I said goodbye and hung up before she could say anything else.
“Baby, we’ve all let you down, haven’t we?” Mom said from behind me. “I wish Megan were here. She wouldn’t have let any of us get away with this. Why don’t you call her and see if she’ll visit?”
Panic stormed through me.
“Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Having someone at your side who you trust is always a good idea,” she said. “Call her.”
The hard look in Mom’s eyes warned me that there was only one answer.
“I’ll call her. Tonight. Today, I just want to spend time with you and Dad, okay?”
They both quickly agreed. Dad and I finished making breakfast while we listened to Mom’s plans for the grand opening of her club. The excitement in her voice and Dad’s encouraging comments and helpful suggestions conflicted me.
I knew Club Blayz’s true purpose and didn’t care if it ever opened. The controlling frost giant meant it to be my feeding grounds, which was the only reason she’d agreed to it, and I was extremely tired of her games.
“You’re very quiet, baby,” Mom said. “Everything all right?”
“Everything’s fine.”
“The sign’s going up today. Would you like to come with me to see the progress?”
“My love, you need rest. You’re growing our next precious child.”
“Jason, breakfast was lovely, but you know I need to eat.”
Dad swallowed hard and looked down at his plate. Mom rose gracefully, gliding to his side. A shudder ran through him as she stroked a finger along his jaw, tipping his head so he looked up at her.
“What am I?” she asked softly.
“The love of my life. The reason I breathe. The purpose of my existence.”
She smiled softly.
“What am I?” she repeated.
“A succubus. A creature who feeds on sexual energy.”
“And without it?”
“You die.”
“I die,” she agreed.
“Feed from me,” he begged.
I turned away, unable to watch.
“You know why I can’t, Jason. Please don’t make this more difficult than it already is.”
A chair scraped against the floor. When I peeked, Mom and I were alone.
“Change isn’t easy,” she said. “Especially when it comes to zealous beliefs. Religion. Politics. Sex. Most people are unwilling to consider their stance isn’t the only right stance. As if their beliefs are a ‘one size fits all’ for everyone’s unique circumstances.” She smiled slightly. “Your father is starting to see his beliefs can’t hold true for me. I don’t fault him for his moral rigidity. His unyielding faith is part of what made him so attractive to me.
“Let’s go check on the club’s progress so we can hurry back. I hate leaving your dad alone for too long.”
We took my car, mostly because Mom didn’t like driving. I saw the addition of the sign well before we reached the lot. The large letters rested on top of the building’s impressive roof like some roadhouse. But the building looked nothing like a rundown roadhouse. The goblins had been hard at work, painting and improving the outside so that the enormous sign graced a trendy nightclub meant for a big city.
“When Dad said you were calling it Club Blayz, I thought he meant fire. What’s the meaning behind the spelling?”
“I’m blazing a trail where our kind can feed and humankind can have the most intense sexual experiences of their lives. Blazing Lays, if you will. But that’s far too crass. So Club Blayz was born.”
“Well, it’s subtler than man-beef buffet.”
She grinned at me.
“Come inside. I can’t wait for your reaction.”
The lower level was complete. Everything from the flooring to the bar top to the seating arrangements was a perfect mix of country meets contemporary. Even the spacious bathrooms were impressive. I found the single chair inside the room a little odd, though, and asked Mom about it.
“One of the conditions of opening the club is that I have the bathrooms staffed with trustworthy attendants to ensure human safety. I don’t see why. I’ve already paid to have this place warded so no human can die here.”
“It doesn’t hurt to be cautious. Plus, it creates jobs for the people stuck in Uttira.”
“You mean, people stuck here as a result of their inability to prove they belong in the human world? That’s hardly a qualifying character reference for the position of human guardian.”
“I don’t have my mark. Does that mean I’m a danger to humans or that I’ve failed to pass Adira’s games?”
“Very true, Eliana. I shall keep an open mind.”
Mom showed me the stage where they could have live music and an area designated for dancing.
“I would love to have a soft opening just for Uttira’s youth. Do you think any of your classmates would want to attend?”
Given how they’d flocked to the Roost when they found out there was an impromptu Game Night, I felt fairly certain my classmates would be up for anything that wasn’t another night of same old same old at the Roost.
Mom’s delight reflected in her eyes when I confirmed they would.
“It will be a night to remember,” she promised as we continued the tour.
Chapter Seventeen
My phone rang after lunch, and I readily reached for the distraction.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Eliana. It’s Jenna. Um, I know you’re with your parents today, but I was wondering if you could maybe help me.”
“Sure. How can I help?”
“Something’s wrong with Fenris.”
My selfish thoughts came to a screeching halt.
“What do you mean? Is he hurt?”
“Yes, but nothing serious. He got into a major fight with Eras about thirty minutes ago. Adira appeared and broke it up after Eras’s mermaids drew blood. The scratch will be fine, but I don’t think Fenris is. He hasn’t been acting like himself all day. He’s angry, Eliana. I’ve never seen him angry before. He yelled at us to leave him alone.”
While there was a slight whine in her voice at the end, there was also very real worry. Fenris was rarely anything but playful.
“Where are you guys now?” I asked.
“We’re headed home. We think that’s where he went.”
“You think?”
“He ran into the woods at the Academy. We already searched those, though.” There was a pause. “He’s not easy to find when he doesn’t want to be found. But I know he worries about you, so I was hoping you’d help us look for him.”
“Of course. I’ll try calling him and see if he answers.”
“He won’t. He left everything when he ran. Will you meet us at Blueleaf?”
“Blueleaf? Why? I mean, I will. I just don’t understand how I’m going to be able to help.”
“Last time he was hiding, he came out to see why you were roaming around our woods. I was hoping that you’d be willing to run with us. I would have called sooner, but after Aubrey snooped on his phone to find Megan’s number, he locked his phone. I had to find Eugene to get your number. Will you help us?”