BRIANNA HAI

Brianna woke before the alarm to the smell of fresh coffee and the sound of her roommate puttering in the kitchen. She couldn't see what Pug was up to, but from the sound of it he was getting food ready for Camille and her kittens. He doted on those cats. Then again, having been a house pet at one point in his life he had very strong opinions as to how pets should be treated.

The clock on the nightstand read 5:30 A.M. It was still dark outside, without so much as a hint of dawn on the horizon. Brianna knew she should throw off the covers and start the day, but the bed was warm, soft, and inviting and the past few mornings had been, not cold precisely, but chilly enough to make her old injuries ache. She scratched absentmindedly at the scar above her left breast.

Five more minutes ... five more minutes wouldn't hurt. But that was a lie and she knew it. Five minutes would become ten, then half an hour, and before she knew it she'd be skipping her workout because she was running late. Missing one workout was no problem. But once could easily become twice, and soon enough the habit that kept her fighting fit would go out the window. If she even thought about letting that happen, Mei would kick her ass.

You do not want to piss off a dragon, even if she is one of your better friends. Still, with Mei out of town she didn't feel the least bit guilty about exercising at home rather than going to the gym.

So Brianna threw off the covers with a groan and rolled out of bed. Padding down the hall to the bathroom, she tended to her immediate needs before pulling her hair up into a ponytail and dressing in a sports bra and black leggings.

Ready to start her daily routine, Brianna took her place in the clearest part of the living room. She began with stretches and yoga, breathing carefully and steadily, then moved into her favorite martial arts kata. After that, she stepped onto the treadmill and punched in the preprogrammed setting: first, a gentle slope, then increased speed and incline, and finally a gentler cool-down.

As she jogged, she reviewed her plans for the day. Work, of course. But there was nothing special about that. When her mother had opened Helena's, it had been a very small, very exclusive shop. It was still exclusive, but the store had grown considerably under Brianna's management; it was a popular venue for local magical practitioners and did a good amount of online business. There was always plenty of work to keep Brianna busy.

Busy, but bored.

And frustrated.

The thoughts were unbidden and unwelcome, but also unavoidable.

There was no challenge to her life. Everything was moving along smoothly. She told herself that this was a good thing. She wasn't having to watch over her shoulder every moment, be suspect of everything and everyone because relaxing would put her life at risk. This was positively excellent. But she wasn't happy.

A new man would be a nice distraction and she could think of several who'd be happy to oblige. She was, after all, an attractive woman. Oh, in Faerie she was pretty but fairly ordinary, but on this side of the veil, her looks were exceptional. She had luckily inherited her Sidhe father's tall frame and exotic features, but they had been softened by her human mother's lush curves.

Yes, there were always men. But while Brianna had a perfectly normal libido, lately she'd found herself finding fault and nitpicking when she considered possible suitors. That meant that the men weren't the problem ... and a new lover wouldn't be the solution.

What the hell is the matter with me?

Surely she wasn't ... homesick?

She shook her head. She did not want to go back to Faerie. She shuddered as memories best left buried tried to force themselves to the forefront of her thoughts. There was no good reason for her to go back. Yes, she missed her father. But she did not miss the endless jockeying for power and position or the very real threats on her life.

If she returned to Faerie, even for a visit, everyone, including her father, would think she was putting herself back into the race to become his successor. Ulrich, one of her father's most powerful nobles, would hound her. He was so certain she'd had something to do with his son Viktor's disappearance—and she had, though not in the way he'd thought.

Brianna's siblings, who'd rejoiced when she'd left and mostly ignored her since, would turn on her in a heartbeat. Lucienne would be subtle; Eammon, direct but basically honorable; Rihannon was unstable enough that there would be no predicting what she might do. Rodan ... Rodan was subtle, capable, and vicious. Brianna couldn't prove it, but she'd lay money that the one or two attempts that had been made against her on this side of the veil had been Rodan's work.

Not for the first time, Brianna wished she knew what was happening back home. Mei, with her trace of human magic, could go back without problems. She would go, and report honestly back if Brianna asked it. But what did it matter to Brianna what was happening there? Her life was here. She'd made her choice. Surely she wasn't regretting it?

She had used a boon—owed her by her father—to leave Faerie when her mother had returned to the human world. Brianna had grown tired of the politics, the backstabbing, and the bullshit—and was more than a little afraid that eventually one of the innumerable attempts on her mother's life would succeed. Helena had lived out the remainder of her life unmolested and happy, and Brianna had been happy with her.

Helena had died years ago. Brianna could go back if she wanted. Her father would welcome her.

Not for the first time Brianna wished there were a seer she could consult. Was this unease hers alone—or her other sense giving her a warning? Was something wrong in Faerie? Did her father need her? There was no way of knowing. Because, even if Leu were desperate for her return, he wouldn't ask her to come. He was too stubborn, too proud.

She was still pondering her best course of action after she finished her workout, cleaned up, and headed downstairs to open the shop and face the ordinary business of the day.

* * *

"Can you kill someone using magic?"

The words made Brianna stop mid-step.

She was on her way through the open front area of the shop. It was pretty, airy, with big windows and brightly lit displays, including glittering crystals and big printed signs saying VIDEO SURVEILLANCE IN USE. A stupid and unlikely place to discuss potential murder—but a surprising number of people had asked that same question over the years. Damn it, not again! She sighed. Amazing really, how many people would love the opportunity to end another's life. Well, this wasn't going to be her problem—David was working the counter and he could handle it.

She grabbed the laundry basket of clean towels from the counter in the back room and started up the stairs to her apartment. David was better at dealing with the somewhat murderous than she was: tactful and sympathetic, but firm. Brianna was much too inclined to be harsh and blunt, mainly because she was still angry.

Five years earlier, a young man had come into the shop—an outcast with an air of primal force about him. Within three minutes of his arrival, every customer was gone and Maxine had begged Brianna to take over so she...