Burned (Fever #7)

by Karen Marie Moning

I’m halfway to Chester’s when I turn the corner and run smack into the Dreamy-Eyed Guy who’s standing outside an old brownstone converted to condos, looking up. I flail for balance, taking a third soaking which I hardly even notice. My savior is here, standing before me in the flesh! He’ll take back his Book and I’ll be visible again and go saunter around in front of Green Camo girl and prove I’m no longer a threat! “There you are,” I exclaim excitedly. “Not quite,” the Dreamy-Eyed Guy says. “But then you aren’t quite either. Quite the couple we make. You’ve chocolate on your face.” Freaking figures. I scrub irritably at my chin, my cheek. “We need to talk.” I snatch the human form of the Unseelie King by his arm before he vanishes on me again. Like other large objects I touch, he remains visible. He locks surreally beautiful eyes with mine, staring right through my invisibility cloak, but why wouldn’t he? It’s an illusion perpetrated by a part of him. “What have you done now, Beautiful Girl?” “Not me. You. It’s your fault.” “Fault schmault. Lies in the stars.” Not about to get sucked into an existential debate, I get to the point. “Get your Book out of me.” “Talking to it?” “No,” I deny instantly. “It talks to me. I almost never answer.” “Cold fire. Jumbo shrimp.” “Huh?” I don’t want the half-mad king. I want the sane one. “Almost never: oxymoron. Risky couplings. Gray lies.” He removes my hand from his arm. “Not my book.” “Bullshit. You made it.” I latch onto his arm aga...