A Glow of Stars & Dusk by Eve L. Mitchell

“Witch?”Sam growled.

“Don’t witch me,” I grumbled as I took off my seat belt, and when Sam’s hand caught mine, I looked at him in question. “What? I can’t not go out to him.”

“We do not have time for this,” he said to me as he glanced once at Ruairidh.

“Make time,” I snapped as I wrenched my arm free and jumped out of my van. I covered the small space between Ruairidh and me and fell gratefully into his hug. “Hey,” I said as he squeezed me.

“Hey, I know you’re busy with your guy, but I just wanted to check in. I didn’t think he would still be here.” Ruairidh looked towards the van and back at me as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Not like you to, well, you know,” he finished off with a shrug.

“Not like me to what? Have a guy in my house? My bed?” It really wasn’t like me, I never brought a guy home, but the fact that Ruairidh was just putting that out there when said guy was in my van, in earshot, irritated me.

“Jesus, Star, sex is supposed to loosen you up, not make you more agitated.”

“Oh my God, shut up, he can hear you!” I protested.

Ruairidh looked past me into the van, and I saw the moment he realised my new “sleeping partner” wasn’t alone. “You having a party?”

“What?” The horn sounding made me jump, and I turned to glare at the demon who honked at me. It was no surprise to see that it was Zel who glared back at me. I did not have time for this, they were right. I could hear the sounds of fighting drifting over from behind the house. I had no idea how I was going to explain that to Ruairidh if we stayed here any longer.

“You’re acting weird, are you okay?” Ruairidh suddenly pulled me into his arms and bent to whisper in my ear. “Were you forced?”

“What? No!” I stepped back and shoved my hands in my pockets. “Look, I need to talk to you, but I need to go first, can I catch you later?”

“You’re leaving me?” Ruairidh’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

“I’ll catch you later, yeah?” I started walking backwards to the van. “I’ll call you at home?”

“Star?” His attention kept flitting between me and the occupants of the van.

“Later, I’ll catch you later.” I smiled with what I hoped was a convincing smile.

Hastily, I was back in the van, and although I told them to look normal, the three demons still cast dark looks to my best friend as we drove past him.

“We’re stuffed if he goes into the cottage,” I told them as I drove away, even as I watched the side mirrors to ensure Ruairidh merely walked away.

“He won’t see anything,” Chaz assured me as I drove.

“You sure? Is it over?” I asked as I almost turned to look at him, and Zel and Sam both shouted at me to watch the road. “Oh, cool your tits, I know these roads like the back of my hand.” I turned to face the front and promptly swerved to avoid the sheep straying along the side of the verge. “Okay, fine, that was an unlucky coincidence.”

“Just look ahead,” Sam told me quietly. “I’ll watch the boy.”

“He’s hardly a boy,” I defended my best friend. “He’s only three months older than me.”

“And that would be what age?” Zel asked.

“I’m almost twenty-five.” I sat straighter in my seat and tried very hard to ignore the unimpressed huff from the demon. “Okay, what’s the plan when we get to my mum and dad’s? You cannot come in, so what do I need to ask?”

“Why can’t we come in?” Sam was looking straight ahead, but I almost felt the side eye he was giving me.

“Because you’re three demons.”

“Only you know we’re demons,” Zel stated.

“My mum is going to know,” I wailed loudly. “You stood and gave me my bloody family tree. You think my mum won’t know there is something inhuman in her front living room?”

“We can disguise ourselves,” Chaz spoke to the other two, but I knew he was trying to make me feel better.

“No way,” I told them adamantly. “I don’t care how good you think you are, my mum will know, and even if she won’t, my dad will take one look at the three of you and have you out of the house and me in a convent.”

“Why?” Sam asked even as his lips twitched in amusement.

“Because you look dangerous!” I looked at him and noted his smirk. “Seriously, dude, you’re like, what? Six four? Zel’s almost as tall and has those scars and everything that stick out, and Chaz doesn’t blend either.”

“I thought your world had healed itself of its discrimination and hate?” Zel bit out tersely.

“It’s not because of the colour of your skin,” I explained as I felt a pang of regret at my harsh words. “It’s your scars, they add to your whole danger vibe. I mean, personally speaking, if you tried smiling now and again, you maybe wouldn’t look like you were going to sacrifice my first-born child to the new moon.”

“I do not sacrifice children.”

“Okay.”

“Their mothers though?” His smile blinded me. “Well, they’re fair game.”

Sam chuckled, and I saw even Chaz hide his smile. “Yeah, you can’t come into my parents’ home. You say shit like that in front of my dad, you’ll be locked up before nightfall.”

“We’re not mythical creatures of folklore that need to be invited in,” Sam said to me, his voice still rich with amusement. “We can enter should we want.”

“And I’m telling you right now, you’re not going into my parents’ home.” I glared at him as my frustration bubbled. “Are you hard of hearing?”

“One may be better than three,” Chaz suggested. The quiet calm of his voice soothed me, and I noted that Sam held his stare for a long moment before he nodded curtly.

“Yeah?” I asked hopefully as I looked to Sam for confirmation.

“Fine.”

“Then Chaz will come in with me.” I looked to the demon in the rear-view mirror. “That okay?”

“Of course.” Chaz smiled at me, and I returned it with one of my own.

“Cool.”

I pointedly ignored the low growl that emitted from Sam and the disgruntled look of Zel’s, who sat sullenly looking out of the window as we drove the remaining way to Inverness in silence.

When we got to my mum and dad’s street, I pulled over. “Where are you going when we’re inside?” I asked Sam as I checked my hair in the visor mirror. It was tied back in a messy bun, and as I scrutinised it to see if mum would know I hadn’t washed it, I felt his hard stare.

“We won’t be seen.”

“Are you invisible?” I snarked at him.

“Do I look invisible to you?” His look was condescending.

“Oh forget it.” I scowled at him. “Get out.” His eyebrows rose, and I looked over my shoulder to Zel. “Both of you, out. I can’t drive up with you in the van. Go scare small children and their mothers.”

Both of them exited, and I watched as they walked along the pavement. How the hell did they think they would blend? I said as much to Chaz, who snorted out a laugh, and then I realised he was never going to blend either. “Crap, you can’t go in like that.”

“I have an undershirt under this tunic,” he said as he pulled the tunic over his head. It looked for all intents and purposes like a long-sleeved white T-shirt. I should have averted my eyes from the strip of bronze skin that he revealed as he pulled the tunic off, but I didn’t. Chaz cleared his throat, and I hastily looked out the window. “There’s nothing I can do about the leathers,” he said apologetically.

“I can fix that.” I turned fully in my seat to look at him in the back of the van. “That overnight bag, the one with the brown trim.” I pointed and Chaz followed the line of my finger. “Ruairidh leaves his shit at mine all the time, so there’s jeans in there that he left last time that I was going to return before all…this.” I eyed the demon critically. “I think you may beat him on leg length though, you’re going to have to tuck them in your boots and hope no one notices.”

Chaz held up a pair of faded black skinny jeans and looked from them to me. “Star?”

“I didn’t say they were nice, but they beat leather trousers in the north of Scotland in October.” I sighed loudly. “It isn’t Halloween yet,” I added defensively.

“No peeking this time,” Chaz said with a small smile as he started to unbutton his trousers, and I turned hastily away, my own grin wide on my face.

I heard him huffing and puffing, and I felt bad for him. “They too tight?”

“They’re buttoned,” he grumbled, “just don’t ask me to sit down.”

“Can I look?” I asked tentatively.

“No.” His tone was sharp and actually made me jump a little. “Star, these are…indecent.”

“Huh?” I turned in the seat, and my mouth dropped open. The jeans were snug across his thighs, and as I thought, they were too short on his leg, but the boots would hide that. What the boots wouldn’t hide was the “appendage” clearly outlined in his trousers. “Whoa.”

“Star!” Chaz protested, grabbing his tunic and holding it in front of him.

“Holy shit, Chaz, what the hell?” I started to laugh as his face turned scarlet. “Does your T-shirt even cover that?”

“You’re a cruel woman,” Chaz grumbled as he opened the back of the van and jumped out. He pulled his boots on, and then he stood as he pulled in vain at his undershirt.

“Can you tuck it?” I asked as I got out and fixed my hoody.

“Tuck it?” Chaz looked at me with wide eyes. “Where?”

“I dunno, slip it, um, under? Or something.” I shrugged as I watched his eyes get wider. “Oh my Lord, I didn’t say cut it off! Stop looking like I just suggested castration.”

“I’m going to make this easy for you. I can’t tuck it, hide it, slip it under, or whatever ludicrous thing you are going to mention next. At the moment, all I can do is shove it down and hope for the best.”

I bit my lip to stop from laughing as I turned my head away from him, but my laughter couldn’t be quelled, and I started to giggle. “I’m sorry.”

“He has no other clothes?” Chaz asked as he rummaged through the bag. He pulled out an old hoodie and held it up to his chest. “Why is this man so puny?”

“He isn’t puny,” I defended my best friend. “He just isn’t a demon.” I walked up to Chaz and looked down. “How about you tie it around your waist?”

“I don’t understand.”

Taking the hoodie off of him, I pulled it around his waist and tried to tie a loose knot. The arm of the hoodie draped down his thigh and, if anything, brought attention to what we were trying to hide. “Shit.” I stood back and looked at it, I mean the problem, I considered the problem.

“Why are you still out here?”

I jumped when Sam spoke and turned to face him and Zel. Both were wearing T-shirts, fashionable navy padded jackets and nice straight-legged jeans. Zel had acquired a hoodie and had it pulled up over his head. I narrowed my eyes at them. “How?” I asked as I gestured to their clothes.

“What the fuck are you wearing?” Zel barked out a laugh as he looked at Chaz and then bent over laughing at his friend’s humiliation.

Sam spoke to Chaz in that language I didn’t know, and Chaz’s face flared with embarrassment as Zel laughed harder.

“Stop it!” I chastised both of them. “You’re being cruel.”

“You waste time out here,” Sam said to me as he sobered. “Come, witch, let’s meet the parents.”

“I’m going with Chaz,” I resisted stubbornly, but my gaze flicked to Chaz’s groin again, and I looked away. “Did you at least bring him clothes?” I asked as Sam took my arm and started to walk down the street.

“He will be properly attired when we return,” Sam said solemnly even as his lips twitched.

“Poor guy,” I said as I looked over my shoulder and saw that Zel was still laughing and Chaz was hurriedly pulling his tunic back over his head. “Although maybe I should say poor woman.”

“Woman?” Sam glanced at me curiously.

“Well, he’s packing quite a punch down there, know what I mean?” He looked at me, his face blank, and I felt my own cheeks flush. “I’m just saying, you know.” I shrugged.

“Saying what?”

“Ow.”

“Ow?” Sam was definitely trying not to laugh at me. “You’re so young and clueless,” he chuckled as we walked together.

“Shut up,” I muttered as I pulled him to a stop at the gate. “Mum and dad’s house. And ooh goody, they’re both home.” My sarcasm was lost on him as he considered the semi-detached house.

“This is good, we want them both here.” Sam nodded in agreement, and I fought the eye roll when he glanced down at me. “Make this believable.”

“Make what believable?” I asked him in confusion. A couple walking their dog across the street caught his attention, and with a frown, he looked down at me again. His large hand enclosed around mine. “Sam?”

“Holding hands will relax them, yes?”

I looked up at the dark-haired demon and wondered what on earth I could say. “Um, sure. I guess?” No. My dad wasn’t going to fall for this at all.

“Come, let’s get this over with.” Sam led me down the garden path and knocked hard on the front door.

“It’s my house, Sam, I can go in,” I hissed at him.

“Would you bring your beau in with you, unannounced?” he asked me as we waited.

“Okay, you cannot say beau.” My whisper was low and fierce. “They’ll think you’re a male escort.”

“I am a male escort,” Sam said in bemusement just as my dad opened the door.

“Star?” Dad asked me even as he took in Sam and our joined hands. “What’s going on?”

“Hi, dad,” I greeted with so much fake enthusiasm it took my dad’s attention off of the hulking demon beside me. “Surprise!” I added lamely.

This was going to go horribly, horribly wrong. I could feel it in my bones before I even took one step inside the house.