Ray had not heard her approach and he should have. He swiped at his ear again and Penn’s attention went from Benny and Callalily to him. She had a gaze that saw more than most and a stare as sharp as her teeth.
“Penn.” Ray sighed in relief.
“Oh, just trustheron sight, then,“ Callalily grumbled.
Ray placed a hand on Callalily’s shoulder. Without looking away from Penn, Callalily reached up to cover Ray’s hand with his, and then some of his tension drained away.
Penn’s eyebrows rose. “Ray,” she greeted Ray with the same caution that had her poised for action, “Benny tells me that you don’t seem to remember anything. But you remember me? What’s my favorite kind of pizza?”
“Penelope.” Ray huffed in distracted annoyance and disgust. “You say anchovies to annoy me. It’s actually cheese and pesto.”
Penn let her hand fall away from her belt and came closer. Callalily made a noise and moved out of Ray’s reach and into Benny’s. He leaned against his friend and was enfolded into a hug while Ray’s eyes burned with how he stared. Then Penn was in front of Ray, pulling Ray down to her level so she could peer critically into his face and take his pulse.
When that was over, whatever she decided, she pulled Ray down further so that she could gently bump their foreheads together. Ray closed his eyes and inhaled Penn’s familiar salt and olive oil scent. She put a hand over the back of Ray’s neck, just for a moment, and Ray sighed.
“...Still has some pack,” Benny whispered. Ray opened his eyes and pulled away from Penn. “Now he’s frowning,” Benny observed. “Oh right, he can hear me. You two are adorable,” he added, louder.
Ray fixed his attention on the hand Benny had in Callalily’s hair, then tore his gaze away. He accidentally met Penn’s. Hers was knowing, as usual, but not at all surprised to find Ray obsessing over the fairy.
“All right, Cal, give it to me,” Penn said, faking calm much better than Callalily or Benny had done.
Callalily lifted his head from Benny’s shoulder. “Um… there was probably residue when we first entered the alley, but I wasn’t looking for it because I got distracted the second I caught sight of Ray. He was… wrong… at first, and I couldn’t figure out why. It was enough to get my attention but not… um.” He cleared his throat. “He shouldn’t stay here. There might be magical traps or something. Benny and I can check it out, um, once you get him somewhere safer.”
Ray only realized he was growling when Penn slapped a hand over his mouth. He stopped, more out of embarrassment and shock than anger.
“Safer,“ Callalily repeated firmly. “He’s… well, he said he’s tired, Penn. That’s not right. He wasn’t tired a few hours ago when we—when we had lunch.”
“Gross,” Benny said, but absently, as if he said it a lot.
Ray swept a look over every inch of Callalily’s bare skin searching for some sort of sign or mark that what Callalily implied was true. But if they had fucked only a few hours ago, all traces of it were gone. But then, there wouldn’t be, true or not. Not on a fairy. They healed even faster than weres. But Callalily was half-human too. Ray didn’t know what that would mean.
“Right. You’re tired?” Penn snapped her fingers to get Ray’s attention. “Focus on me. Yes, Cal is pretty, but focus on me anyway.”
Ray met her eyes. Penn smiled like she knew his desires, which, as a siren, she definitely did, though she never explained how. But her tone was serious. “Are you in pain? You’re making your tension face.”
Callalily cleared his throat. “He, uh, his colors are wild right now. And…” Callalily hesitated, glancing away from Ray, “what I noticed when I first saw him? What was off? It’s, uh, the center of him is—it’s gone.” Benny resumed petting Callalily’s hair. Callalily whined a little, then lifted his head again. “But I don’t see anything hanging over him. Not that I always do, with human magic. Human spells are so varied. Ray says he’s fine but….” He waved a hand as if that meant something.
“But he wouldn’t tell us if he wasn’t,” Penn finished, understanding Callalily perfectly, as if she knew him well. “Cal…”
“Just take him, Penn.” Callalily’s voice cracked, but he straightened up to glance at Ray. He took a deep breath before speaking again. This time, he was resolute and strong, not a crack to be heard. “He doesn’t know me. He won’t miss me. There… there might not even be a bond anymore, no matter what he smells. I don’t know how it works for them.”
“Cal.” Penn rolled her eyes.
“Maybe he’ll successfully Reject it this time,” Callalily added, staring toward Ray’s chest and shoulders, anywhere but Ray’s face.
Ray tensed.
Callalily waved this off, too, if he even noticed it, for all his talk of colors. “Take him to the station, or, don’t be mad, Ray, but, the hospital. Have him checked out. I’ll meet you there… or outside if he… well. Oh, wait, do you still smell any magic, Ray? Aside from whatever is floating around Benny?”
Ray didn’t give two shits about any human magic smells. “Some,” he answered shortly. “What did you mean when you said…”
“Did you smell anything before I got here?” Benny interrupted. “I’m going to need to get my kit from the car. Maybe call some people.”
“What doesthatmean?“ Ray was not soothed by Penn’s hand on his arm, but he did lower his voice. “They really work with us?” he asked her, and got a pat for it.
“Ray, I know less than you about what the fuck exactly is going on.” Penn was flat. “You knowmebut nothim? I’m scared to ask what year you think it is.“ She said that like it was a joke. Ray scowled at her. Penn was unfazed, at least until Ray asked a question.
“We got breakfast together this morning, didn’t we?”
