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BEAU

W hat. Have. I. Done? I’m in the king of crossroads demons house . In the demon realm! No, no, no, no. I never should have put him down as my emergency contact, but he’s the only person I could think of at the time. If I could do it all over, and maybe I should, I’d put down Sparkle, or maybe his mother, but not Poe.

My wings are so tired, my lungs burn, but my head won’t stop spinning over and over. I screech like a banshee getting a feel for the bathroom with echolocation. It’s huge, maybe even bigger than the entire Boots house. How big is Poe’s place? Is it a palace?

I’m so disappointed in myself for panicking at the first sound of thunder. I thought I pushed my fear away hard enough, but when the shelves rattled, I knew the storm started and not even my headphones helped. I focused on the sound instead of the job and I started trembling and before I knew it, I was a bat. Just like that day three months ago in the human world.

I can’t decide between hanging upside down from the shower rail or shifting to my human form. Hanging always comforts me, but at this point I’m no doubt an unwelcomed intruder in Poe’s palace.

Slowly, I drop to the smooth tiled floor and flop to my back. I keep my eyes shut in the bright room and imagine myself as human. As I shift, my body slides across the floor. I’m a microbat, so my human size isn’t very big either. I’m about the same height as Sparkle and he’s short, other than the ‘I’m seven feet tall’ attitude he has.

I scramble to my feet, still keeping my eyes closed. Poe probably doesn’t want my naked ass all over his clean floor. I shield my eyes and crack one open to find the light switch to turn off the overhead lights. I shiver in the dark. My heart pounds. Now I need to dress and face the music. Face Poe.

My skin already heats at the idea. With embarrassment, excitement, anxiety, I’m not sure, probably all the above.

I grab my jeans from the bag first. Thank goodness my underwear stayed tucked in my jeans so they weren’t on display for anyone to see. I tug them on, then my shirt, socks, and shoes. But that’s all that’s inside the bag, not my sunglasses or my headphones.

Pacing the bathroom, I try to come up with a solution. There really isn’t any other than asking for his help again. Poe’s already gotten me away from the shop where it’s storming. I should be calm.

“Take a few breaths,” I say to myself as I press my hands to my heart to help center myself. I imagine roots growing from my waist, down my legs, my feet, and into the earth below Poe’s palace. It’s just a visualization, something I’ve been testing the waters on lately to see if the grounding meditation helps calm me.

I have no idea how long I stand in Poe’s bathroom, basically imagining I’m a tree when there’s a soft knock on the door.

“BB, are you okay in there?” Poe’s voice is soft. “I’m concerned about you.”

He’s concerned about me? I dash to the door and crack it open just the tiniest amount so I don’t blind myself with the light. Poe is still achingly gorgeous, like he was all those years ago. Those deep red eyes might bring terror to others, but to me, they only bring comfort. I want to run my fingers through his dark hair. He still has the same concern etched across his face, but this time for a different reason. I don’t dare to open the door wider, don’t dare to let him look at me without my gear. Nine years ago, I was still a kid, but he left an impression that never went away.

I swallow and force myself to speak. “Sorry, I’m okay now. But… did you happen to see headphones and a pair of sunglasses when you grabbed my clothes? I can deal without both, but the lights are so bright and everything is usually so loud.”

The room beyond him dims. “I did not, but let me go investigate. In the meantime, you’re welcome to make yourself comfortable here. I’ve lowered the lights throughout the entire house. And don’t get scared if an orange cat comes barreling at you, Creamsicle is harmless. And spoiled.” He chuckles.

Before I can say anything, Poe disappears.

I take a deep breath and toe the door open. I have no idea what I expected Poe’s house to smell like, but it wasn’t jasmine. The scent always draws me in, but where is it coming from? I peek from the bathroom before stepping out and breathing deeper. A hint of rose and honeysuckle joins the scent. The marble floor spreads out before me to a huge bedroom.

My eyes go wide. This has to be his bedroom. A prrrumph comes from the huge bed pressed against the wall. An orange and white cat stretches and looks at me before murrrrphing .

“Creamsicle?” I whisper and inch closer. When I’m human, there’s nothing to be afraid of when it comes to cats. But when I’m a bat, I have to be super careful. One time I got swatted by a house cat when I flew too close to it in search of coins.

Creamsicle hops from the bed and aims straight for me. I keep completely still, not wanting to startle the animal. They rub their head against me and I take that as a sign they like me, which makes me preen and my shoulders shimmy a little. I squat to rub their soft little head. They’re orange, with a white triangle right on their forehead. They purr as I continue to scratch.

“You’re very sweet.”

“ Murrrph .” They lift their head high and loop through my legs to trot out the bedroom door.

Of course, I follow the cat. Their tail swishes back and forth, and every few steps, they look back to make sure I’m following.

“I’m here.” I don’t want to be in the bedroom. That’s way too intimate.

We pass door after door and go down a curved staircase until we’re in a foyer. I shiver in the chilly air, but continue to follow the cat all the way into a ginormous kitchen. There are chrome appliances and one of those islands with the pots and pans rack above it. The oven looks like it could bake me if I curled up onto a cookie sheet.

I shiver at the thought.

Creamsicle headbutts my legs. “ Merorr. ” They look up and that’s where I find a bag of cat treats. On top of the ridiculously tall chrome refrigerator.

“I can’t reach that.” At least not without climbing the counters, and that would just be rude.

“ Merooorrr. Meroooooor. Merooor. ”

“Okay, okay, okay.” I slide onto a barstool from the kitchen island. “But I can’t climb on counters with shoes on.” I untie my laces and set my shoes on the floor. The marble is so clean I can see my reflection in it.

Creamsicle rubs their head on me again and again.

“I’m getting there, silly kitty.” Another few head scratches, then I drag a dining room chair over. Looking over my shoulder with each movement, I climb the counter. “We gotta be sneaky, okay? I don’t know when Poe’ll be back. He can teleport, you know.” I chuckle. “Of course you know he teleports.” Slowly, I push to my feet and the fridge is still tall, but at least I can reach the cat treats. Another look over my shoulder and I grab the bag.

Creamsicle merorrrrororsss from their spot on the marble floor.

“Oh, you naughty girl. You’ve known him for ten whole minutes and you already have him wrapped around your little claws, don’t you?”

I spin, clutching the treat bag, and slip off the counter. Instead of crashing to the floor when I overcorrect, I’m cradled in Poe’s strong arms with him staring at me with wide eyes.

“You okay?” He asks, rubbing a hand down my back.

I can’t speak. He’s too much. So handsome. Strong. Sweet. Kind. And I’m in his arms. Shit.

I squirm until he releases me gently back to my feet.

“Sorry. About that.” I wave to the countertop, still clutching the treat bag.

Creamsicle continues to demand her treats, and I look sheepishly up at Poe.

He gives me a soft smile as he takes the bag from my hands. “It’s okay, my sweet girl is very demanding and we do not deny her treats. Never ever.” He squats as he opens the bag and Creamsicle rushes over to him. I’m not sure if I should be surprised or not at this sweet side of the crossroads king. The one time I met Poe before, he was very nice, even denying me. He babbles baby talk at Creamsicle and it’s so endearing. I have to wonder if any of his crossroads subjects have ever seen this side of him.

When I look away from them, I find my sunglasses and headphones on the kitchen island. “Thank you for grabbing these for me.” I plop the headphones on my head and sigh. Kitty purring is sweet and all, but it’s loud to me. I loop the sunglasses on the collar of my t-shirt since it’s not too bright in the house.

Poe picks up Creamsicle and nuzzles her head with his cheek. “It’s no problem, but come talk with me.”

Anxiety rumbles in my tummy, but I follow him to a sitting room. I have no idea how many rooms this house palace has as I follow him through a door, down a hallway, and through another door to a big room. There are three couches facing a fireplace. It’s homey since none of the couches match in pattern or color. Everything in the room is a little mismatch, but it works.

“Have a seat.” Poe and Creamsicle sit on one couch.

I sit on the middle couch on the end closest to him. I hate this feeling, wondering what he’s going to say, what I should say. How do I explain… everything? He releases Creamsicle, and she hops over to my couch and settles in right next to me.

“Hello, pretty kitty,” I say as I sink my fingers into her soft fur, relaxing just a smidgen.

We all sit in silence other than Creamsicle’s purring. She licks my hand and for a moment I startle. “She’s not a Hellcat, right?” My hand doesn’t burn, so I guess not.

“No, she’s a normie.” Poe gives his cat a fond smile. “A couple of years ago, I heard the saddest meow on the edges of Hex. When I went past the wards, I found the most pitiful looking kitten I’d ever seen. I had to help her. But Creamsicle isn’t the reason I asked to chat.”

“Right, right.” My leg bounces and I rub at my knee.

“Why am I your emergency contact? We’ve never met.”

“We have,” I whisper.

He looks me over again. “I think I’d remember meeting you. You’re…”

“A scaredy cat.”

“Extraordinary. Bat shifters are ridiculously rare. And there’s also the matter of you not having a permit to live here. In fact, you’re not in any records. Who are you?”

I push to my feet, making Creamsicle glare at me. “I. I. I’m just me? Just Beau.” Though I won’t tell him my name is actually Baby Beau and that’s where BB comes from, not Bat Boy. “Just a bat shifter.”

“But how did you get in? And when did we meet? I’m sure I would have remembered a bat shifter.”

I pace as I think of my answers. “I flew in three months ago.”

“No, that’s impossible. The wards should have kept you out unless—” Poe stands and grabs my biceps. “Who told you about Hex?”

My heart pounds so hard. “A—A lady. She was really pretty. Had long dark hair and I swear she had an honest to goodness silver halo. She told me to find Hex, Indiana. Gave me directions and said that I’d be happier living my true self instead of a half-life. She said I should find her son, but then she disappeared before I could ask what his name was.”

Poe’s mouth falls open. “What happened that she showed herself to you?”

I cross my arms. “Why do you think something happened?”

He cocks a brow and waves at me. “Beau, which is much better than BB, you’re at my place because you had a panic attack during a storm. Gabe’s mother doesn’t just show up without cause, not even for him. What happened?”

I ball my hands and stare at the ceiling. It’s intricate, with patterns molded into it. I don’t want to tell him. It’s embarrassing.

“I can’t help if I don’t know all the details, Beau.”

“You didn’t help before.”

Poe looks me over again and shakes his head, but doesn’t say anything.

“Fine. Just like today, I had a panic attack during a storm. I was in a store and shifted into my bat. It was a whole scene. When I got myself out into the alley, she was there. I think she wiped their memories or something. Nothing ever showed up on the news or anything, as far as I know.”

Poe’s face softens, and he settles back into the couch. “Why are you terrified of storms?”

“Nope, not happening. I don’t know you well enough.” My legs tremble. The telltale tingle of my shift starts and I squeeze my eyes shut.

“Beau, your heart is racing too fast. If you don’t take a few breaths and quiet your mind, you’re going to shift.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” I ball my hands again. “Am I in trouble? Are you going to send me away?”

“No. I do need to register you, though.”

“Why?”

“Everyone in Hex gets registered, so we have the resources to take care of everyone. I had no idea we had a bat shifter in town. That requires extra precautions to keep you safe.”

Precautions? What precautions? “Why? I’ve been here three months and haven’t had one problem.”

“That’s all very well and good, but doesn’t negate the fact you are a highly prized shifter for someone like a necromancer or a witch with no morals. Where did you live before you came here?”

“In the human world. On the streets or in attics or wherever I found a little hidey hole as a bat.”

“That’s no way for anyone to live.”

“It’s your fault,” I snap back, not meaning to. I know it’s not even remotely his fault. If I weren’t such a coward, I could function better, but that’s not me. I’m scared of every little thing.

Poe goes pale. “I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about. I would have remembered you.”

It’s too much to remember the kind old man that took me in. Edward had been eighty-four when he found me human, naked, cold, afraid, half-starved in the woods. I was nine and stopped eating because I was so sad. But Edward helped. I was happy to have a kind person take me in. We had a good six years together. We took care of each other and I almost forgot about my life with my parents. Almost. Every storm brought the heartache and tragedy back.

“E—Edward summoned you nine years ago. I was there. I hadn’t realized he was dying until a few days later. I didn’t know humans died so young. He asked you to take me in and raise me in the creche, but you said I had to be a crossroads demon. You turned to me and said if I needed anything else, to let you know. So, like a fool, I put you down as my emergency contact for the first job I’ve ever had. I should have used Sparkle.”

His mouth opens and closes. I stumble back when his horns burst into violet flames. His eyes glow. What have I done?