Page 5 of Change

“That’s my fault,” he said after I sat and tucked my feet under my chair. “I thought I’d gotten used to the feeling, but it’s been a long time since one of our quintet members died. It’s always a shock.”

Kathleen.

My breath caught at this sudden opportunity. It hadn’t been three weeks since Kathleen had died and Miles and I were left to bury her; and I carried the ring she’d given me in my pocket. Even though she’d left it for Dr. Stephens, I still hadn’t been able to work up the courage to speak to him alone.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. I could have gone to him at any time.

But I was a coward.

“I’m sorry.” I focused my attention on the blue tin of cookies that lay open on his desk. “Kathleen asked me to give you something.”

“I know,” he replied. Our eyes met and his expression turned from mild curiosity to something that seemed almost… expectant?

Hedidknow, though I wasn’t sure how. Why didn’t he say something earlier?

“I’m sorry….” I curled my fingers around the object in question. It seemed to burn against me. “I’ve been avoiding you.”

“That much is quite obvious,” he replied, tilting his head. “Are you ready now?”

“Okay…” I pulled out the ring and dropped it on the top of his desk. “Kathleen asked me to give this to you.”

“It’s interesting how fate works,” Dr. Stephens replied. “I’d given it to her for safekeeping years ago. And, before knowing you, I knew how it’d come back to me. Michael was never wrong.”

My embarrassment fled and I blinked at him. This was the person Kathleen had spoken about too, but she hadn’t gone into great detail. “Who is Michael?”

“Michael Abernathy. He wasmy best friend and a very talented seer,” Dr. Stephens responded. “We worked together too, and he died during a mission. He was also the onmyoji in my quintet.”

“The onmyoji…” That made sense—the larger picture of that generation was beginning to click into place. “Is that why you mentor Damen?”

Dr. Stephens’s lips pressed together as he tapped on the desk. A tense second passed, and my blood rushed to my head as I wondered if I’d, perhaps, been insensitive.

An apology sat on the tip of my tongue when Dr. Stephens finally responded. “That’s why,” he said, a thread of longing in his voice. For a moment, his expression seemed to crumble. He suddenly seemed less intimidating.

But then he spoke once more, shaking himself out of his reverie. “On a related topic, thank you for bringing this back to me.” Dr. Stephens picked up the ring. He held it up and twisted it, and the red stone sparkled under the green-tinted lights. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this. Did Kathleen mention that it’s part of a set? These sorts of heirlooms are embedded with fae magic.”

I’d kept my left hand in my other pocket, and the ring Bryce had given me—which I’d taken to wearing since our return—suddenly felt heavier than before.

It would be a huge coincidence—but as I was learning there was no such thing.

My mouth felt dry when I asked, “Bryce—”

“Your ring is from the Dubois line,” he said, and his attention flickered down to my lap. “Didn’t Bryce tell youanythingabout fae marriages?”

I flustered, filled with shame at the reminder of how little I knew of my own culture. Annoyance too, because Bryce had failed once again.

“No,” I answered, and my shoulders slumped as he raised his eyebrow curiously. “I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for? Stop apologizing all the time.” Dr. Stephens tilted his head and lowered his hands back to his desk, placing the ring in the center of the table. “I’m going to let you in on a little-known secret: shifters aren’t the only ones who have mates.”

I blinked, and he leaned back, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I cannot believe he didn’t tell you this.Faehave mates,” he explained. “But unlike shifters, our bonds can be non-gender specific, and are not always limited by number. Though each group usually contains one woman.”

Heat rushed through me and my hands shook. “W-what does this have to do with my ring?”

“Bryce must really trust you,” Dr. Stephens said suddenly, and, at first, I wasn’t sure it was relevant. “These rings are highly sought after in our family lines—and there’s not so many of them while there’s many fae sons. They’re forged from a specific sort of fae gold that will bless the relationship of those who have them. That’s why it’s so important to win; it’s one way to reassure your mate that you’re worthy.”

My eyebrows drew together, and I leaned forward slightly. “What do you mean… win?”

He grinned slightly, the edges of his teeth showing in excitement. “Only the strongest males have the honor of going through the ritual.” His shoulders squared as he said this, and, if I wasn’t mistaken, it seemed as though Dr. Stephens might have been proud of himself.