Hellhound in a Handbag Read online

  She moved to the edge of the crowd and swayed with the music. A dark elf caught her gaze, and he smiled, walking toward her and bowing low. He extended his hand, and the invitation was clear.

  Life had been too short so far, so she didn’t hesitate. On the next measure, she joined the dance.

  Her mind went blank, and her body moved in time to her partner, spinning, whirling, and leaping with the pulse of the music and the soaring of her soul.

  This was fun, and she had found it.

  * * * *

  “Symon, you have to see the newbie.” Hector growled it from the doorway to his office.

  Symon looked up from the staggering amount of receipts that Freddy had taken in for very exotic and expensive items. “What?”

  “Your new booth wench can dance.” Hector waggled his brows.

  “She’s dancing?” Symon frowned at the half-elf-troll mix.

  “She is more than dancing, the tips are flowing in. She is making them more money tonight than they made all last week. They might want to keep her.”

  Symon scowled at the leather-worker and left his booth, activating the protections as he passed the doorway. The music was hard to ignore, and the fast pace of it quickened Symon’s steps. He was looking forward to seeing Freddy in action. He didn’t have to wait long.

  Freddy was dancing with Mosk if dancing could be considered the word. She was holding his arm as he swung her around, and it appeared that she was flying.

  Her left leg was exposed to the top of the thigh, and her right was shrouded by fluttering fabric. As she was brought down to earth, her feet touched, and she pivoted in Mosk’s embrace, bending back until her hair swept the floor.

  The music ended with a surge, and the applause was deafening. Symon added his clapping to the throng, and soon, there was a surge to put money in the tip box at the edge of the slightly raised stage.

  Freddy was sweating, the silk of her clothing was sticking to her with devastating faithfulness. Symon shivered slightly at the image in front of him, and she looked around at the audience and gave him a blinding smile when she saw him. His heart flipped in his chest. Was he supposed to feel this way about his familiar?

  * * * *

  Freddy turned to leave the stage, and Mosk gripped her hand. His smile was beguiling. “Another dance?”

  “No. I have to get back to work. I was supposed to have been finding food, but I can make it the rest of the night without a snack. Thanks for the dance. It reminded me of fun.” She winked at him and left him.

  Symon was in the audience, and he offered her his arm. The elves were staring, so she took his arm and tucked herself against him. “Thank you for the retrieval. They have a glamour in their music, and I didn’t want to fight it.”

  “You are an amazing dancer.”

  She grinned. “I have had a lot of practice.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, my friend has some siren genes, so she likes to sing karaoke, and I like to dance. Since we hang out at the extranatural joints, I dance with a lot of extranaturals, with all of their traditional variations.”

  He nodded. “That is interesting. Is your friend extranatural?”

  “Yup. She is so mixed that she usually looks human.”

  “Usually?”

  Freddy grinned. “A girl likes to get changed for special occasions. Seriously, she is in the XIA. Their first official mage on a team.”

  “I thought you said she was extranatural.”

  “She is, but both of her parents are high-ranking and devastatingly skilled mages, so she got a lot of homeschooling.”

  They were back at the booth, and she could feel folk from the dance display following them.

  Symon glanced over his shoulder. “I wonder what they want?”

  “Perhaps to purchase some of your silver wares. The drape of the chains on my hip did stop me from shaming my ancestors. Thanks for that.”

  He blinked and chuckled as they entered the booth, and he removed the security block from the entry point.

  Freddy sighed that the informal chat was over. Back to work.

  The next two hours were spent speaking with women who had admired her accessories while she danced, and they wanted versions for themselves.

  Freddy didn’t know if she wanted to be held up as a model of style. She certainly didn’t want to be in the spank bank of the male companions of all those ladies. Ah, well.

  Every extranatural was met with a smile and politeness. Each face reminded her of friends growing up. It was incredibly relaxing to be with trolls and not mages for a change.

  A gong rang in the depths of the Faire, and she quickly rang up and wrapped all the purchases for the customers lining up. They grinned, thanked her and left the booth rapidly.

  When the final parcel was handed over in the waxed cloth, she sighed and tidied her station.

  Symon emerged from his workshop and looked around. “Where is everything?”

  “Sold. I have a stack of custom order requests over here. You can go through them and see if there is anything you would like to do.” She smiled brightly.

  He blinked slowly. “How?”

  Freddy shrugged. “Cursed familiars transfer their luck to their mages. My mother was lucky, and so I have more luck than most. Will you be able to keep up with sales?”

  He gave her an astonished look. “I have a lot of finished pieces that I keep in storage during the offseason.”

  “Bring the most expensive ones here, and I will get rid of them for you. How long am I working with you?”

  Symon rubbed the back of his neck. “My previous assistant quit to go and open her own booth at a nearby human Faire. She told fortunes.”

  “I can see that the honour of being a booth wench might be lost on some people.” Freddy leaned against the counter while he flicked through the custom orders. “So, what was that gong?”

  “One hour to sunrise. The patrons like to be safe indoors before the sun burns them.”

  “Right. Makes sense.” She wrinkled her nose. “So, where do I put all this hardware?”

  He glanced at her and closed the booth to any last-minute customers. “To the workshop.”

  She followed him to the workshop and stood still while he removed her necklace.

  “I noticed when you danced that this flipped a little. I will pick out something more suitable tomorrow.”

  He removed the belt around her hips, and the move was oddly intimate. He put the belt on a mannequin and set her headpiece on a wooden head. The last things to come off were the hand flowers. The chains, rings, and bracelets were her favourite part of the outfit.

  “I am sorry to be parting with those.”

  He grinned. “I can have something similar if not exactly this set for you tomorrow. It is the least I can do.”

  “The least you can do is nothing. This reciprocal attitude is something I am not used to.”

  He blinked. “Ah. Right. Well, as long as you are my familiar, I will be giving at least a token for your services.”

  “Excellent.” She rubbed her hands together.

  Symon chuckled. “You did extremely well today. Thanks for coming when I called.”

  “It was my pleasure. It was also a compulsion, but it was my pleasure.” She winked. “Now, how do I get my clothes back?”

  He sighed, “Your locker will open at your touch.”

  “I know. Where is it again?”

  He walked over to the lockers and bent down, pointing at the locker where he had placed her clothing.

  She enjoyed the view until he straightened. He had a world-class ass.

  “Right. I will just get dressed in my mundanes, and then, I will be on my way. Do you want me here before sunset again?”

  “Yes. I will have everything in place. Um...”

  “Yes?”

  “Would you like to go for breakfast?”

  Freddy grinned. “As soon as I have p
anties on, I am all yours.”

  He laughed and left the area, casting one comment over his shoulder. “Story of my life.”

  She was still smiling when she finished getting dressed and had her new clothing draped over one arm. It definitely needed a drip-dry. Dancing made her all sweaty.

  Chapter Eight

  She met him at a local pancake restaurant that was humming with folk from the Night Faire. It was a chance for the vendors to have some time to themselves.

  The serving staff of the restaurant had determined expressions on their faces. They were going to be efficient and pleasant if it killed them. There were exorbitant tips that hung in the balance.

  “So, is this tradition?” She unrolled her cutlery with a flourish.

  “More or less. Since we work the Faire, it is our only chance to meet and talk shop.” He shrugged.

  “How long have you been doing this?”

  “Well, I have had a booth since I turned nineteen. The metalwork mixed with my magic on an elemental basis, and there is a market for it in the extranatural world. Mage magic can’t be exercised by them, but it can be triggered.”

  “Right.” She nodded. “So, I noticed that most of the chains held perception enhancers.”

  “They are the most popular. I also make chains for protection, seduction, and arousal.”

  Freddy was stunned. “Really?”

  “Sure. There are many folk around who have dysfunction issues. It isn’t simply a standard human or mage concern.”

  “Wait, so what was the enchantment on what I was wearing?”

  “Natural beauty. No matter what you have for characteristics, the magic enhanced them in the most flattering light.”

  She smirked. “So, it wasn’t my dancing that got the attention.”

  “Oh, the dancing was all you. It was amazing, and it makes my stiff efforts look pathetic.”

  Freddy shook her head. “I haven’t seen you dance, but I am guessing that you are just fine. It is the lack of practice with a capable partner that makes folks insecure.”

  “I see. Are you willing to instruct me?”

  She grinned. “Of course. Name the place.”

  His pale green eyes lit with amusement. “You are serious?”

  “Of course. If it is a concern, you won’t get better without practice, and as I am between jobs right now, this is the perfect time.”

  He raised his brows. “You do have a job. You are my booth wench for the week.”

  She was about to take umbrage when her plates arrived. Bacon, eggs, hash browns, and a double stack of pancakes.

  “Wow, you don’t believe in small portions, do you?” Symon looked at her selections with surprise.

  “I haven’t eaten for several hours. Being charming takes a toll on me.” She poured syrup on all the essentials and smiled brightly at the server as the woman placed her toast down in front of her. “Thank you.”

  The woman smiled and drifted away.

  Symon picked up his hamburger and started in on it. Freddy didn’t hesitate, she began to plow through her meal like it was her last.

  In between bites, she murmured, “If I think about it, I last ate about twenty-two hours ago. No wonder I am hungry.”

  Symon’s features showed remorse. “I should have given you more warning.”

  “Not necessary. I am used to being summoned out of every situation you can imagine. I only made it to my best friend’s bonding ceremony because it was held at Ritual Space.”

  “Did that make a difference?”

  “The only magic at Ritual Space is the magic that Adrea allows.”

  “Is she really that powerful?”

  “You saw her in action. She can ask the land to do what she wills, and it will usually agree.”

  He smiled. “How did you meet her?”

  “Through my friend Benny. Before that, I met her predecessor. She would have the Mage Guides over for sleepovers. It was weird but fun. You could feel the magic around you.”

  “So, you trained as a mage?”

  “Trained and graduated. I don’t have master status, but I get by.” She waved a piece of bacon in the air like a magic wand.

  “Somehow, that surprises me.”

  “It is the familiar thing, right? I try not to let it define my life. So, I majored in journalism with a minor in magic.”

  “You live with your parents?”

  Freddy wrinkled her nose. “Not really. They travel, and I keep the house up. Same for my grandmother’s place. I garden and tend the grass. It keeps me off the streets.”

  “With your life more stable, will you seek out another job?”

  “Sure. As soon as I finish with your evening needs. Wait, that sounds wrong. As soon as you no longer have need of me.”

  “I am thinking that I will always have need of you in one way or another and that thought is unsettling.”

  Freddy was surprised. He seemed genuinely shocked that there was a bond between them.

  “It is simply the familiar-mage bond. In the opposite sex, it produces attraction. Sometimes in the same sex as well, but generally, it also can create a sibling bond if the two are connected at a young enough age.”

  “We were not connected young.”

  She smiled. “No, we were not. We will have to be stuck with attraction or get comfortable enough to act on it.”

  He gave her an unfathomable look and continued eating his burger and fries.

  When she was done, she sat back and fished out her wallet, reaching for cash.

  He held up his hand. “After all you have been through, my treat. Please.”

  She inclined her head gratefully and looked around. To her shock, Mosk walked up to their table and looked to Symon. “We need her.”

  Symon cocked his head. “I need her as well. My needs win.”

  “We will trade you for Vishani. She loves working in your stall.”

  “No, I am afraid that Freddy remains with me.”

  Freddy felt it necessary to step in as the elf was just tightening his shoulders and lower jaw for the negotiation.

  “I am not going to be traded. I might be persuaded to dance once or twice an evening, but I will need compensation for it in the form of food, and someone has to take my place in Symon’s booth while I dance. He will not suffer because the troupe needs a human-looking dancer.”

  Mosk blinked. “You two are bonded?”

  Freddy reached out and took Symon’s calloused hand. “We are. Newly bonded, not yet mated. It is a delicate time to be swirling around in another male’s arms.”

  That seemed to get through to him. “Ah, I understand that delicate time. Four dances?”

  “Two, and don’t forget to feed me.” She glared at him.

  “Done.” He extended his hand, and she took it, sealing the bargain.

  Symon also agreed, and soon, there was celebrating at the table where the dancers were talking shop.

  Symon shook his head. “I would have refused. You are not something to be loaned out.”

  “I know, but I enjoy the dancing, and I haven’t been able to feel free for years. The combination of being at the Night Faire and the dancing has made for a lovely evening.”

  “The Faire is open for another six days in total. Will you come each of those days, rain or shine?”

  “Of course. Do you attend other Faires around the country?”

  “No. This is my one and only. I spend the winter stocking up and developing new patterns.”

  “Nice. Do you have family?”

  “Two younger brothers. Tons of cousins.”

  She nodded. “I am an only child. I was, also, not planned. The family curse forced me into the world.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yup. The magic forced me through three kinds of birth control.”

  “Three?”

  Freddy ticked them off on her finger. “Condom, the pill, and separate bedroom
s. Once she was pregnant, nothing could dislodge me. Apparently, they tried.”

  Symon gave her a sober look. “Doesn’t that upset you?”

  She sighed. “They were trying to save me from the servitude to an unknown mage. Only magic kept me alive on several occasions. I was pulled from friends, family, and my home without warning. I was chewed up and spat out, coming home bloody and broken. It has been agony, but my friends have remained there for me the entire time. Even my family came around and offered what support they could. It has been mainly financial in nature, but it still helps.”

  “How did you meet your friends?”

  She laughed. “Benny was at my school. We ended up in the Mage Guides together. The others were collected along the way.”

  He nodded. “So, if you hadn’t been under the curse of being attached to a mage, what would you have done?”

  “I have no idea. It was never an option. I simply was born into this position, and I have to live with it.” Freddy daintily wiped her mouth and pushed the empty plate stack aside.

  “Would you ever have children?”

  Freddy blinked. “Huh. You know, no one has ever asked me that before.”

  She sat back and looked at him as she thought about her answer. “My child wouldn’t be the cursed one, but their child would be if I were already gone. It is assigned to the next available child when the current familiar dies. As I am planning to make it into my sixties right now, I don’t know if I would like to pass the curse down.”

  “What if we could lift the curse?”

  Freddy felt tears prick her eyes. “We have tried. The Mage Guild won’t hear of it. This is our curse, and we have to run it out.”

  “How many more generations?”

  “They won’t tell us. We are the penitent. We don’t have a right to know, and since we have been stuck in our familiar shapes by our mages, we haven’t been able to get them to ask. Not that they would.”

  “I will. I will ask and look into what it will take to set you free.”

  She didn’t want to cry, she tried to hold it in, but a single tear ran down her cheek. “Thank you. Any little bit will help.”

  “I aim to do more than a little.”