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“Then it’s settled.” He leaned forward, hands clasped like he was proposing a business venture. “Where shall we go?”

His enthusiasm was contagious. It had been a while since I’d taken a day off that wasn’t murder-related. “What exactly do you mean by‘the things you humans do?’”

“Oh, you know.” He gestured vaguely with his cup. “The entertainments I see on television. Theatre, fairgrounds…” A slight grimace crossed his perfect features. “Aren’t those things you do?”

“Not regularly, no.” I studied him over my coffee. “Adam, when was the last time you actually got out into the world? During daylight, without Nicholas or Isabel?”

“The day we met, I suppose. But prior to that, it’s been… a while.” His fingers drummed once on the armrest. “The daylight presents something of an issue. And when they’re feeding—”

I flinched, and he noticed, changing course. “Crowds can be… difficult. And one can’t simply wander alone, not without knowing the territory.”

Something in his voice made me look closer. Behind the carefully maintained façade, he was lonely. Stuck between worlds – too human for the immortals, too immortal for the humans, the sole sunwalker in his ‘coven’ and yet loyal to his vamp best friend. I sighed inwardly. I liked Adam, and he wasfun to be around, but I had a lot on my mind.

“Alright,” I said, setting down my mug. “But you need to update me on everything you found out last night. I refuse to be left out of the loop.”

He straightened, almost imperceptibly. “It goes without saying, surely? You mightn’t want to assume I would do anything to keep you out of it, you know.”

I nodded and ran a hand through my hair. “I know. Sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” He rose from his seat, towering over me. “Now, shall I examine those injuries you’re so determined to downplay? Nick was quite insistent, and I promise not to pry about the specifics.”

“What is it with immortals and medical degrees?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

A genuine laugh escaped him. “Who said I was qualified?” His hands were surprisingly gentle as he checked my injuries. “I was an army medic, once or twice. After we realised I was immortal… well. Nick preferred I accompany him.” Something dark flickered behind his eyes. “Let’s just say war is not for me. A medic seemed safer, but it didn’t stick.”

Interesting. “Somehow, I can’t imagine your bedside manner being missed.”

He made a show of looking offended, but his fingers remained gentle as they probed my collarbone. He tutted, lifting my arm to test its range. I winced.

“You’ll do, I suppose.” He stepped back, his mask of careful indifference sliding back into place. “You’re lucky not to have dislocated your shoulder, and your collarbone is intact. It’s notideal, but since you are a hunter…”

“Thanks.” I stood up and frowned down at my rumpled dressing gown. “I suppose I should get dressed.”

Adam gave me a disparaging look. “Yes, you should.”

???

An hour later, we were in my car, heading east toward the coast. The threatening grey skies had finally opened, and the downpour was getting heavier the further east we went, turning the motorway ahead into a silvery blur. It wasn’t the right weather or the right time of year for a beach trip, but it was easier to go along with Adam’s request for seaside ice cream than to argue.

I tried not to worry too much as we drove – I’d called Tom before we left, to no avail. Which meant, once again, the coffee shop was closed, and we were going to lose another day of takings. Luckily, the improvement in Adam’s mood was infectious. And fuck knows, I needed a good mood and some fun. I was still coming down from the previous night, and there was a raw, ragged ache in my chest whenever I thought about it.

“How does this work?” Adam half-shouted as we sped along the motorway, the rain hammering loudly on the roof. His pale fingers traced the edge of my phone curiously.

I glanced away from the road for a moment to see he had Spotify open. “It’s connected to the car by Bluetooth.”

“I see,” he replied, still frowning. “Should we listen to driving songs? Isn’t that what people do? Is this a… what is the term, a road trip?” The questions tumbled from his mouth, and Ididn’t try to hide my laughter.

He sniffed disapprovingly.

“No offence meant!” I held up one hand in apology. “But it’s like you’re a time traveller or something. How do you not know about this stuff?”

Adam took a deep breath. “I’m aware of how the world works, Erin. I just rarely find myself in a situation where I might experience it first-hand.” He scrolled through my playlists, apparently not sure what he was looking at. “Travelling by night, by train or aeroplane… it’s terribly tiresome, quite quiet, and utterly boring.” He gazed out of the window, raindrops casting shadows across his profile. “But isn’t it better not to be alone?”

“Of course,” I sobered a little. “But you’re not always with Nicholas, right?”

“No, no. Until recently, I hadn’t seen him for six years, actually. I’ve only known him a century or so – I’m rather young when you compare me to my companions. Companion singular, I should say. Izzie is…”

“Not what you’d call a friend?” I guessed, remembering the awkwardness between them last night.