"Oh, thank God," I said as I slumped down at the table. "I wasn't sure if you were going to come."

"What else am I supposed to do when my friend calls me in full-out panic mode?" Anji Kapoor, best futures trader in the city, raised an eyebrow at me. Anji's great. Smart as a whip, professional, and absolutely amazing in a crisis, which is why I wanted to talk to her. We'd met a few years back when I still had the bad habit of accidentally soulgazing every human in sight and proceeded to get very drunk together. We hang out. It's cool. "Besides," she added, "it sounded like you were about to start crying."

Anji is also very mean sometimes.

"I was not," I muttered. Anji smiled and shook her head.

"Why here, though? Isn't there a wizard bar or something you're supposed to go to?"

"I don't like it there. Besides," I rapped on the table with my knuckles, "metal." I'd chosen this bar specifically. I'd remembered it when I was thinking of safe meeting spots this morning; The St. Louis was working very hard on it's futuristic theme and every single thing in the place was made of gleaming metal. I'd played a gig here before. Terrible acoustics.

Anji frowned in confusion. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Ok, look." I leaned across the table. "I'm being followed by a faery and it's kinda freaking me out."

"Oh. They don't like iron." Have I mentioned how smart Anji is? She read up on every supernatural thing she could find after we met. She probably knows more than me now, which is just plain embarrassing. "What did you do?"

"I don't know! I was just trying to go home after my gig last night and it jumped me. Then it climbed through my window!"

"Maybe it's just a really big fan of yours," Anji said teasingly. I glared at her and she held her hands up. "All right. Do you know what it wants?"

"My help, apparently," I said morosely. "Something about a missing friend. I don't know. I'm no detective."

"Isn't that dangerous, though? Working with the fae?"

"Yeah. Which is why I'm not. I just don't want it to keep following me, you know? I don't want to have to carry iron on me for the rest of my life."

"Not really. That sucks, though." Anji pulled a sympathetic face. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Nah. You don't want to get mixed up in this, trust me."

"I'm not helpless, you know," Anji said hotly, eyes flashing.

"I know. You're probably better in a fight than I am."

"Says the man who can use magic," she said lightly and I couldn't help but smile.

"It's not like I'm very good at it. Anyway. How're you doing?"

"Ok. Chloe can't manage to stay out of trouble, though. Do you know how many times I've had to go down to her school this month?" She raised her hands in exasperation. "Too many!"

"She doesn't strike me as the troublemaking type," I said in surprise. My memory of Chloe was that of a pretty shy girl. A bit strange, but sweet.

"She's not," Anji sighed. "She's a good kid. It's just that weird stuff happens around her and she gets blamed for it." She eyed me. "You don't think…?

"I don't know." I shrugged. "She's adopted, right? Could be."

"Great. What would I do with two wizards in my life?"

"I'm not-"

"Sorcerer, then. Sorry." Anji leaned forward suddenly. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something."

"What?"

"One of my coworker's kid is missing. I was wondering if you could help."

"Anji, I'm not a detective!" I exclaimed. "I'm not good at that kind of stuff."

"Why not?" She argued back. "You helped me find out what happened to Dave."

"Yeah, but…"

"She's a seventeen-year-old girl. Her family's worried sick. You know how to do tracking spells."

"Barely."

"You're a lot smarter than you think, Fitz." Anji's voice softened. "Just at least take a look into it? For me?"

I could feel my will dissolving under Anji's pleading stare. Damn it. I'm no good at saying no to my friends. "All right," I sighed. "I'll try. No promises."

"Thank you."

"Yeah, whatever. You'll have to give me the information."

"Already got it." Anji reached into her purse and pulled out an envelope. Of course. Typical Anji: prepared for anything. I sighed again and took it.

"I'll look it over later."

"Great. Can we get out of here now?" Anji gestured disdainfully around the bar. "This isn't really my kind of place. Too…space-y."

"Might as well," I said glumly. I had to go home sometime, even if there was the high possibility of a being from faerie waiting for me there. I pushed the chair back and stood up, waiting as Anji shrugged into her coat. "It's not that cold out, you know." I directed my words downwards because Anji, despite her giant personality, is a whole foot shorter than me.

"It's not now," she shot back as we walked to the exit. "But there's supposed to be a cold snap tonight. They say it'll probably start snowing."

"Fab." Just one more thing to worry about. The heating system in my apartment absolutely hates my magic, and since I don't exactly have a fireplace, I'm forced to resort to blankets. Lots and lots of blankets.

"See?" Anji pointed out when we stepped out into the night. The temperature had dropped by at least ten degrees and I shivered, thinking longingly of the leather coat I'd foolishly left back home. At least it wasn't at the freezing point yet.

"I wish I didn't." I rubbed my arms, trying to retain some warmth.

"Here." Anji pulled a scarf out of her purse and handed it to me. I told you. Prepared. "You want a ride?"

"That'd be nice, thanks." I wrapped the scarf around my neck, quietly grateful for Anji's reserved, practical fashion sense.

"My car's over there." She pointed out the tiny vehicle, parked by itself under a streetlamp. I'd never fit properly in that thing, but if it meant I didn't have to walk home in the cold, I wasn't going to complain. Anji was just about to unlock the doors when a figure suddenly stepped out into the narrow beam of light.

It was the faery. My heart stopped for a second as I willed myself not to panic. It wouldn't make a scene out here, right? It seemed fairly benevolent but you never knew…I didn't want Anji to get hurt.

"Jesus!" I croaked out. Anji was just staring at it, wide-eyed and more than a bit intrigued. "Are you still following me?

The faery wrinkled its nose, looking almost cat-like. "Your greetings leave much to be desired, Son of Fortune." It inclined its head towards Anji. "Fair maiden." Then the piercing blue eyes were back on me. "I said I would return, did I not? I wish your help."

"Hold up," Anji broke in. "We're not agreeing to anything unless we know all the facts."

"Since when is it 'we'?" I protested.

"Since now." Anji turned to glare at me. "You said you weren't using that stage name anymore!"

"Well-"

"What is a stage name?" The faery's voice was confused, but it was watching us with an interested expression.

"It's not important." I felt like things were slipping away from me. "I don't want to help you. I'm not getting mixed up in any fae business."

The faery narrowed its eyes. "Do you not care about your own kind? A mortal girl from this area has vanished."

"I do, but-"

"Wait a second," Anji interrupted again. "This girl, what was her name?"

"Samantha." The name sounded melodious the way the faery said it.

"Was she about this tall," Anji stretched her hand up to indicate a height a few inches above her head, "with short blonde hair?"

"Yes."

"Fitz, that's the girl I was talking about!" Anji turned to me. "Sam! You have to help him."

I gulped, trying to fight the pressure of the stares from two very powerful beings. The truth was, I actually kind of wanted to help. There was a kid missing, and the way the faery said it, magic was involved. I was one of the few major players in the area, and was damned glad the faery hadn't decided I was the one who'd done it. I'd probably be dead by now if that was the case.

"Why ask me, though? I'm pretty useless." The faery settled its gaze on me and I felt myself shiver. There was just something about those eyes…

"Because," it said simply.

I waffled mentally for a bit more before giving in. "Oh my God," I muttered. "I can't believe I'm doing this. Come by tomorrow and we'll talk. I'm not making any promises, though."

The faery inclined its head. "So be it." Then it turned on its heel and straight-up vanished. Anji looked at me.

"So are you going to work with him?"

"I don't know. Maybe." A sudden cold gust of wind cut through me and I shivered again. "Can you open the car now?"

"Oh. Yeah." She unlocked the doors and I squeezed myself inside. "Well, if you do…" Anji started the ignition as I buckled myself in. "Thanks."

"Mmm." I stared out the window as she drove down the street, thinking.

I was pretty sure I was about to make a huge mistake.