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I'm still cleaning up the last bit of October's Kickstarter and finally sending out holiday cards and presents. If I can stay awake, that is.

Yep, I slept seventeen hours straight yesterday. Part of it is introvert exhaustion, part is Seasonal Affective Disorder, and part is the overcast skies in between winter storms.

When I am awake, I am writing, albeit bits and pieces. I was working on A Cup of Conflict when DH said, "I thought you were finishing Death Goddess Walking first."

My answer to him is not safe for publication.

Sometimes, we writers need to work on whatever the Muse demands. As long as my progress is forward, I consider it a win. However, Conflict's chapter four is a little slow. I'm not sure yet if it's a real problem, or if Subconscious is setting up something for down the road. I'll be re-reading and editing it over the weekend.

In the meantime, the revised Fae and Felonies (Millersburg Magick Mysteries #2) will be released on Monday, January 15th, in both ebook and print at your favorite retailers!

The Release Day from Hell

I fucked up. Dammit, I fucked up big time.

Fae and Felonies was supposed to be released today. Amazon requires that we upload the final version four days before the release date. In my rush to get the book uploaded, I grabbed the wrong damn file.

And once you hit the publish button, you are locked out until midnight (UTC) on the release day.

*facepalm*

If you had a preorder or you are the one person from Australia who bought the book, check to make sure there are twenty-one (21) chapters. If not, you have an incomplete version.

RETURN THE BOOK!!

Seriously, get your money back. I am so, SO sorry for my fuck-up.

If you really want the book, re-purchase it at the lower price. Yes, I changed the price to $2.99 to make up for my fuck-up.

Frankly, this is embarrassing as hell. And I swear I will do a better job in May.

Thank you for your patronage, and again, I apologize to those loyal readers who got the wrong version of Fae and Felonies.

Fae and Felonies - Chapter 4

This will be the last chapter before Fae and Felonies are officially released next week.

=============================

Kirsten threw Mom’s car into gear back out of the parking space as soon as Kaley slammed the passenger door shut. “What’s the rush?” she said as she buckled the seatbelt.

“Got some errands to run.” Kirsten glanced at her sister as she cruised across the lot to the exit. “You want me to drop you at home first?”

“I thought we were picking up parts for the ’69.”

Kirsten could hear the suspicion in Kaley’s voice. She checked traffic both ways before she turned onto State Route 39 and headed into town.

“And I know the auto parts shop isn’t your favorite place.” Kirsten hesitated a second before she added, “I was a jerk last night. I’ll help you with trig when I get back.”

“You’re going to the sheriff’s office, aren’t you?” Kaley accused. “Are you trying to get Julia to run a background check on River?”

“Since when are you on a first name basis with a fairy?” Kirsten checked her speed and eased up on the gas pedal. A speeding ticket wouldn’t make a good impression on her future employers.

“That’s racist, and you know it,” Kaley spat.

“Oh, Goddess.” Kirsten groaned. “Another stray?”

“You know the saying about flies and honey.” Kaley’s phone buzzed. She pulled it from her bag and checked the screen.

“I’m not the one who texted Jo first thing this morning about the fae,” Kirsten grumbled. “Half-fae,” Kaley murmured as her thumbs danced across the glass of her phone.

“So that’s how he was able to cross the county line.” Kirsten tightened her grip on the steering wheel. It figured the Unseelie would find a loophole in the accords to slip an agent of theirs into Holmes County.

Kaley looked up from her phone. “Mom wants us both home.”

Kirsten flipped the turn signal and tapped the brakes to turn into the sheriff’s department parking lot. “Tell her we’re on our way.”

“I’m not lying for you,” Kaley snapped.

“You want that help with trig?” Kirsten parked the car and turned to her sister.

“I’m already grounded.” Kaley scowled at her.

“So you can blame this on me.” Kirsten yanked the car door latch. “Wait here.”

But Kaley was already scrambling out of the car. “Oh, no, you don’t. I’m coming with you.”

“Why?” Kirsten watched her sister across the top of Mom’s sedan.

“Because in the U.S., you’re innocent until proven guilty.” Kaley slammed the door. “And you’re being a racist dick. Someone’s got to defend River.”

For some reason, her accusations sliced deep into Kirsten’s soul. Was she treating River exactly like the Normals treated her ancestors? Burn them at the stake first and not even bother asking any questions?

“All right.” She shrugged as they headed for the front door. “You can make sure we’re doing this by the book.”

Deputy Russ Collins sat at the duty desk. His freckled face lit up when they entered. “Well, if it isn’t the Trouble Twins! What you two doing here?”

Kirsten leaned on the counter. “Is the sheriff or Deputy Wolford here?”

“Sheriff just left on a call, but Julia’s here.” Russ held up his right index finger before he pressed a button on the huge phone set. “Deputy Wolford, you have visitors.” The PA echoed through the building.

The phone set buzzed and a red light blinked. Russ picked up the handset. “Front desk.” After a second, he winked. “Kirsten Wilson and her sister Kaley.” He hung up. “Go on back, ladies. You know the way Kirsten.” He pressed another button and the steel door to the offices buzzed and clicked.

“Thanks, Russ.” She waved, crossed the few steps to the door, and yanked it open. Kaley followed her into the back offices.

Kirsten stopped before the correct door and knocked.

A muffled “Come in” filtered from behind the wooden door. She turned the latch.

Julia Wolford sat at her desk. She paused typing on her keyboard and smiled. “Hey, girls! What’s up?”

Kirsten shot a look at her sister before she said, “Is the joint supernatural taskforce aware a half-fae moved into Holmes County?”

Julia leaned back and folded her arms over her chest. “No.” She cocked her head. “What about the accords? I thought fae were prohibited from coming here.”

“The accords only apply to members of the Courts,” Kirsten said.

Julia’s lower jaw twitched. “So, only folks who are full-blooded fae.”

“Yes.” Kirsten nodded.

The deputy stared at the pile of paperwork on her desk a moment before she looked up again. “Could he be lying about being part-fae?”

“No.” Kaley shook her head vigorously. “The word of a fae is like a Blood Seal for us witches. It’s a magickal guarantee. They will literally be destroyed if they break their word.” “It doesn’t mean he’s not up to something,” Kirsten said.

“His mom’s a Normal,” Kaley bit back.

“A U.S. citizen?” Julia’s attention flicked between Kirsten and Kaley.“I don’t know,” Kirsten said at the same time Kaley said, “Yes.”

Kirsten stared at her sister. “How would you know?”

“His mom was born and grew up here in Holmes County.” Kaley scowled. “I actually talked to him instead of accusing him of shit like you and Donny did.”

Kirsten tossed her hands up. “You’re the one who raised the alarm this morning!”

“Maybe I was wrong.” Kaley’s fists clenched. “His mom took a promotion back here because his grandmother isn’t well.”

Kirsten inhaled deeply and tried to relax the muscles in her own shoulders. “Maybe you’re right and he’s telling you the truth. Or maybe he’s here for another reason.”

“Let me guess.” An amused expression crossed Julia’s face. “You want me to do a background check on them.”

Kirsten nodded. “Maybe find out who his dad is? Can we find out who his mom works for, too?”

“We can try on the father, but Ohio law won’t let a woman put just any random guy’s name on the certificate.” Julia shrugged. “And you’re assuming she knew his real name and face. If he wore a glamour…”

Kirsten hated to admit it, but the deputy was right. “The name he gave the school was River Martin.”

Julia paused in writing down the name. “Wait. Any relation to Cissy Martin? She’s the owner of The Hair and Now. Had a heart attack at the end of summer.”

Kirsten turned to Kaley. “Well?”

She raised her hands. “Hey! I just talked to the guy. I didn’t take a complete family history.”

Kirsten shoved her irritation down with a lot of effort. Her sister could be so frickin’ obtuse at times. “You just said his mom took the position here partly because of his grandmother.”

“But I don’t know for sure if it’s Cissy Martin.” Kaley waved her hands. Her frustration slammed into Kirsten’s psyche. Kirsten inhaled deeply to calm herself. They were feeding off each other’s emotions again. A problem at times while they were growing up. A comfort at others. But with puberty came distance as they each tried to deal with adulthood and the weird mix of emotions that came with the hormonal changes. Understanding the reasons didn’t make the emotions any easier to deal with.

She turn back to Julia. “Can you see what you can find out? We’ll talk with Mom and Jo about the situation tonight, and I’ll call you with an update tomorrow.”

The deputy smiled. “Sounds like a plan, but don’t you two or your mom and aunt do anything in the meantime. Last thing, you guys need is a harassment complaint by the Martins.”

Kirsten and Kaley both nodded.

Once they left the building and were settled in Mom’s sedan, Kaley glared at Kirsten. “What the hell is wrong with you? You’ve bitched about Donny all these years, and now River?”

“You call me racist again, and I’ll hex you with acne so bad you won’t be able to show your face until next year.”

“Then stop acting like one,” Kaley snapped back.

Kirsten jabbed the button to start the car. She wasn’t racist. Was she?

With Donny, it was complicated. He teased her unmercifully when they were little. Nor did she like the way he followed Kaley like a puppy. And Kaley led the poor guy on. It wasn’t right.

But this River Martin? Her witchy sense was tingling. There was something more going on than a promotion and an elderly relative needing help. And darn it, she was going to find out what.

Fae and Felonies - Chapter 3

Here's another unedited sample of this month's release.

=========================

While Kirsten headed to the girls’ locker room to change, Kaley strolled out to the football practice field with her backpack slung over her shoulder. She may not have Kirsten’s brains, but neither did her sister have her social finesse. Kirsten had totally blown any chance of getting information from River Martin with her attitude.

But they wouldn’t have too many more days of fairly decent weather. Not with the sun shining and the air warm enough to sit outside to study. With football over for the season, coming out to the practice field would provide her a little privacy to think about what to do regarding River.

Or it should have.

Another figure sat on one of the benches at the side of the field. A figure with a shock of white hair. Maybe the Goddess was giving her the chance to fix the situation. She headed toward River.

He looked up at the same time his magick jabbed at hers and slammed his textbook shut. “Aw, hell no!”

“Whoa, man.” Kaley held up her palms. “I heard what happened. I came over to apologize. My sister was not born with any manners.”

He paused in shoving his textbook into his backpack, but his piercing blue eyes narrowed when he looked at her. “And why should I trust a witch?”

“My dad says trust has to be earned.” She looked across the brown, dormant grass of the field to the bare dark trees beyond before she returned her attention back to River. “He’s a Normal, so I do understand a little of your position. Our coven constantly questions me and my sister. So no, I don’t expect you to trust me. Not until I’ve earned it.”

“Your coven acknowledges you and your sister as witches though,” he said.

“May I sit down with you in order to have a proper conversation?” Maybe using a more formal request would pacify him. He shook his head. “Why are you trying to sound like my grandmother?”

“I was trying to remember my etiquette,” she stated neutrally.

“All right.” He scooted over on the bench. “But can you drop the weird act?”

“No problem.” She straddled the bench so she could face him. The cold of the plastic-coated metal seat penetrated her jeans, but she did her best to ignore the discomfort. “Do you know about the Unseelie prohibition in Holmes County under the I.C. Accords?”

“The who to the what?” He genuinely looked perplexed.

A thread of unease wound through Kaley. “Goddess, please tell me your fae parent told you about the International Council.”

“Don’t know my dad.” Bitterness iced River’s words. “He knocked up my mom in a one-night stand. Disappeared after that. She never saw him again. Mom’s a Normal.”

Kaley stared at him. “Well, that was a crappy thing to do. How did you find out you were part-fae?”

“I…did things.” He stared at the tips of his shoes. “When I was little. It wasn’t until the Rainier Outing when I was in kindergarten that Mom figured out what my dad must have been. We’ve picked up a few things here and there since then.”

The Outing. When the Normals discovered the existence of the supernaturals living among them. When the covens and packs along the Puget Sound banded together to save the innocent citizens who couldn’t evacuate when Mount Rainier erupted, the volcano where Glass Lake was now.

“Wow,” she said softly. “That must have been rough on both of you.”

A derisive sound came from low in his throat. “You have no fucking idea.”

“What brought you and your mom to Millersburg?”

“She grew up here.” River looked up at her. “Her mother didn’t want anything to do with us for years. She’s pretty religious, and she acted like Mom had done something terrible.” A half-smile, half-grimace twisted his mouth. “It didn’t help when she saw me stop a vase in midair I’d knocked over.”

Kaley giggled. “I get that. We had to be on our super-best behavior around Grandma Wilson. No magick whatsoever.” She sobered. “I don’t get why you moved here three months into the school year.”

“She got a big promotion about the same time her mom started having health problems. The promotion meant she could work from home.” He shrugged. “It happened overnight. We’re staying at the Holiday Inn while her company packs up our house in Indianapolis.”

“Man, that’s got to suck leaving all your friends behind,” Kaley murmured. She couldn’t imagine what she’d do if Mom or Dad got a better job somewhere out of state. Or even another part of Ohio, and they had to move.

“Yeah, it did.” River grimaced. “Big time. Especially senior year.”

“But you have heard of the International Council?”

He nodded. “They’re like the supernatural version of the United Nations, right?”

“Kind of. They have a little more bite than the U.N.” Kaley smiled. “And in some cases, that’s literally.”

“The werecoyote with your sister outside of the library—” He paused as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to broach the subject. “He said my kind killed his dad. Is that what you meant by these accords?”

“Sort of.” She stared at the trees again, not sure why she suddenly felt uncomfortable. Maybe because it felt like she was accusing him personally. “Before I was born, there was a rash of Normal murders in Holmes County. They were committed by a wanagamesak—”

“A what?”

“A Native American water spirit. It got stuck.” She linked her fingers together. “Bonded to the bones of the shaman of the tribe it protected. The Winter Queen’s assassin cut a deal with Donny’s dad for the bones, and they made the wanagamesak kill people.” She turned to River, watching his reaction. “When they got caught, the queen’s man left Donny’s dad to the vampires and their allies.”

River whistled softly and shook his head. “Sounds like his dad got what he deserved.”

“Not disputing that.” She shrugged. “Anyway, a local Normal attorney killed the assassin and negotiated the surrender and expulsion of the Unseelie who survived the fight. In the resulting political mess, the non-fae factions insisted on an amendment to the accords that no Unseelie could step into Holmes County for as long as it existed.”

“Wait.” His white-blond eyebrows disappeared under his shaggy bangs. “A Normal killed a full-blooded fae?” Disbelief tinged his voice.

Kaley laughed. “Yeah, that shocked the crap out of everyone.”

“So the accords…” River exhaled gustily. “That’s why you looked totally freaked out this morning.”

“Yeah,” she admitted.

Cold wind gusted across the field, ruffling their hair. Normally, she would have blocked the air without thinking about it, but the jangling edges of River’s power against hers felt like a risk that wasn’t worth the reward.

“Let’s go inside,” she suggested. “I’m not as smart as Kirsten, but if you can help me with trig, I can help you with everything else.”

A faint smile crossed his face. “I don’t know if I should be seen hanging out with the bad girl cheerleader.”

“Excuse me?” Her voice rose.

He shrugged again before he stood. “I heard you took out the head cheerleader. That’s the reason she’s in the wheelchair.”

“Oh, my Goddess!” Kaley jumped to her feet. “That is so not true!”

“So, you didn’t kneecap her a la Tonya Harding?” he said as they walked toward the main building.

“Who’s Tonya Harding?” She looked up at him. He was definitely teasing her, but she wasn’t quite sure how to take it. “A former Olympic skater.” He glanced at her and grinned. “She was accused of being part of the plot to kneecap her biggest rival.”

“Amelia did it to herself,” Kaley grumbled.

“She deliberately took a steel pipe to her own knee?” Yep, he was definitely laughing at her.

Kaley stopped and whirled to face him.

River paused and looked back at her.

“She tried to hit me,” Kaley ground out. “No magick. No tricks. I just ducked. She overbalanced and hit the concrete floor of the girls’ locker room knee first. If she hadn’t tried to pick a fight, she would have been fine.”

“All right.” He nodded. “The Normals are dangerous but stupid. I’ll keep that in mind.” His cocky attitude made her laugh.

“C’mon. I’ll buy you a pop.” She beckoned, and they headed inside. For all of Mom and Jo’s warnings, River didn’t seem that dangerous. In fact, he reminded her of Donny. Someone trapped between two worlds and in desperate need of a friend.

Fae and Felonies - Chapter 2

Here's another chapter of Fae and Felonies. Please remember this is an unedited sample.

===============================

After the last class of the day, Kirsten leaned against the wall outside of the library. The off-white-painted plasterboard cooled the nervous perspiration that dampened the back of her blue Knights t-shirt. She’d never met a fae before, and the family stories about them had not been complimentary.

Especially not after the Winter Queen’s assassin had orchestrated the murders of several Normals in Holmes County in his effort to trap and kill a newborn goddess. The grandfather of Mary Levy, one of her closest friends, had been a victim of the fae assassin’s plot.

Donny Fryer strolled up to her, his red backpack slung over his shoulder. An old Carhartt hooded tan jacket covered his navy t-shirt and well-worn jeans. He was a couple inches shorter than her five-eight, but he carried himself like a much bigger guy. Any Normal bullies who tried to harass him in elementary school had learned the hard way not to mess with him. Even the other werecoyotes in the county had started giving him a wide berth over the last year. Donny wasn’t someone who backed down from a fight.

“Kaley said you needed my help.” He smirked.

The last Kirsten wanted was to admit such a thing, especially to Donny. But facing the fae boy alone didn’t seem like such a great idea.

“Did she tell you why?”

He shrugged. “Something about protection from the new kid who started here today.”

“She didn’t tell you?” Kirsten wanted to track down her sister and kick her ass. This wasn’t something she could spring on Donny. Not after what happened to his dad before Donny was born.

A muttered “Ah, shit” behind Kirsten and Donny drew their attention. They pivoted at the same time to find a tall guy standing behind them. He was easily six-four. White-blond hair. Deeply tanned which stood out like a sore thumb. Like Donny, the stranger was dressed in jeans, t-shirt, and an insulated denim jacket that had seen better days.

But it was the dangerous prickle of fae magick that set Kirsten’s teeth on edge.

Donny growled deep in his chest. In her peripheral vision, fur sprouted on his cheeks.

“Look, I don’t want any trouble,” the fae said.

“Your queen’s the reason my father’s dead.” Donny’s words were barely intelligible thanks to his snout elongating as he spoke.

Kirsten stepped between Donny and the fae. “Hackles down. This is the guy I’m supposed to be tutoring.”

“Reed’s an idiot to allow a fae in the school,” Donny rasped.

“And Kaley’s an idiot for not telling you he’s here either.” Kirsten placed her palm against his chest. His pulse pounded against her hand. “All I’m asking is that you stand down as long as he’s not slinging spells.”

“First, he tells us how he crossed the county line.” Donny’s golden irises and canine pupils glared at the fae. “Actually, that’s a good question.” Kirsten turned back to face the fae. “No Unseelie or agent or representative of theirs is allowed in Holmes County. Not after the amendments to the International Council’s Accords.”

“The amendment doesn’t apply to those of fae blood neither Court claims,” the new boy said coolly. “My father was fae, my mother Normal. Are you telling me you don’t know how the Winter Queen regards half-bloods?”

That explained how he got into Holmes County. It didn’t mean he wasn’t trouble.

Kirsten regarded him. “I do. I also know half-fae will do just about anything to be accepted by their Court.”

“Not all of us,” he shot back. “But then I wouldn’t expect a mere witch to understand. The real question for me is whether the principal sicced you on me on purpose.”

She laughed. “That’s giving Reed too much credit. I’m one of the top students, and I’m aiming to graduate valedictorian.” “Really?” An ugly smile filled his face. “And how many hexes did that take?”

Donny shoved his way between Kirsten and the half-fae. “You’re just like every other fae. A conceited, full-of-yourself jerk.” The were was angry, but he’d regained control of his human form.

The half-fae rolled his eyes. “I don’t know you. I don’t know your dad. And I sure as hell don’t know the asshat who killed him. Like I said, I don’t need the trouble.” His sneaker squeaked when he pivoted, and he marched down the hallway.

Kirsten looked at Donny.

He met her gaze. “Is Reed crazy, or just that ignorant about supernaturals?”

“Yes.” She pressed her lips together and looked back down the hall, but the half-fae had turned the corner. “This is going to come back and bite me in the ass. I just know it.” She slumped against the wall.

Kaley rushed up to them. “Sorry I’m late.” She looked around. “Hasn’t River shown up yet?”

“River?” Donny smirked. “What kind of name is River?”

“There’s River Phoenix.” Kaley frowned. “What did I miss?”

A sour expression replaced Donny’s smirk. “Other than you didn’t tell me I was supposed guard your sister from an Unseelie?”

“I thought you knew,” Kaley protested. “You were the one complaining about the honey scent in the air.”

“I guess it was too much to ask that Life Sciences might be making baklava,” he muttered.

“It doesn’t matter,” Kirsten murmured. “We need to find out who this River’s father is, and why he’s in Millersburg.” It was time to put the offer Sheriff Birkheimer and Police Chief Hall made last month to the test.

Fae and Felonies - Chapter 1

With all the craziness in the world over the last few months, here's a preview on my current work-in-progress!

=================

Kaley Wilson scribbled frantically on her trig worksheet, the paper practically glowed underneath the energy efficient LED fixtures. The damn light didn’t feel natural. The softer yellow ones would have been much more comfortable to human eyes, but West Holmes High School had to go with the lowest bidder.

What was the formula for a tangent again? She ignored classmates filtering into homeroom as she flipped through her notes, but she couldn’t filter out their scents. Nothing like the scent of manure on boots to overpower the stink of dry-erase markers and ruin one's concentration.

She found the right page, scribbled down the correct formula, and started working through the equation. How could she be an identical twin, yet advanced math was a breeze for Kirsten? And her sister refused to help her with homework last night.

Okay, maybe she shouldn't have been catching up on the post boys’ basketball game gossip with Bella Sims until midnight before she asked Kirsten for assistance. Kaley realized she forgot to carry the one and scrubbed the mistake with her eraser. If only Principal Reed hadn't suspended her from cheerleading for the week for skipping study hall on Monday. But no, Reed still held a grudge over his attempt to suspend her for fighting when all she did was step out of the way of a blow fellow cheerleader Amelia Ryder aimed at her in the girl’s locker room, so he refused to overlook one little misstep.

If Mom and Dad wouldn’t have grounded her, she could have snuck into the game, picked up some details about Brad and Amelia’s breakup, and gotten her homework done, instead of fretting in her bedroom the entire night about the whole situation. And who the heck needed trigonometry anyway? No one used it fashion marketing.

As she tried to explain to Mom and Dad, who refused to listen.

Hope Stillwell nudged Kaley's arm with the eraser end of her pencil.

“Stop it!” Kaley hissed without looking up. “I'm trying to get this last problem—”

“Hottie at two o'clock.”

Kaley looked up at the same moment alien magick tingled across her skin, raising the hairs on her arms and legs. A chill ran through her. She didn’t need the feel of his power to know the boy staring at her was fae. The white shock of hair wasn’t a color you saw on most Normals, even with the help of modern dyes.

The fae was tall as most Unseelie were. His platinum hair made his tanned skin stick out. He actually wore jeans and a sweatshirt under his coat, instead of glamouring Normal clothing. He had been staring at her, but quickly dropped his gaze and stalked to the back of the room. So he knew what she was, too.

Worry gripped her, and she automatically solidified her mental and magickal shields. The last thing they needed was even an incidental interaction between their energies. The mix wasn’t like oil and water. It was more like matter and anti-matter. And such an interaction usually resulted in the death of both the witch and the fae in question. In this close of quarters, they could take out their teacher and the entire class, too.

After the Battle of Millersburg, why the hell would the Winter Queen break the truce by sending one of her people to Holmes County?

She resisted the urge to turn around and look at him again. The fae aged at a much slower rate than humans, even those with longer lifespans like witches and weres, so he could be older than her great-aunt Jo. The only people comparable to the fae where the vampires, and fae viewed them as diseased cheaters because their extended life was courtesy of the V-virus.

“Why would someone change schools this late in the year?” Hope whispered.

“The middle of November isn’t that late in the school year,” Kaley whispered back. “And he may not have had a choice.” Which was true if he was under orders from the Winter Queen.

Kaley turned back to the problem, but her concentration was totally destroyed. The bell rang, and Mr. Thomas started calling roll. She’d have to take the hit on her homework score.

But that didn’t both her as much as the fae sitting behind her.

* * *

Kaley spotted her identical twin sister in the cafeteria. Well, identical if Kaley didn’t dye her hair blond. Kirsten kept the rich mahogany color they’d been born with, the same shade as Mom and Jo.

Kirsten sat with Hope and the rest of the varsity girl’s basketball team. Kaley charged over to their table and plopped down across from her sister. “I need to tell you something—”

“I’m not doing your damn homework.” Kirsten glared at her as she shoved a forkful of green beans into her mouth.

“No,” Kaley snapped. “There’s a new boy—”

“Crap!” Hope grinned. “I forgot to tell you about the hot new guy who showed up in trig class this morning.”

“Tall and cute in an emo way,” Olivia Burke added in a dreamy voice. Her reaction didn’t make sense. She didn’t swing toward boys.

Kirsten looked at Olivia, frowned, and looked back at Kaley. What’s going on? she asked telepathically.

He’s fae.

“You’re kidding, right?” Kirsten said aloud. Her brown eyes widened, and worry flowed from her psyche. Kaley was pretty sure that was the same expression she had on her face before the morning bell.

“Not about this,” she said. I texted Jo between classes, but I haven’t gotten an answer yet.

“Why would anyone want to move here this late in the school year?” Kirsten said.

Hope made a face. “That’s what I said.”

Kristen ignored her friend. “You think he’s related to the guys who messed with the Amish years ago?”

Kaley shrugged. “Because of the murders, the corridor project stalled. They did invest a ton of money into the commercial properties that would have adjoined the exit ramps.”

“What the heck are you guys talking about?” Olivia looked at Kaley and Kirsten like they spoke in a foreign language.

“Some ancient family history—” Kirsten’s expression changed from contemplative to solemn. “The principal is walking this way. Behave yourself.”

Kaley resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She looked over her shoulder as his shadow fell across her.

“Good afternoon, ladies.” Principal Reed’s voice was genial, but the emotion never reached his eyes. “Kirsten, we have a new student who started today. I need you to meet with him after school. Help him get caught up.”

She cocked her head. “You do realize I have basketball practice?”

“And it doesn’t start until three-thirty, which is forty-five minutes after school ends.” His tone didn’t leave any room for Kirsten to argue.

She plastered on a fake smile. “All right. But it’ll have to be thirty-five minutes so I have a chance to change and warm up.”

“Fine.” He strolled away.

“He could have at least said ‘please’ and ‘thank you’,” Kirsten grumbled.

Hope shook her head. “That would mean acknowledging us as real people.”

“Still this is our chance to check out the new kid,” Kaley said.

Kirsten’s jaw worked before she said, “Think you can get Donny to come with us?”

Kaley considered her words. Kirsten was totally oblivious to Donny Fryer’s crush on her. Donny threatened to bite Kaley if she said anything. Yet, her sister kept asking for his help with supernatural matters though she claimed he was trouble like the remaining werecoyotes in Holmes County.

“I can ask him,” Kaley said. “But why?”

Kirsten scowled. “If we can’t defend ourselves, Donny can rip the new kid’s throat out.”