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Our little chat would attract human attention, but I did have an important question. “Do you do a lot of events?”
That honey-sweet smile paired with a wicked glint in her eye. “Yes. I’m one of the top photographers in town.”
Of course she was. Of course. “I take it you recommended the caterers as well.”
She beamed. “Not exactly. Gemma—she’s one of ours—has made a name for herself as an events planner. You’ve been to another one of ours. The one at the museum? The one where you left early because you were sick.”
They were like lice. I’d come to this city, and now I had lice. If ferals tried to spy on each other this way, someone would die. Quickly. I bit back a growl. Her rattling me was a reward I didn’t intend for her to have. I was a guest at this party, she wasn’t. All I had to do was complain about her—better yet, I’d have Cerys do it—and GranitePaw would be out of the high society party business. “You’re chatting a lot for a fly who’s supposed to be on the wall.”
Her weight shifted onto her heels, a slight arch in her spine, even if her smile stayed devious. “Why don’t we go for a run on Tuesday and talk? I’ll meet you at your place.”
“Fine.” I’d need four days to get into the right mood to deal with Maya.
“Have to go. Enjoy the party. Oh, Raoul makes an amazing dry martini. You should try it.” She melted into the background.
I watched her disappear, eyes narrowed. There was absolutely nothing about this party I liked, and I would especially not be trying Raoul’s special dry martini.
And Now Someone's Dead
“I’m not sure about this,” I said doubtfully, as I held a box of beautiful glass Christmas ornaments.
“It’s how we got around the tree!” Cye said cheerfully. “We kind of… made our own.”
I passed him another one of the ornaments. Jun had loops of popcorn string in his hands.
While Sterling and I had been at the GranitePaw-infested party, Cye and Jun (and perhaps Burian) had made a “tree” to put into the corner between the wall and television (which was currently playing a video of a crackling fire) out of evergreen branches and garland arranged around a large pole. So it wasn’t really a tree, but it was a vertical evergreen structure that sort of had branches ornaments could be hung from.
“Maybe next year we can have a proper tree,” Jun was telling Cye.
“I’m sort of sad about the cookies,” I said. Cye had made lemon sandwich cookies for the decorations. Just to punish Jun and me for our garbage guts.
“But you like the store-bought ones better,” he said with cheerful menace.
“But we don’t not like the ones you make,” I said.
He smiled sweetly as Jun passed him a length of popcorn. “How terrible was the party?”
“The usual nonsense.” I didn’t mention the GranitePaw infestation. Still had no idea what to make of it.
“We noticed the panties didn’t survive,” Cye tittered. Jun made a gagging noise.
Sterling had managed to get my panties off before we’d even made it down the hall to our bedroom. Jun’s foot had found one of my jeweled hairpins, and we still hadn’t located Sterling’s cufflinks. “That news is three days old. And you’re just now mentioning it?”
Cye giggled.
“Because at least two other pairs of panties have been destroyed since then.”
“Oh, gross.” Jun groaned while Cye giggled harder.
Earning those eggplant chore stickers. “I’ll sober up the conversation then. I’m going running with a GranitePaw tomorrow.”
“Whhhattt?” Jun exclaimed.
“Hmmm. There’s been a female lurking around our gym trying to play like we’re friends. She asked me to go run with her tomorrow. I can’t wait.”
“And you’re going to?” Cye asked with mild shock and dignified affront.
“Why, Cye, do you not approve of your Luna going to go run with an unranked GranitePaw female?” I asked, amused.
