of the few times Trixie showed raw emotion. “They ain’t nothing like us. But more importantly, they use up their own runes mostly, not yours. And since they do you in your sleep, a minute can last an hour. Time is what we don’t got right now.”

“One minute can last an hour?” At the nod, Manny turned to confirm her choice.

The hostess began to sweat. “Sir...um...we’ve got a waver, you see.”

“Great! I will get two of em.”

Awestruck, the fawn said, “T—Two? Are you certain? By law we are unable to give any information that might infringe on this worker’s ability to earn a living....”

While she went into an unending explanation, Eli grabbed Trixie’s arm and dragged her further away.

He didn’t know how to say this.

“Succubus kill once they’re finished.”

Trixie nodded. “They do.”

Eli stared her down, waiting for her to reach some enlightenment.

“They kill you, Trix. That’s kinda their thing. Hell, I knew a few wolves who decided to check out that way when they got too old to hunt. Still, what they leave behind with the corpse.”

“Oh.” Trixie calmed then struck him in the stomach. “Nah. Can’t kill what’s already dead. Vamps were their biggest customers. Bet you they’re hurting now with vampires being low on the food-chain. It’s fine. Even two won’t matter none, either. Sides, sir’ll be outta our crawl for a few minutes, yeah?”

And that was what she wanted—any amount of time away from Manny. Eli couldn’t blame her.

So when Manny turned to them and announced, “All set,” they followed him through the ornate hallway.

Behind them, the dwarf leaned in, trying to see over the counter. “If it’s all the same, I’ll try the merman and a succubus as well right after. Ain’t like I get a lot of chances to spend this big.”

Eli slowed in his stride. He thought to head back but Trixie and Manny grew more distant.

The hostess led the way, Manny following eagerly behind. The look of woe Trixie shot Eli said one thing, Don’t leave me alone with him.

But the dwarf....

Rather than turn back, Eli ran to catch up. “Did we just kill that dwarf? He ordered a succubus because of us. Shouldn’t we go warn him?”

Manny sauntered on. “Nah. Need penetration. She’ll be fine.”

Eli looked between them. “Who? The succubus?”

“No. The dwarf. She’ll be fine.” It dawned on Manny and he slowed in his stride. “Wait, did you just say he? You thought it was a boy dwarf? Because of the beard? It had tits.”

Face heated, Eli admitted, “I thought that was maybe a condition.”

Once they reached their destination, the hostess looked between them. “I’ve taken the liberty of choosing the suite with an observation deck.”

“Observation deck?” Eli muttered.

“Well, yes.” She looked from Trixie to Manny then back to Trixie again. “Since your harpy was so...specific. I figured....”

Trixie’s face was crimson, but Eli stepped before her and thanked the fawn. “We appreciate it.”

After she was gone, Manny shoved the double doors open. His eager smile fell.

Eli followed next and saw why. “It’s empty.”

“They come when you lie down.” Trixie said, ushering them in. “Can’t look prey ina the eye, remember?”

That made sense. Eli thought to excuse himself, but he watched stunned as Trixie helped Manny out of his shirt without prompting.

“I...” Eli began, intent on stepping out.

But Trixie’s gaze met his and the desperation there left Eli beside himself.

“I’ll wait on you, Trix. But he’s capable now.”

“Nobody asked you,” Manny said, shimming out of his trousers. He padded to the end of the hall and hopped into the glass shower. “Harpy.”

“Yes. I’m coming.”

Lips puckered, Eli glanced from her to him in the distance. “What are you doing?” he admonished in a whisper.

“Just...” Trixie hesitated then confessed, “Before he got sick, he’s never stayed this close to me.”

“Harpy!”

“Just...just stay here. Please don’t leave. Don’t leave Trix here.”

Eli wanted to argue that she shouldn’t leave him here considering that two succubi were scheduled to arrive any minute one of them nodded off.

He stepped into the hall in time to see Trixie shed her jacket then her dress. The shower was big enough to accommodate her wings, something impossible from a mortal place of business.

The structure was grand. If not for Manny’s complaints, Eli might have enjoyed the room a bit more.

“What is this one?”

“Leave that one,” Trixie warned. “It’s—”

Manny’s sharp cry had Eli looking despite his best intent not to. The vampire held his eyes, a small bottle in his hands.

“That would be the ambiance. It’s supposed to be used on the floor, not you. Just—don’t touch nothing else. Please. You act like you never been in one dese places before.”

“Never had to. Humans, remember? I used to have my pick.”

Trixie grabbed the bottle and recapped it. Her wings guarded her naked frame, for which Eli was thankful.

“Yes. That I remember,” Trixie grumbled.

What transpired next was both bizarre and...surprising. She washed him.

The biggest—perhaps only—advantage was that he stopped talking. Seeing Trixie care for the giant man child was sad on many levels. There was no reason for it. Perhaps it was just another way for Manny to show his authority or humiliate her.

Hands braced against the wall, Manny kept his head down as the harpy worked around him, conducting a routine they both knew well. He anticipated her every turn, raised his arms before she even reached his left then right side. If he was still infirmed, this scene might have looked different. But as of now, with him fully powered, it was just sickening.

When it was finally over, Manny stepped out of the glass doors. He dried himself off at least. He jumped onto the bed and lay back before Trixie even returned.

If those wings were any indication, she’d need a minute. Eli caught sight of the two large chairs by the door. The observation deck. He sat down and waited.

The process of drying her wings required two towels. Eli took them both in, relieved to see Trixie pull the top of her dress over her neck then down past her waist, much like an apron that crisscross at the back. A shirt was impossible for a creature with wings.

She didn’t dry off when she arrived; she only carried the towels. Within minutes, Eli understood why.

The first succubus, her pale body shining, came through the window. Then the second. They were two creatures in contrast, one completely black, and the other completely white. And both...interesting in looks.

Each time he blinked, they shifted positions, they also shifted appearances. Another blink had them looking identical...looking like Slade. And not the current Slade who was slim and slight, but the Slade he’d always known. The full curve of her hips were back, and doubled thanks to these two creatures. Her face was round and radiant. A curtain of long brown hair hung past her shoulders. The first dress dropped, then the second and Eli’s breath caught. They were stunning.

And they were coming towards him.

He let out a gasp and stood. Something was strange about it. If he hadn’t seen it for himself, he’d never believe it. That’s when he looked back at the chair to find himself, right fist pressed against his cheek as he slept. He slept.

“Oh...shit.” As stupid as it was to try to run, he turned to do just that. The twin creatures caught up to him.

“Oh, no darling. We’ve only just begun.”