"That reminds me. I need to find a new hangover cure," Zoey said. "I can't use the Professor anymore, and Declan's price is too high."
"I'm tempted to tell you not to fight it. Just go tonight and tomorrow to his apartment. The sex is incredible. The only drawback is losing the absolute freedom we have," Vikki said.
"No, I'm losing..." Zoey looked towards Eric's party.
"I know you cared about him, but didn't you run out on him when he proposed?" Vikki asked, perplexed.
"I was almost normal for a year. Stable. He was predictable and sweet and he didn't scare the shit out of me or curb my freedom," Zoey said at last. "I had the best of both worlds: a human home and you to kill things will."
"Tell Declan you want to redecorate and not with my entrails strung up on one wall."
"Can I come visit you?" Zoey asked.
"I think so. I'm not sure."
Zoey laughed. "We're so screwed, aren't we? I have no idea what to do."
"You're going to drink. We're going to stop pitying ourselves and enjoy our night," Vikki said, pushing shots at her.
"Zoey?"
She almost choked on the whiskey burning her throat. Swallowing hard, Zoey turned. Eric looked genuinely surprised.
"Girlfriend," Vikki muttered.
"Didn't think you went to Salsa clubs," Eric said. His gaze swept over her.
Zoey knew she looked good; she always did, but tonight, she'd dressed with more care than usual.
"Hi, Eric," she said, forcing a smile. "We try out new clubs every once in awhile." She motioned to Vikki, who managed to smile.
"You look great," he said awkwardly.
"It's only been a couple days," she joked. "Haven't had time to go to shit yet."
"That's not what I meant," he replied. "I mean, you look beautiful. As always."
Touched by his sweet words, she felt even worse.
"Is that Tory with you?" she asked.
"Yes." He shifted nervously.
"Don't worry. I'm not pissed or anything," Zoey said. "It's cool if you found someone else. Two days after asking me if I wanted to marry you."
"Two days after getting turned down."
"Yeah." Her face felt hot, and not just from alcohol. "Eric, I'm sorry."
"Zoey "
"I'm not saying it to get you back or anything. I'm genuinely sorry. I lied to you almost the entire time we were together. I loved my life with you. I didn't want to lose it." She cleared her throat, embarrassed that her chin was trembling. "But I figured out, it was really selfish of me."
"I'm, uh..." he paused. "I'm actually impressed, Zoey. I can't help wishing you'd realized this awhile ago." There was regret in his voice.
She hesitated. Alcohol was making it harder to think. She wasn't entirely certain where the words came from, except realizing Declan touched her soul while she'd never been willing to let Eric near her heart.
"Well you were right. If you're with someone you can't trust enough to tell them your secrets, then it's probably not going to work out. Especially if you can't read minds."
"Which I can't," he teased. His smile was warm once more, like it had been a few days ago, before she screwed up everything.
"So, I want you to go live a happy life," she finished, uncertain what else to say. "And not think too badly of me. If not possible, just go be happy."
"I want the same for you. I really do," he said, studying her. "Are you going to be okay, Zoey? I know you tend to meltdown."
Her smile slipped. This was closure for sure, but she didn't want to let go of everything Eric represented.
"That's what I'm here for," Vikki said, wrapping her arm around Zoey.
Eric looked like he wanted to say something else, changed his mind and smiled.
"Take care," he said, gaze lingering on Zoey.
"You, too," she whispered. He turned away.
"Don't you dare let him see you cry," Vikki ordered. "Drink this."
Zoey obeyed, gulping the tart mixed drink down.
"I can't believe the new girl set you up. I mean, they aren't even officially dating. They can't be."
"Like I'm not bound to some random Incubus I just met?" Zoey challenged, slamming the drink down.
"Well, that's different."
Zoey shrugged. "God, that hurt."
"Does Declan have a phone number?" Vikki asked casually.
"No idea. Don't care. He's taking you away from me," Zoey said, anger rising.
"We'll still be friends."
"We should form our own vigilante group. Just you and me and the other girls on Team Reject."
"I've been thinking about it all week long," Vikki said, thoughtful. "Liam says I can't be associated with the Sucubatti. But if we formed our own group, it wouldn't be. He thinks less of the Cambions than the Sucubatti do us horrible Halflings. He doesn't care if I'm killing them. He doesn't want me working with the enemy."
"I wouldn't have to tell the Sucubatti," Zoey added. "Just do what they say then on the side, hang out with you and kill Cambions. I could even use them to supply us with weapons."
"We could use their intel, too, to find hotspots," Vikki said. "Like we do for our unauthorized missions."
They were both quiet. The more Zoey thought, the more she liked the idea. Vikki glanced down at her phone. By her smile, she was texting with Liam. Zoey watched, her gaze going again to where Eric sat.
"No more stupid rules," Vikki said. "I'd have Liam to take the edge off, so I could kill more than the Sucubatti let us. You'll have ..."
"The football team?"
"There are some hunks on the team," Vikki said with a wink. "Seriously. What are you going to do about Declan? The bond can't be broken."
"Nothing. I'm going to get killed by Cambions."
"Whatever." Vikki rolled her eyes. "Let's do it!"
"Really?" Zoey asked, brightening.
"Yep." Vikki's gaze returned to the phone. A surprised look crossed her face. "Hey, did you know Declan is the son of an Incubatti Council member?"
"Yeah."
"You shitting me?"
"No." Zoey looked at her curiously. "Why?
"Wow. I asked Liam if he knew him. And told him we're forming a vigilante group," Vikki said, smiling. "He's okay with the vigilante group, by the way."
"Omigod. You ask him for permission for everything now?" Zoey snapped.
"Nope. Told him we're doing it. He's going to give me Declan's phone number."
"No! Are you crazy? Declan wants to kill you! Vikki, they know you're with Liam. They have pictures. Declan will -"
"Well, he doesn't need an excuse to talk to him," Vikki said, hesitating. "Think about it. Declan. Liam. Two totally Irish names."
"You think they're related?"
"They are. Zoey, you idiot, they're brothers."
With her head buzzing with alcohol, Zoey assumed she misheard. She drank another beverage. Vikki stared at her.
"Did you hear me?" she asked finally.
"Yeah."
"Are you that drunk?"
"No," Zoey said. "I don't think that makes sense. How can they be brothers?" She thought back to the pictures the Enforcers showed her. It made no sense that Declan would be collecting intelligence on his own brother's soul-mate. "If they can ask each other for phone numbers, why are they frying me in an inquisition about you and Liam? Why not just talk to him directly."
"I think they wanted to see what you knew. If I'm being exiled, maybe they were seeing if you should be, too."
"Speaking of killing things, what's next?" Zoey said, reaching the end of her drink. She stood. She felt woozy already, the world spinning in an array of pretty colors.
"Are you in meltdown mode?"
"Think so."
Vikki stood. Two college-aged couples, the lurkers waiting for a table to free up, all but shoved past her. Zoey's world swam more than usual from the alcohol, but she managed to catch Vikki before her best friend hit the ground.
Zoey helped her stabilize then shoved the shoulder of the football-player sized guy who had taken Vikki's chair.
"Hey, jackass, is that how you treat a lady?" she snapped.
He didn't even turn around but glanced over his shoulder. "I don't see no lady."
"Come on, Z, let's go," Vikki urged, gripping her arm. "That shit I gave you it's gonna knock you flat in about five minutes."
"What? I don't care!" Zoey wrenched away. She loosened her sex magic, focusing it on the idiot who bumped her friend. He turned, and the look on his face changed from angry to interested.
Zoey waved him over to her playfully and took two steps back to give herself room to hit him. He stood and approached, eyes on her breasts.
"Zoey, no!" Vikki hissed.
Zoey ignored her and punched him as hard as she could in the nose.
"You little bitch!" he snarled, the pain pulling him out of the mild trance she put him in.
Before he was able to object, she kicked him in the crotch and punched him again in the face. Suddenly, her already wobbly world was spinning. Someone smashed her into the floor, the body on top of her too light to be anyone other than the guy's girlfriend. Random, unschooled punches tried to do damage. Zoey laughed and maneuvered out from under the girl, slapping her hard enough to stop her movement.
And then, the bar exploded. Zoey was too disoriented to understand who fought who or why, except that someone was trying to hit her. One blow landed before she was able to get to her feet, and her head snapped back in response to another blow. Her body followed, and she prepared herself for another hard landing.
"I gotcha," Vikki grunted. "Come on, before they call the police."
Zoey's drunken mind took in the fight at the bar. She laughed at the chaos.
"Hey, V, I defended your honor!" she giggled.
"Can you walk?"
Zoey nodded, but wasn't entirely certain. Vikki kept one arm around her and navigated them through the mess towards the door. The bar customers scrambled back from the bar area.
They worked their way through the crowd to the door. Zoey's gaze was caught by Eric's. There was sadness in his eyes. Sadness she put there. She smiled and waved farewell.
Forever farewell, she knew as she walked out of the club and not only to him. They walked down the block, the sound and warmth of the club fading.
This was her world now. Cold and wet and filled with Cambions. Eric was gone tonight, taking with him any hope she had of finding balance in a place where she didn't belong. Zoey spun in a drunken circle, barely catching herself against the building. She lifted her face to the rain.
"Okay, you're fucking toasted," Vikki's voice broke through her thoughts. "You can't kill Cambions like this."
"I totally can," Zoey said, pushing away from the wall. "I have to catch up. I have to."