Free Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

over to stand in front of her.
    She wrapped her arms around him.
    "I'm sorry I wasn't there earlier," he whispered, holding her tightly to him.
    She didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. If she told him about the things she'd seen over the years, it would make him worry more. If she let herself think about what could have happened, she might freak out. She didn't want to think about it, about what could've happened, about why they grabbed her.
    Finally she pulled back a little and told Seth about the faeries at the library who'd been circling her and talking about him. Then she asked, "So what do you think?"
    He wrapped a long strand of her hair around his finger and stared at her. "About tongue rings?"
    "About the faeries' comments," she corrected, blushing. She slid forward like she was going to hop off the counter. "They seem to know what's going on. Maybe you could see if there's anything about groups of Rianne-like faeries? You know, ones that are overly shallow and, umm, Seth …"
    "Mmm?" Instead of moving back to give her room, Seth had stepped forward, pushing slightly against her knees.
    "You need to move if I'm going to get down from here." She sounded breathless, not at all like herself, and it felt good—much better than the worries she had been trying to avoid, much better than thinking about the bad thing she'd avoided, or the faery that saved her, or them noticing Seth.
    Seth ignored her comment, staying perfectly still.
    She didn't move or push him back. She could've. Instead she asked again, "What do you think?"
    He lifted one eyebrow, staring at her as he did. "Can never have too many piercings."
    She opened her knees, putting one on either side of his ribs, thinking thoughts she shouldn't— couldn't —about him . "That's …"
    "What?" He didn't move any farther, didn't close the distance between them. He might tease, flirt, but he didn't pursue her. It was her choice. In a world where so many choices weren't hers, it was a wonderful feeling.
    "That's not what I meant." She blushed again and felt foolish for flirting back. She shouldn't let it get weird. A one-nighter would mess up their friendship. She was just riding some post-danger rush.
    She scooted backward. "Promise you'll tell me if anything happens when I'm not there."
    He stepped away then, giving her room.
    She slid down. Her legs felt wobbly. "I don't like the faeries paying so much attention to you."
    He poured them each a cup of tea and opened a tin of shortbread cookies. Then he put on his glasses and pulled out a stack of photocopies and books.
    She picked up her tea and followed him to the sofa, glad to be back on comfortable ground.
    His knee bumped against her leg as he sorted out his papers.
    Well, not entirely glad.
    "One way to protect yourself is iron or steel, which you already knew." He gestured at his walls. "I like knowing I sleep somewhere safe, but I am going to stop by Pins and Needles. Just to get steel rings to replace the titanium ones. Unless"—he paused and turned to stare at her—"you think the tongue thing's a good idea. Seriously, I could do that."
    He watched her, an expectant look on his face now, like he was waiting for her to say something.
    She didn't, couldn't. She blushed even brighter than before. He's still teasing to distract me. It had worked. Too well. She bit down on her lip and looked away.
    "Right. Well, supposedly 'sacred symbols' work too—a cross, especially an iron one, holy water." He set that page aside and picked up a book with passages marked by brightly colored sticky notes. He thumbed through them, summarizing. "Spread churchyard dirt in front of them. Bread and salt are also good 'protections,' but I'm not sure what you're to do with them. Spread them like the dirt? Throw them?"
    Aislinn got up to pace.
    He glanced up at her, and then turned back to the marked passages. "Turn your clothes inside out to hide from   them …It makes you look like someone  else to them…Plants