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“Lily? Oh, Gene! I didn’t realize she was ill. Why didn’t you tell me? I may have been able to help.”

His smile flashed, and the look in his gray eyes warmed considerably. “I knew the moment we met that you had a generous heart. The only reason I didn’t mention it is because I have witches on my payroll. None can stop the cancer. Slow it from spreading, yes. Stop it, no.”

“I can,” Trevor said, coming up behind him.

“But why are Draven and Fintan here?” she asked, refusing to examine why her heart beat faster when Trevor approached or why it warmed her to know he was willing to help.

“To save my ass and help prevent the Authority from discovering what I’m about to do.”

Disconcerted, Soleil blinked. “You can get in trouble for healing someone?”

“Outside the line of duty to them, yes.” His mouth tightened with irritation, and it didn’t take a genius to know he hated the restrictions imposed on him. “But after the death of my sister-in-law, I swore I wouldn’t let the Authority tie my hands again. They can go fuck themselves.”

“Damn straight! What can I do to help?” she asked.

His lips twitched, and amusement lit his eyes. Although his reaction was similar to Gene’s, Trevor’s reached inside her, waking the sleeping butterflies in her belly. They fluttered uncontrollably as he watched her, and the urge to squirm under his steady regard was high.

“There’s nothing you can do here, babe. If it’s all right with Stockton, why don’t you go putter around the greenhouse?”

Immediate pique sparked inside her. His indulgent tone plucked the wrong chord and made her feel like a housewife from another era being placated. It was the equivalent of patting her on the rump and telling her to get back in the kitchen, and she fucking hated it.

Trevor’s brows drew together, and his general demeanor turned to one of wariness. He guessed he’d stepped in shit, but Soleil suspected he didn’t know why.

“What did I say wrong?”he asked through their connection.

“If you’re too dumb to know, I’m not telling you. But don’t worry about me. I’ll just go ‘putter.’”

“Shit,” he muttered as she spun on her heel to exit the room.

CHAPTER11

Trev caught up to Soleil in the hallway and hurriedly ducked in front of her to stop her from stalking away. “I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”

“Like you were telling me not to worry my pretty, empty head with manly things?” she asked with a dangerous fire in her eyes.

“Exactly like that.” Knowing he owed her an apology, he trailed a finger along her temple and swept a lock of wayward hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry, Dalli. Please forgive me for coming across as a chauvinist pig. You’re more than welcome to hang out. Draven’s here to create a shield to block out prying deities and Fintan to predict future ramifications if I heal Lily. I honestly don’t know what you can do to help.”

Soleil’s stance softened, but her pout didn’t completely die away. “How can you cure her all by yourself? To my knowledge, it takes multiple witches to achieve something like that. Only Damian is all-powerful.”

Again with the hero worship for her brother-in-law!

Trevor shoved aside his irritation. It was no skin off his back if she admired the guy more than was healthy. That was between her and her sister should Vivian catch wind of Soleil’s adoration.

“A Death Dealer has the power to give and take life,” he explained. “Just as we can obliterate, we can boost the health of the body’s cells. It’s not something the average witch can accomplish, even with help. At least, not in the long term.”

“But if you heal Lily, it will stick?”

“It should, but I don’t have control over the Fates.”

“It seems cruel for her to be healed only to have it return,” Soleil said softly.

“I have a contingency in the event it does,” Trev confessed. He refused to fail. Mainly because he liked the kid.

“Then I’ll go putter in the greenhouse and leave you to it,” she replied with a smile.

Trevor winced. “Christ, I didn’t mean for it to sound so condescending. I’m sorry.”

“You already said that.”