Page 2 of A Taste of Bliss

“Get to the point, Reese,” I tell her, using her nickname. I hop off the stage, coming to stand in front of her.

She raises her brow at me, and my gaze falls away from hers, resting on the tattoo inked on her warm brown skin, peeking out from her collar. I went with her to get that tattoo. My eyes slide down her arm to her wrist, where raised skin forms the kindred rune—a series of intertwining swirls that form a circle, which allows a human to move freely between the human domain and the fae districts, and provides a measure of protection against certain fae magic, like compulsion.

Memories of our friendship flitter through my mind as I wait for my friend to finally muster up enough courage to broach whatever topic she’s come here to discuss. Dericia Ravenmore—Reese—has been my best friend since I can remember. Her faeparents, who lived next door to mine, adopted her just after she was born to humans. We grew up together. We went to school and university together. We’ve been joined at the hip most of our lives, until about three years ago.

“Look, I get things have been off ever since—” She waves her hand, trailing off at my warning glance. “Anyways, I think it’s long past time for us all to patch things up. So you, me, and Amelia are going to have a girls’ night.”

I stifle a groan at the mention of my sister and a girls’ night out. Dericia and Amelia’s idea of a good time is getting dressed up and going to a bar to dance and find men to hook up with.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Reese stands up from the barstool, towering over me in her black high-heeled boots. “Bliss, I need my best friend back. And you and Amelia need to get back to normal. Come hang out with us. Let Amelia know she’s welcome to come to your bond activation ceremony.”

My stomach plummets at the reminder of the ceremony later this week.

“I doubt she’d even want to go to that,” I mutter.

“She does. She told me so.” Reese takes my hands in hers, pulling me into a hug. “We’ll go out to a club where we won’t run into anyone we know and we’ll have an amazing time, alright?”

“Yeah, okay.”

She releases me, smiling gently, and takes a look around the place.

“Maybe Amelia and I will come to a show here sometime,” she says with a grin. I let out a snort. Amelia hates country music.

“You’re welcome anytime,” I tell her. She nods and heads out the door.

I watch her leave, a large part of me wishing I could go with her.

There’s a distinct change in the atmosphere when passing through the veil between the human domain and a fae district. The air seems to pulse around me as I turn onto Starlight Avenue, my interaction with Reese the day before on repeat in my head. The veil’s magic caresses my skin as it slides over me, allowing me through. If I was a non-kindred human, I’d have emerged on the other side of the Starlight District without any inkling there existed something in between.

On this side of the veil there are noticeably fewer people. It’s one of several fae districts in the Seattle area, and one of the only ones with a portal—though I don’t often have occasion these days to use it.

But that will be changing soon.

Once my bond is activated, I’ll take time off work from The Wild Mare to travel for my starmoon—a little vacation fae go on in hopes the stars will lead them to their mate. It’s pretty customary for fae to do this, though results are mixed. The stars aren’t to be rushed when they don’t want to be.

And then there are fae like my sister, who wouldn’t be caught dead doing something like that.

I, on the other hand, am hoping to do a bit of traveling around Europe.

Reese and I planned a while ago that she would come with me, though it’s not something we’ve talked about recently, so I’ll probably be going on my own.

You could still ask her. She’d probably love to go,a wiser part of my mind counters. Guilt settles into my stomach, almost like it’s returning home.

Considering it’s midday on a sunny afternoon in Seattle, I’m surprised to see so few fae and kindreds around. I would have thought it would be busier with people making use of the portal as they run errands and go to and from work.

Finally I arrive outside my aunt’s shop, pausing long enough to take a deep breath to steady myself before entering. My eyes snag on The Antler just a block away, focusing in on the gothic font of the venue’s welcome sign.

Stab My Heart is playing this weekend, and a wistfulness winds through me. That would be a fun show to see, but there’s no way I’ll be going.

I push the thought from my mind and push the doors open.

A bell chimes as I enter, and I hear Dericia call a greeting from the receptionist’s desk. Her nose is in a metal music magazine, the cover showing off the keyboardist from the Phantoms.

“You got the one with the feature on Stormy?” I ask, letting the door fall shut behind me as I make my way over to the counter.

She lowers the magazine, grinning at me. “Bliss!” She stands, coming around the corner and enveloping me in a crushing bear hug. I squeeze her back. “I didn’t think I’d see you till tomorrow.” Tomorrow, when she’ll be forcing me out of the house for dancing. I stifle a groan.