An ordinary pet shop clerk. A stunning customer with an ancient secret. And a holiday date where leaving is not an option.
From bestselling author Kim Harrison comes this original short story (to be featured in her anthology Into the Woods, October 2012) where things are most definitely not as they seem.
A pet shop employee’s innocent date with a customer quickly turns disturbing rather than delightful. She and her family hold a centuries-old secret, and they want him to stay with them forever . . .
Twenty-five-year-old Cooper simply wanted an excuse to leave his quiet storefront and trade his microwave dinners for an evening out. When the elegant Felicity brings him to an exclusive holiday gathering across town, what begins with playful compliments quickly reveals an appetite far darker than ordinary romance.
Stranded inside a locked theater where the exits refuse to open, he anticipates a glamorous celebration, only to encounter an ancient household far more predatory than polite.
Urban Fantasy: A snowy winter solstice thins the barrier between realms, allowing ancient fey to slip into Cincinnati and lure unsuspecting mortals across the border.Dark Fantasy: Behind the glittering chandeliers and thumping bass of Gateways nightclub, hypnotic dancers feed drugged confections to their prey while hunting for fresh blood.Supernatural Suspense: Cooper’s only warning comes from a suspicious pet shop owner with secrets of her own, and a grandmother’s biker bell that might be his sole defense.Forced Proximity: Tucked away beneath a pool table, an unsettling nine-year-old girl and her biting pet bat keep close watch to ensure their guest never walks out the door.Also by This Author: The Witch with No Name, The Undead Pool and Dead Witch Walking.
