Skeleton Crew Read Online Free PDF Page A

short months ago. At least I’d thought I wanted him. Looking back, it was hard to remember why. But then Adan would smile and those fucking dimples would soften his chiseled face, or he’d tilt his head to the side as he listened to what I was saying. Just like the changeling. I’d catch the scent of apples and cinnamon and I’d feel that familiar pull. It was just like waking from a pleasant dream and wishing for a moment you could go back to sleep.
    This Adan wasn’t a changeling. He wasn’t a monster. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous.
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    I’d averted a war with the Seelie Court by giving them Hollywood. King Oberon had taken over a club on Sunset Boulevard that had belonged to one of the conspirators, a vampire I’d gotten to kill. It had been called the Cannibal Club under the vampire’s management, but Oberon had since changed the name to the Carnival Club. He’d done some remodeling and redecorating, too. The Mardi Gras theme was a lot less played out than the Goth thing, and I had to admit the purple, gold and green decor was a lot more festive—gaudier, too, but what do you want from fairies? All in all, Oberon could have done worse. It wasn’t like the world needed another Irish pub or anything.
    I spun my parking spell and left my Lincoln out front, then went inside the club. I found Oberon behind the main bar polishing glasses with a white cloth. He was wearing a plain white T-shirt and faded jeans and looked more like the drummer in a garage band than a fairy king. The Carnival Club wouldn’t open for hours but a few sidhe were hanging around, lounging at the tables and booths or drinking at the bar. The fairy queen, Titania, was there, and she didn’t look old enough to be in the club.
    â€œDomino, welcome,” Oberon said. “Tequila? I’ll join you.”
    â€œToo early for me, King. How about some of that apple cider you make?”
    Oberon reached below the bar and brought out a carafe of the amber liquid. The cider wasn’t too sweet, a little spicy, and I was pretty sure it had some narcotic qualities. I didn’t care—it was one of the best things I’d ever tasted and it reminded me of better times.
    â€œWith ice,” I said as he filled a glass.
    â€œYou’re a barbarian, Domino,” the king said, but he dropped a few cubes in my glass. He pushed it across the bar to me as I sat down. “What brings you in?”
    â€œThe Unseelie Court.”
    Oberon frowned. “What about it?”
    â€œI maybe got a problem with zombies. Adan thought the Unseelie fey might be involved. He said they were more closely aligned with the realms of the dead, and all that.”
    â€œQueen Mab has, at times, made the mortal dead a part of her court. Mostly to torment them, from what I’ve seen.”
    â€œQueen Mab? Is she your sister or something?”
    â€œThey were lovers,” said Titania.
    Oberon glanced over at her. He looked worried. “Thatwas a long time ago, my dear. We’ve been enemies far longer than we were lovers.”
    â€œShe doesn’t do zombies, though,” Titania continued. “Very few mortals can cross physically into Avalon, so you’re not likely to find any animated corpses there.”
    â€œMany of the Unseelie sidhe can raise the dead, though,” Oberon said. “When they cross into Arcadia.”
    â€œShe hasn’t crossed, husband. None of them have. I’d know.”
    â€œShe will.”
    â€œBut not yet. And Domino doesn’t care about that. She’s asking about zombies.”
    â€œYeah,” I said. “One thing at a time.” Arcadia was the sidhe name for the mortal world. The idea that a grouchier sidhe nation would eventually cross over—that was a problem for another day.
    â€œTell me about your zombies,” Oberon said. I gave him the whole story, and I have to say, neither he nor his queen