Page 7 of Never Nix Up (The Arun Nixes #2)

7

Hazel

T his wasn’t supposed to happen like this.

This wasn’t supposed to happen at all.

But as much as I’m frustrated by Vi taking things into her own hands, there is also something nice about finally speaking out loud the fears that I’ve had for so long. About being able to talk to my friends.

“I think you’d best tell me all about it,” says Finn, and sits back down onto the booth bench next to me. Chlo and Vi take position on the bench opposite, and they’re all staring at me.

I can’t remember the last time I had so many people look at me so intensely.

No. I can.

“My family don’t speak to me.”

“Because you’re gay?” Finn asks.

Chlo barks a laugh at that. “Nah, nixes don’t really care about gender. They only care about who you’re fucking if they’re mortal.” Vi squeezes her hand, and the two of them smile gently at each other.

“Your parents don’t seem to mind,” points out Finn, and that’s true. Vi and Chlo go for lunch with Chlo’s parents on a Sunday.

“Chlo’s parents aren’t mine.” My voice sounds harsh, and Chlo winces a little.

“Yeah, mine are of the hippy-focus-on-looking-after-the-river variety of nixes. Many nixes… aren’t.”

Finn’s brow is furrowed, like she’s concentrating super hard. “So if they’re not hippies, they’re…?”

“Murderous. Most people have heard of our Scottish cousins: kelpies.”

Slow comprehension spreads across Finn’s face.

Kelpies, like nixes, are known for drowning humans. We just don’t take on a horseshape to do it.

“Magictrue, Godstouched magichas only been back for five years. Our community spent centuries offering human sacrifices to the river, in the hope that it’d bring the Gods back.”

“And did it?”

I laugh bitterly. “If it all it took was human sacrifice, magic would have been back before the fall of the Romans. Instead nixes just kept dragging mortals to the depths of the river in futile attempts to…” I break off, frustrated to notice that my eyes are filling with tears.

Finn doesn’t say anything. No one says anything.

“I don’t drown humans. Chlo doesn’t. Ki” I stumble, but it’s too late, Kit’s name is out there. “There are many of us who just want to coexist in Wyrten Bridge. We don’t care about power; we just want to live our lives.”

“I can understand that,” says Finn. “It’s a part of who you are, but it’s not all you are.” I nod. “So why are your family dangerous?”

Memories flash through my brain in an instant, every rejection, every dismissal. “Trisantona protects me from them. They don’t dare attack an acolyte of the Goddess, no matter how much they despise me for working with mortals. But being with a mortal? They might consider that a step too far, and though they wouldn’t attack me, that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t come after you, or the bakery, or even Luci.”

“They can try to come after Luci,” said Finn dryly, “but there’s a reason he’s named after the devil. I doubt even magic could shake that tortoise’s stubbornness.”

There’s a shaky laugh around the table, the four of us let out a sigh, almost in unison.

“You know that you’re not alone,” says Vi. “You have us, and I’m sure Trisantona would be livid if anyone dared to interfere with you or your life.”

That’s nice, but Vi has a very different relationship with Trisantona than I doshe can, she’s not the Goddess’s river.

“You said she likely wouldn’t mind,” says Finn, thoughtfully. “That she might want some… energy, was it? I don’t see why we couldn’t oblige.”

“You don’t see why you couldn’t oblige the Goddess by performing sex magic for her ?” Vi sounds vaguely horrified.

Finn flushes. “I mean, it wouldn’t be for her, but I don’t see how siphoning off some of the energy produced by sex would do either of us harm, exactly. If the energy’s going to be out there, milling around anyway.”

I clear my throat, and Finn turns dark brown eyes onto me. “And just who is all of this supposed sex happening with?”

There is a long pause, in which Chlo and Vi shuffle awkwardly on their bench. Finn looks mortified. I’d let her off the hook, only I don’t like assumptions. Even if the idea of having sex with Finn is sending my pulse skyrocketing.

If there’s a way to do this, and to keep Finn safe, then I’m in.

I’m so in.