Breathing here, I say.
Do you have to keep saying fuck around her? Shes barely thirteen, Jo says.
Fourteen, I correct irritably.
My men want you dead. Theyre pushing for a dramatic execution, in the club. They say its the only way to appease the patrons of Chesters.
I always wanted to go out in a big way, I say. Maybe we could do some fireworks, huh? I think there are some left up at that old petrol station on OClare.
Nobodys executing anyone, Jo says. Shes a child.
Im not a fecking child. I dont think I was even born that way.
I told them I believe you can be useful, Ryodan says. That I can control you.
I bristle and rattle my chains. Nobody controls me. Not anymore.
They say youll never answer to anyone. Not even Barrons is on my side.
No doubt because TP was telling Barrons to tell Ryodan to kill me. Or let her do it.
Its eight against one, he says.
Its eight against two, Jo says. If you count her sister sidhe-seersand youd betterits eight against thousands.
Your numbers have been severely diminished, Ryodan says.
Worldwide, were over twenty thousand.
I didnt know that, I say to Jo. Why didnt I know that? To Ryodan, I say, Dude, kill me or free me.
If you kill her, Jo says, youll incur the wrath of every sidhe-seer in the world. Theyll hunt you. Danis a legend among us. We wont lose her.
If I decide to kill her, Ryodan says, no one will ever know what happened to either of you.
I blink, mentally replaying what Jo said again and again, but I cant hear it enough. Really? Im a legend? Like, around the whole world they know of me? Say it again! I preen. I had no idea. There might be a little swagger left in my body after all. I cock a jaunty hip.
Let her go, Jo says to Ryodan, and Ill stay in her place.
The feck youll stay! I explode.
Youre offering to stay here. Chained up. With me. In exchange for her. A smile plays at his lips.
As long as you have me as a hostage, shell behave.
The feck youll stay! I say again since nobody reacted like they were supposed to, like, by obeying me. Or paying any attention to me at all.
I havent forgotten what you did to my cell phone, sidhe-seer, Ryodan says.
You were taking pictures on our property. Its private, Jo says.
Youre on my property.Its private.
Im not taking pictures. I came to take back something thats ours. Something you had no right to take.
Im not a something. Or a child, I say.
She had no right to kill the patrons of my club. Shed been warned. Repeatedly.
And you know how well she listens. You shouldnt have brought her into your club and left her alone with a sword. Could you possibly be that stupid?
Dudes, quit talking about me like Im not here!
Sidhe-seer, tread lightly, he says to Jo, and his voice goes real soft. Soft from Ryodan is never good.
Let me stay in her place. Shes just a kid.
Im not a kid! And shes not fecking staying here. Nobodys staying here! Except maybe me!
You do understand what it would mean, he says to Jo, like Im not even having a violent, noisy fight with a wall and four chains. If she makes a single misstep, youre dead.
I feel the blood drain from my face. I always misstep. Misstep is my middle name, right after Mega. I cant not misstep. I have feet.
I understand.
She doesnt mean it! I shout. She doesnt even know what shes talking about! She doesnt have any clue what you dudes are really like. Besides, I dont really even care about her at all. You can kill her. So, you may as well let her go.
Shut up, Dani, Jo says.
Youll have to sign an employment application, Ryodan tells Jo.
Dont sign it, Jo! Hes got some kind of spell on it.
Am I being held hostage or applying for a job? Jo says.
Im short a few waitresses. Some of them were Ryodan gives me a look. collateral damage the other day.
I didnt kill any humans.
Two of them had enough Unseelie in them that apparently you couldnt tell the difference, Ryodan says.
I killed humans? How much Unseelie had they eaten?
You want me to be a waitress? Jo says, horrified, like its a fate worse than death. I tried to wait tables in high school. I cant. I drop plates. I spill drinks. Im a researcher. A linguist. I live in my head. I dont wait tables.
Conveniently, I have two applications handy. Ryodan withdraws a folded packet of papers from his pocket.
Why two? I aint waiting tables, I say belligerently.
I have to serve Fae? As in take orders and fill them? And bring things to their tables? Jo cant seem to wrap her brain around it. Like shed rather stay chained to the wall than wait tables.
Do you have to keep saying fuck around her? Shes barely thirteen, Jo says.
Fourteen, I correct irritably.
My men want you dead. Theyre pushing for a dramatic execution, in the club. They say its the only way to appease the patrons of Chesters.
I always wanted to go out in a big way, I say. Maybe we could do some fireworks, huh? I think there are some left up at that old petrol station on OClare.
Nobodys executing anyone, Jo says. Shes a child.
Im not a fecking child. I dont think I was even born that way.
I told them I believe you can be useful, Ryodan says. That I can control you.
I bristle and rattle my chains. Nobody controls me. Not anymore.
They say youll never answer to anyone. Not even Barrons is on my side.
No doubt because TP was telling Barrons to tell Ryodan to kill me. Or let her do it.
Its eight against one, he says.
Its eight against two, Jo says. If you count her sister sidhe-seersand youd betterits eight against thousands.
Your numbers have been severely diminished, Ryodan says.
Worldwide, were over twenty thousand.
I didnt know that, I say to Jo. Why didnt I know that? To Ryodan, I say, Dude, kill me or free me.
If you kill her, Jo says, youll incur the wrath of every sidhe-seer in the world. Theyll hunt you. Danis a legend among us. We wont lose her.
If I decide to kill her, Ryodan says, no one will ever know what happened to either of you.
I blink, mentally replaying what Jo said again and again, but I cant hear it enough. Really? Im a legend? Like, around the whole world they know of me? Say it again! I preen. I had no idea. There might be a little swagger left in my body after all. I cock a jaunty hip.
Let her go, Jo says to Ryodan, and Ill stay in her place.
The feck youll stay! I explode.
Youre offering to stay here. Chained up. With me. In exchange for her. A smile plays at his lips.
As long as you have me as a hostage, shell behave.
The feck youll stay! I say again since nobody reacted like they were supposed to, like, by obeying me. Or paying any attention to me at all.
I havent forgotten what you did to my cell phone, sidhe-seer, Ryodan says.
You were taking pictures on our property. Its private, Jo says.
Youre on my property.Its private.
Im not taking pictures. I came to take back something thats ours. Something you had no right to take.
Im not a something. Or a child, I say.
She had no right to kill the patrons of my club. Shed been warned. Repeatedly.
And you know how well she listens. You shouldnt have brought her into your club and left her alone with a sword. Could you possibly be that stupid?
Dudes, quit talking about me like Im not here!
Sidhe-seer, tread lightly, he says to Jo, and his voice goes real soft. Soft from Ryodan is never good.
Let me stay in her place. Shes just a kid.
Im not a kid! And shes not fecking staying here. Nobodys staying here! Except maybe me!
You do understand what it would mean, he says to Jo, like Im not even having a violent, noisy fight with a wall and four chains. If she makes a single misstep, youre dead.
I feel the blood drain from my face. I always misstep. Misstep is my middle name, right after Mega. I cant not misstep. I have feet.
I understand.
She doesnt mean it! I shout. She doesnt even know what shes talking about! She doesnt have any clue what you dudes are really like. Besides, I dont really even care about her at all. You can kill her. So, you may as well let her go.
Shut up, Dani, Jo says.
Youll have to sign an employment application, Ryodan tells Jo.
Dont sign it, Jo! Hes got some kind of spell on it.
Am I being held hostage or applying for a job? Jo says.
Im short a few waitresses. Some of them were Ryodan gives me a look. collateral damage the other day.
I didnt kill any humans.
Two of them had enough Unseelie in them that apparently you couldnt tell the difference, Ryodan says.
I killed humans? How much Unseelie had they eaten?
You want me to be a waitress? Jo says, horrified, like its a fate worse than death. I tried to wait tables in high school. I cant. I drop plates. I spill drinks. Im a researcher. A linguist. I live in my head. I dont wait tables.
Conveniently, I have two applications handy. Ryodan withdraws a folded packet of papers from his pocket.
Why two? I aint waiting tables, I say belligerently.
I have to serve Fae? As in take orders and fill them? And bring things to their tables? Jo cant seem to wrap her brain around it. Like shed rather stay chained to the wall than wait tables.
