Bound by Faerie: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Stolen Magic Book 1) Read Free

wrong up there?"
    I shrugged. "Dragons."
    "Dragons," he agreed with a wink. Art didn't have many dragon opinions, mostly because he didn't deal with them that often. He was more of an expert on fae who lived in the ocean. Between the two of us, there was nowhere that we couldn't get to, be it air, land, or sea. I always enjoyed cases we worked together.
    "Whose car are you driving today?" The car in question was a little red convertible. "They can't be from around here. When would they ever put the top down?"
    "Beverly." He laughed when I groaned. "She's not that bad."
    "If you say so." I didn't really know her, but she made a lot of jokes about me. Art didn't know that. She'd never say that stuff in front of him.
    He tossed his bag in the back, where he already had a few boxes loaded. Art didn't have his own car because, like most selkies, his home was in the water. On days where he headed into the bureau's office or took care of errands for his pod, he would borrow a car from someone at work. Art was popular at the office. Everyone was willing to help him out. I'd told him he could borrow Bliss, my motorcycle, whenever he wanted to. He'd politely declined, while looking terrified. Selkies weren't much for motorcycles. Too much open air, I guessed.
    He tucked himself in behind the little car's steering wheel. Once he realized the seat controls were already as far back as they would go, he shrugged his shoulders and smiled over at me. "Where to?"
    Absolutely nothing got Art down. I poked at the spot where his dimple hid under his well-groomed beard. He smiled wider but otherwise didn't respond. If someone did the same to me, I'd slap their hand away.
    "Drop me by The Arbor. I want to shower and put on some real clothes before I bring this thing in. I smell like dead fish. Don't want to give the office any more fuel for those rumors that I eat carrion."
    He laughed. "No one says that."
    "Not to you ."
    A worried crease took hold of his brow, but he promptly shook it off. "What are you doing after you shower and return that necklace? Bad day for surfing. Farmer's market is over."
    "Well don't you just have me figured out." He did. There wasn't much else I did with my time. "What are you doing?" Always better to flip such questions around. Art could handle the conversation well enough on his own if I got him started.
    "I'm really not busy. If you'd like me to wait around while you clean up, I'd be happy to give you a ride into the office so you can return that necklace."
    My hand jumped up to the gold around my neck. I tucked it under the collar of the sweatshirt. This was the second time he'd mentioned me returning the necklace. "I can handle it myself."
    "Of course you can, but—"
    "No."
    "Right, okay." The worried crease was back in his brow, and it stuck there this time. He turned into The Arbor parking lot and drove past several empty guest spots. "Are you okay?" he finally asked.
    "I'm fine." The necklace burned my chest. I could feel him looking at it through the fabric of my shirt. "You know I hate working Saturday mornings." It was true. Obviously. I wasn't one of the fae who could lie.
    He nodded like that made sense. "Right, I know that." He looked me over, suspicious, and then shook away the tension and let his face revert to its usual smile. "Sorry you missed the market, but there's always next Saturday. And once you wash away the brine with some hot water, pick up your paycheck, and buy yourself that celebratory cheeseburger, it'll all feel worth it."
    I couldn't help but smile about celebratory cheeseburgers. "I'm feeling like sweet potato fries today."
    "That's the spirit." He smiled wide for me, trying to make me smile back, and I pulled my lips into a wide grimace that showed all my teeth. He laughed. I rolled my eyes. That was our routine.
    I hopped out of the car and he called after me, "Just don't let Phoebe get to you."
    I grunted and waved him off. Phoebe was a skilled artist. If given the chance, I bet