Demon Hunting In a Dive Bar Read Online Free PDF Page B

know,” Beck said. “Tobias, stop bouncing around like a Jack Russell terrier and take Tommy in the back and ask Hank if we got any tofu. If we don’t, tell him to get some, pronto. And see if you can find Tommy something dry to wear. There are extra clothes in the storeroom. Shifters are forever getting drunk and leaving their belongings lying around.”
    “Oh, sure,” Toby said. “Send the dog off with the brain-eating zombie. Sacrifice the dog. The dog is expendable.”
    “Don’t see what you got to complain about,” Tommy said as he followed Toby in the direction of the kitchen. “Some crazy dude just tried to bust me open with a sword.”
    The lethal-looking blade in Conall’s hand vanished. “ ’Tis foolish in the extreme to offer succor to such a creature,” he said, frowning at Beck. “But as you refuse to listen to reason, I shall abide here until the Maker reveals his sinister purpose.”
    “No.” Beck shook her head so hard in denial it was a wonder it didn’t fall off and roll out the door and into the river. “Absolutely not.”
    “I detect the foul taint of the djegrali behind the zombie’s arrival. ’Tis my duty to investigate.”
    “I don’t give a rat’s ass about your duty. You can’t stay here.”
    He held up his hand. “You can thank me later. Right now, we have company.”
    “Thank you?” A jolt of pain shot up Beck’s neck. Stress, probably. This guy was going to be the death of her. “Are you nuts? And what do you mean ‘we have company’? There is no we. ”
    The front door blew open, and a troop of fairies flitted into the room on lacy wings. The tiny creatures glowed softly in pastel shades, like Christmas lights through a frosted window. The fairy in the lead was a female with skin like chocolate milk and hair of spun silver. She flew up to Conall and said something to him in a thin little voice.
    “I will relay the message, little one,” he said gravely. “I fear you are right and she has forgotten.” He turned to Beck. “The fairies would like me to remind you that Evie and Ansgar’s wedding is but an hour hence.”
    “Tell the fairies to kiss it,” Beck said. “I’m not going. I hardly know the chick.”
    She stomped over to the bar and made a business of checking the stock. It had shocked the hell out of her when Evie Douglass invited her to the wedding. They barely knew each other. Sure, part of her had been secretly thrilled to be invited to the social event of the year. But, she’d never had any intention of going . Social crap gave her the hives. A few of the kith might be there, but it would be mostly norms. She’d feel awkward and out of place, and who needed that? Besides, she didn’t have anything to wear.
    The fairies darted after her, buzzing around her in agitated circles. They chittered nonstop, like a flock of miniature sparrows around an open bag of birdseed.
    Conall followed and leaned against the bar. Beck pretended not to notice, but he was a hard guy to ignore. He was so big and so dang male .
    “You came to Evie’s defense against the djegrali,” he said. “She and Ansgar are in your debt. It would please them both if you would come. The fairies also.”
    “Uh-uh. No can do. It’s Saturday night. We got a band and the place will be packed. I can’t do that to Toby.”
    “He has the zombie to help him now, thanks to your intercession.”
    She took another swipe at the bar. “Tommy’s new. He hasn’t been trained.”
    The fairy with the moonbeam hair flew up to Conall and said something in her brittle voice.
    “I am afraid Silverbell insists,” Conall said.
    “That so? Well, you can tell Silverbell for me that I am not going to—”
    Beck never got to finish her sentence, because that’s when the treacherous little lightning bug smacked her right in the kisser with a honeysuckle-scented cloud of fairy funk.
     
    An hour and a half later, Beck stood in the fellowship hall of the Trinity Episcopal Church along with