Lullaby (The Fable Series, Book 2)

Chapter Five

Ask the angel.

The words echo through my mind over and over. There's no doubt who I need to speak to. I only know one angel, after all, even if in real life he's more pervy and devilish than angelic.

Still, I can't even imagine what I'm meant to say to Alastaire. He's going to think I'm crazy if I start asking him about witches and sea serpents and ghostly messages from my dead friends.

Before we reach the cabin, Kitty and I stop at the edge of the forest clearing where I found my bicycle overgrown with roses and moss a few weeks ago.

I wanted to show her that it's the same as Mia's grave. She still doesn't believe that the crumbling old headstone could possibly be Mia's, but at least if she sees my bike she'll have to admit that something suspicious is going on.

But when we reach the spot, there's nothing there apart from a sprawling tangle of wild roses. All that's left of the bike are a few flakes of rust and red paint chips beneath the thorns. The handlebars, the wheels, even the metal spokes – everything has been devoured by the hungry forest.

Kitty doesn't make a big deal of it. She says I probably have the wrong spot, and it's almost nightfall anyway, and the dark makes everything look different. She says we should come back and find it tomorrow, but I know she doesn't believe me.

By the time we reach the cabin, I feel like I'm about to pass out from exhaustion. Between the two of us, we carried all the groceries, plus Kitty's ten thousand dollar clothes shopping spree. I suggested we leave her bags in the car – it's not like she's going to be wearing a silk ball gown and Jimmy Choos around the cabin – but she insisted on bringing the whole lot along.

After dumping the bags unceremoniously on the porch, we walk into the cabin to find Alastaire sprawled out on one of the plush green velvet living room sofas, reading Fable fan fiction out loud to Ben and Lyall who are sitting on a sofa opposite him.

"With a growl Alastaire dashingly tore off his shirt, revealing his rippling six pack and glorious pecs," Alastaire reads in a smoldering voice, swiping his finger across his phone. "Sweeping his hands through his ravishing locks of shining golden blonde hair, his spellbinding sapphire sky blue eyes filled with lust and hot passion dripping with sweet desire as he bent down towards Lyall. Lyall licked his lips hungrily. As their lips meet..."

"Ahem," Kitty says. "Hate to interrupt... whatever this is. The groceries are out on the porch. You know the drill. You boys can take it from here."

"Your timing is atrocious as always," Alastaire says, slipping his phone into his pocket. "First you steal my Cupcake away for a whole day, then you barge in on story hour just as it's getting really good."

"I didn't know you read Fable fan fiction," I blurt out, hoping he's never read any of mine. Although even if he has, I use a pen name, so I'm safe. Probably.

"'Course he does," Lyall says, smiling sheepishly as he rises from the sofa. "The vain git loves anything that has to do with him. Anyways, thanks for doin' de shoppin', I'm starvin', no lie." He practically sprints out the door.

Ben pouts and crosses his arms in front of him, leaning further back into the sofa. "Why's it always Lyall and Alastaire getting all the action?" He asks with a frown. "Seriously, everyone's writing all this Laire stuff... what about Balastaire? Belliot? Byall?"

"It's all in how you market yourself," Alastaire says airily. "You messed things up for yourself royally when you went public with that aussie girl last spring. That's why I keep things casual with my angels. Public romantic entanglements are the kiss of death in our line of business."