Hawking a Future (2 page)

Hayley shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

Tony held up a charm on a leather strand. “This charm will act as payment for anything you want to purchase here. It will also shift with you.”

As he tied it on her wrist, she smiled. “That won’t be an issue. I don’t shift.”

His fingers fumbled, and he dropped the small icon before picking it up again. “What?”

“I don’t shift. My birth parents were unbonded shifters. Neither beast can get enough power up to make the change, so all three of us are stuck in the same body.”

Teal’s eyes were wide. “I have heard of that but never met an offspring before. It usually doesn’t happen.”

“I am well aware of that. I have been told that frequently since my sixteenth birthday.” When the charm was in place, she examined it. “What the hell is this?”

Tony looked at it. “I can’t tell. It normally shows a claw or a paw or an indicator of the beast inside. I can make out wings, but not the wings of anything I can identify.”

“And the crystal?”

“It makes you more obvious to the fey. They know that you are willing to consider them.”

Hayley shrugged. “I am willing to consider anyone that I truly want.”

Teal chuckled. “Good answer.”

They walked her through the paperwork, and she signed her consent to abide by any mutual decision to form a bond with a fey or shifter.

“Teal, who is that man lurking in the doorway?”

Teal smiled. “His name is Tovin. His brother just got his mate, and he is here to find his own. For a while, he thought that his ex-co-worker might have been the one, but she took one look at his brother and that was the end of that.”

Hayley picked up her bags and nodded. “Right, well, show me where I am going to stay and I will get out of your hair.”

Teal waved her toward the man in the doorway. “This way to freedom or, at least, the Crossroads.”

They walked up to the man, and he smiled, his golden skin gleaming in the sun. “Good afternoon, lady. You look well.”

“Uh, thanks. Please excuse me. I need to go unpack.”

Teal smiled. “Tovin, would you care to do the tour?”

The elf smiled. “It would be my greatest honour to do the tour. May I know your name, lady?”

“Oh. Sorry. Hayley.” She would have handed him her hand to shake, but she was carrying her bags.

“May I take your bags, Hayley?” His eyes were twinkling.

“Um, sure.”

She awkwardly extended the bags to him. He took them from her with one hand, and when their fingers connected, she felt a weird shock.

His eyes crinkled with satisfaction as his own fingers jumped at the contact. “Well, that is good to know.”

She stared up at him with wide eyes. “What is?”

“That you are indeed a shifter. Here I was thinking you were an angel.” He moved the bags to one side and offered her his arm.

She looped her hand around his elbow and walked with him into the afternoon sun.

She glanced back at Teal, but the woman merely waved farewell with a calm expression. There was nothing to worry about here.

Hayley looked around and ignored the compliment. “It seems pleasant here.”

“It is. The sun shines every day. The rain falls in the dark of the night, and it is soft and warm. We are staying at the Open Heart Bed and Breakfast. It is run by Teebie. She is a djinn of the highest order and a wonderful hostess.”

“It sounds nice.”

“It is. The breakfast is amazing and tea in the afternoons is delightful.” Tovin’s expression still showed pleasure.

“All right. I have to ask. Why are you so happy?”

“Me? Well, my brother and his mate returned home today, so I am free and clear to make an ass out of myself without any familial witnesses. Those are the best vacations.”

Hayley chuckled. “They are the best vacations.”

“Do you have siblings?”

“No, but I have a lot of friends. They have kept me apprised of how families work. I have been to seventeen different family Christmases in my life. Each one is different, like a snowflake.”

That made her companion pause. “You don’t have family then?”

She shrugged. “I have biological parents and their relatives, but no family. Family are the ones who stand by you, and I have none of those.”

His arm tensed under her hand. “I don’t understand.”

“I will explain it later if you want the details.”

“You seem very forthright.”

“If you ask a question, I can answer it. I have been doing it all my life.” She shrugged. His heartbeat was a little fast, but there were no signs of anything other than dismay around his mouth and eyes.

He cleared his throat. “Why did you decide to come to the Crossroads?”

She chuckled. “I didn’t. I was hijacked. Two of your seers came to interview me at the recovery centre. When I left to return to my day job, I ended up here.”

Tovin stopped on the path to a huge Victorian house and stared at her. “The seers? Two seers came to you? Fey seers?”

“Two tall, pale gentlemen with matching eyes and everything else showed up at the centre and asked me if I was averse to a fey as a mate considering my time with those abused by your kind.”

“What was your response?”

Hayley watched the tension in his expression.

“I said that if I could find my mate, it wouldn’t matter what species it was. I am not even fussy on gender. I would go where my body and my beasts called me. My mind would have to wait and work out its own shit.”

He blinked and opened and closed his mouth.

She nodded toward the opening door. “Let’s get me checked in, and then, you can ask more questions.”

He nodded and headed up the steps to where her hostess was standing with a wide smile and an open door as well as the bluest skin Hayley had ever seen.

“Welcome to the Open Heart. I am your hostess, Teebie.”

“I am Hayley Hyland. Pleased to meet you.”

“I have your room ready on the third floor. Come this way.” Teebie snapped her fingers and the bags disappeared out of Tovin’s hand.

Teebie nodded to Tovin. “I can take it from here.”

He looked like he wanted to argue, but she arched a brow at him and he reluctantly removed Hayley’s hand from his arm. He kept it for a moment and bowed over it, lifting it to his lips. “It has been delightful to meet you, Hayley.”

She nodded. “And you as well, Tovin. Goodbye.”

Teebie sighed. “She isn’t going behind enemy lines. Go and arm wrestle with those idiots in the bar or something. When she is settled, I will send her out to play.”

Tovin grinned and released Hayley’s hand. “Oh goody. I will wait on the steps...maybe in the drawing room.”

Teebie chuckled and beckoned to Hayley. “This way.”

The elf was gone in a flicker of light and shadow.

Hayley mounted the steps and followed her hostess.

Teebie explained. “Tovin isn’t a bad sort. He just gets fixated on a romantic target and disoriented when it is taken from him. It is a strange habit for someone of his age, but he is cute, so he gets by with the ladies who are there to soothe him through his moments of loss.”

Hayley chuckled. “And you are telling me way too much.”

Teebie paused at the landing. “You are right. I don’t know why I am telling you this.”

Grinning, she patted the woman on the shoulder as she passed her. “That happens around me. I always end up with more information than I need.”

“How?”

Hayley shrugged. “I have no idea. It just happens.”

They headed up to the third floor, and Hayley smiled at the size of her room. It was as large as her apartment without any space needed for a kitchen or living room. The bed was king sized in a four-poster, and the carpet and walls were thick.

“Nice.”

Teebie chuckled. “There is something different about you. You aren’t quite what I am used to in a shifter.”

“Well, I wasn’t consulted on my appearance here. The fey seers redirected my transport home. They probably cost me my job as well, the assholes.” She had a thought. “Why aren’t all fey the same colours?”

“Why aren’t all humans or all shifters? We are the colours needed to make the most out of our environments. The seers are underground fey. They lived in Underhill and did not need the light of the sun or moon to keep them healthy. They consumed the energy of the world itself, and as such, they did not need the defences of the fey who lived in woods, rivers and deserts.”

Hayley went to her bags and began looking for something more comfortable than her current work slacks and blouse.

“Right. That makes sense. So, Tovin and his kind would be forest related?”

“Yes. Just as I am designed to blend into the shadows of the desert and the blue of the sky over sand dunes.”

Hayley nodded and pulled out a comfortable shirt and jeans. “I am just going to get changed.”

“Understood. Do you want a tour of the Crossroads?” Teebie cocked her head.

“Tovin has already offered, and I think he will be a most jovial and informative companion.” She grinned and went into the bathroom, leaving the door open and whisking off her clothing.

“Why are you different?”

Hayley waited until she had pulled her shirt into place. “Unbonded parents. I am a shifter bastard. I have always had access to the talents of my beasts, but not the ability to shift. The emotional disclosure is something that always amuses me when it happens, but don’t feel bad. Humans do it all the time.”

“You...you didn’t know who your parents were?” Teebie’s voice shook.

“I was raised in the human foster-care system. No one thought I would ever develop any kind of skills, but the two families kept an eye on me just in case. I know who they are now and have met a few members of their clan, but neither side claims me, so I am on my own.”

“What is your beast?”

“I have two, but neither one of them manifests.”

“And yet, the seers came to you?”

Hayley jumped and jiggled into her jeans. “Apparently being an active shifter isn’t a requirement.”

She zipped up and gathered her work clothing under her arm, heading out into the bedroom to dig for her sneakers.

“Yet, you are willing to take on a fey mate?” Teebie seemed to be grappling with the situation.

“I am willing to take on a mate if I find one that suits me. I am not going to settle for the first guy who tries to enchant his way into my pants, but neither am I going to fight it if I feel drawn to someone. It hasn’t happened yet, but I am open to the possibility.”

Teebie smiled. “Well, then, you have come to the right place, by whatever means.”

Hayley bounced down the stairs and headed for the front door. Tovin appeared at her side with a smile. “May I offer you that tour?”

“You can offer it, but can you deliver?”

He grinned brightly. “I can but try.”

He offered her his arm, and when she took it, he opened the door to lead her into the bright light.

“Do you want to see the shifter’s field? They go there to change shape and run around in the meadow.”

“It isn’t really my thing, but sure, I will take a look.”

He gave her a surprised look, but swallowed his questions. She could see it. Her amusement almost glowed through her skin. Being around supernaturals and being able to talk about what she could do was the only reason she had agreed to help with the patients at the recovery centre. She needed to be able to be honest and open with folks. It strangled her when she had to stuff herself back into her human life and pretend that she was just like everybody else.

Being extraordinary was her personal bit of pride. When she met her first shifters out in the open for the first time, her ability to read what they were thinking and what mood they were in by the physical output she was getting was helpful. Her insight had been a boon to her in office work and with volatile shifters; it had saved her life on a number of occasions.

Tovin took her around the salon and spa, the restaurant, the café and the bar.

“I am going to get myself some lunch.” She blurted it out.

He paused. “May I come with you?”

“Are you hungry?”

He blinked. “Not particularly.”

“Then, I will go alone and you can go and do what you were going to do before I arrived.” She smiled brightly and released his arm.

He looked delightfully flustered. “I will see you later then.”

She grinned as she walked away. Playing with people was a game that never got old. Since she had been able to see his impulses becoming embroiled in arousal, the sudden shift of situation was going to make him try harder.

The café was moderately busy, and she slid into a seat, beaming at the server. “Hello.”

“Hello. You just arrived?”

Hayley nodded. “I did. What’s good today?”

“The salmon salad.”

“Good enough. Salmon salad and a lemonade.”

“Coming right up. Welcome to the Crossroads.”

Hayley sat back and looked around. Several men were looking at her, but when they took in the small gleam on her wrist charm, they looked away. She grinned and made the small bit of gemstone glitter in the sunlight.

Having a diurnal mother and a nocturnal father made her aware of both light and dark. The play of shadows and light was her favourite form of study.

When the salad arrived, she dug in and nearly groaned in bliss at the warm, spicy salmon on the crisp and well-dressed lettuce. The lemonade was almost as good.

She cleaned her plate, drained her glass and got to her feet. The server came over and Hayley swiped her charm over the payment plate and she smiled brightly. “Thanks. Now, I am fortified for the rest of my day.”

“Go get ‘em.” The server winked, and Hayley left with a swing in her step.

She headed into the bar and settled down on a stool. Her senses did a sweep of the room, and she found Tovin on the dance floor with a young blonde woman with a lithe build that pricked Hayley in her ample curves.

The only thing that got her confidence down was comparing herself to the lithe and lovely women that she worked with in every aspect of her life. Eventually, she had managed to tamp down the comparisons, but the lack of personal physical awareness might have taken her sexual urges with it. If she didn’t view herself as attractive, attention was amusing, not serious.