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“He did.”

Evelyn nodded. The silence stretched before them. The things left unsaid. The way they parted. The secrets they still held. It grated against Kade’s skin, scratched against his heart. He wanted to shatter the silence. He wanted to admit everything.

“Evelyn—”

“We need to investigate where they found Sheila’s body. The killer, vampyr or not, only needs one more body part for the spell. We need to stop them before they kill again.”

We.

Kade tried to not read too much into Evelyn’s words, but his hope flared back to life. She was determined to solve the murder and find the killer. With him. She planned to stay, and she wouldn’t cut him out of the investigation.

Again, Kade struggled to silence the words of his heart. He wanted to come clean, to apologize, to make amends. Yet, he hesitated. Evelyn stood before him, ready to investigate the murder site. Was she telling him something he shouldn’t dismiss?

Don’t push her.

Tovi’s words from earlier rang in the back of Kade’s mind. No. He’d say nothing about them. He’d follow her lead, help with the murder investigation, and hold on to the hope that he hadn’t messed up so greatly, they couldn’t work this out.

Kade nodded. “Let’s head to the cliffs.”

Evelyn shut her eyes and exhaled. When she met his stare again, determination gleamed. “There’s something else.”

Dread dropped in Kade’s gut, but he didn’t let it show as he said, “Go on.”

“If we’re to work together on this, head to the cliffs, and face the possibility of a vampyr, you have the right to know my flame is gone. I’ve tried to reach it, tried to get back, but I...can’t.” Evelyn exhaled a shaking breath.

Kade relaxed, his heart soaring in his chest. Like Tovi advised, he wouldn’t push Evelyn, but he wanted—no, needed—her to know, she was more than her flame.

“All right.”

Evelyn stood there, still as stone. After a few moments, her eyes widened, and her brows drew together. “Wait, that’s it? All right?”

Kade shrugged. “Has it not occurred to you that I haven’t used my wolf once during these last few weeks?”

“That’s—”

“Different?” Kade shook his head. “We’re more than our duty, Evelyn. More than our powers and magic. Like I haven’t needed my wolf the last few weeks, you don’t need your flame to be my partner solving these murders.”

Evelyn’s silvery eyes searched his face. She opened and closed her mouth, and by the increase in her left brow’s furrow, the wheels were turning in that magnificent mind of hers.

Kade knew a few words wouldn’t do, and like Tovi had said, Evelyn wasn’t ready to talk, and he had no intention of pushing her. Instead, he could show her.

“We should head to the cliffs soon, so we’ll get there before sundown.”

Evelyn nodded, and with that, they set off to their next investigation site.

Chapter Forty-Four

Evelyn

The mist turned into an insufferable drizzle, escaping past Evelyn’s hood and frizzing her hair. Her cloak became sodden with rain. Soon, the moisture bled into her trousers and blouse. Sticky and frigid, Evelyn’s hands grew stiff, and her cheeks burned. Kade hadn’t bothered with his hood, his hair and beard shining with droplets, wet clothes sticking to his broad frame, and Evelyn kept catching herself staring. Somehow he’d become more rugged, more werewolf, and she couldn’t look away.

You don’t need your flame to be my partner solving these murders.

She blinked away his earlier comment, not daring to hope what more he meant. Yes, they were solving the murders together, but what else had he implied? The prophecy, their duty, returning home. Did he still think that possible without her flame? Doubt swam around like a frenzy of parasitic worms deep in her belly, her years of training at war with the idea.

Ahead, the path narrowed and snaked north. A wall of fog hovered over the grass until the grass disappeared, giving way to a sheer cliff and the never-ending ocean of fog that rolled beyond it. Unseen, waves crashed against rock and gulls squawked.

Nothing appeared until the dirt path became littered with rocks and pebbles, and the salt of the sea hung heavier in the air. The fog parted over the remnants of a cottage, its roof caved in, the stone walls overtaken by ivy. Trees and underbrush grew from within it, as if the cottage had exploded with vegetation.