Page 28

A healer? Evie frowned. “Because I’m not. Am I?”

Suha fingered her quartz. “I drew on your energy to heal Jace, and I can only do that with some of the stronger members of the clan—or another healer.”

Evie shook her head. “I wish it were true, but when my mom had cancer, I tried to heal her. I put my hands on her and prayed she’d get well. I even tried sending healing energy into her—you know, like faith healers do. But it didn’t work.”

But damn, wouldn’t that be something? She’d wanted to be a doctor or a nurse as far back as she could remember. When her mom got sick, Evie had found out everything she could about the treatments, gone to every appointment. Maybe if she knew enough, she could fix her—but it hadn’t worked.

And in the end, all she’d been able to do was hold her mom’s hand and promise she’d take care of Kyler.

“I’m so sorry.” Suha touched her hand. “But even a trained healer can’t save everyone. And it’s possible you hadn’t come into your Gift yet. With fada, it can happen anywhere from the time we become teenagers to our late twenties.”

Evie’s gaze slid to Jace. He was looking at her with an unreadable expression.

“I—” She scrubbed her hands over her face. Her brain felt sluggish, too tired to take in one more shock.

Jace jerked his chin at Kyler. “She needs to eat. Get her something from the kitchen—apples, peanut butter. Suha too—a healer burns through energy fast.”

“I’m on it.” He rose to his feet and headed for the kitchen.

Suha indicated the glowing orbs hovering around Evie. “The fae lights are drawn to you. Trust me, they’re not like that for just anyone.”

Evie swallowed. “They aren’t?”

“No. The only time they get that close to me is when I’m healing someone and about to run out of juice.”

“Huh.” She glanced at the lights. “Still, even if I have some fae blood, it’s probably just a few drops.”

Suha shook her head. “If you have a fae Gift, it’s probably more than a few drops.”

Kyler returned with a plate of sliced apples, a jar of peanut butter, spoons and four sandwich plates, and set everything on the coffee table.

“Eat.” Jace scooped some peanut butter onto a slice of apple, set it on a plate and handed it to Evie, while Suha helped herself.

Evie realized she was hungry—starving, in fact. She downed the slice and helped herself to another. “But how can I heal people without a quartz?” she asked Suha.

“Fae healers use their hands. You probably felt your palm heating when you were touching Jace.”

She nodded slowly. “I did. But that doesn’t mean I healed him.”

“You helped.”

She rubbed her forehead. “If you say so.”

“Look,” Suha said, “you’re tired. Why don’t I come back tomorrow and we can talk some more?”

“Thanks—I’d like that.”

Suha ate another couple apple slices and came to her feet. “I’m off then.”

“Not by yourself.” Jace made to stand up. “I’ll walk you home. Corban would love to get his hands on our healer.”

Suha raised a brow. “He has to catch me first. Besides, you’re the one he wants, not me. Beau can take me.”

“On my way,” a deep voice rumbled and Beau shambled in. The man was big , with wiry black hair and shoulders as wide as a door, but he had a sweet smile. Jace sank back onto the couch as the bear-man slung a massive arm around Suha’s shoulders. “How’s my girl?” he asked her.

“Good.” She slid an arm around his waist and raised her face for his kiss.

Kyler’s face fell, but he smiled manfully. “Nice meeting you, Suha.”

“You, too,” she said with a kind smile.

“Don’t wait up,” Beau said as the two of them headed out. “I’ll crash at Suha’s place tonight.”

Kyler let out a gusty sigh, and then helped himself to some more food. Not much interfered with his appetite. “If you’re a healer,” he said to Evie between bites, “you didn’t get that from Fane.”

“Fane’s your dad?” Jace asked. “So you know who he is.”

“Sure, but he never said he was fae.”

“But he never seems to get older,” Kyler said. “And he’s tall and blond and looks like a fucking model.”

“Sounds fae to me,” Jace said.

“He couldn’t help our mom,” Kyler added. “I mean, the dude’s a flake, but he wouldn’t have just let her die—not if he could’ve healed her.”

“He loved her in his way. He’s just…Fane.” Evie moved a shoulder. “He comes and goes as he pleases.”

“He’s your dad,” Jace growled. “The man should’ve helped you out.”

“He did. After Mom passed, he gave me a diamond worth thousands of dollars.”

Kyler snorted. “Only Fane would give you a diamond instead of cash.”

“It saved our butts,” she shot back.

Jace shook his head. “That’s just like a fae. Throw some fucking glitter at a problem and hope it goes away.”

“That’s Fane.” And it was true, but it hurt to hear it from Jace, because if the fada were right, she was fae, too. And besides, she loved her dad—she’d just learned not to count on him.

She blew out a breath and decided to think about it in the morning. “I’m for bed.” She crossed the room to drop a kiss on Kyler’s cheek. “Night, squirt. You should go to bed too. It’s late.”

He gave a big yawn and for once, didn’t argue. “’Kay. See you in the morning.” He gathered the empty plates and carried them into the kitchen.

“’Night, Jace.” Evie gave him a smile that she hoped didn’t look as forced as it felt. Jace had closed down. Apparently, the fact that she might have more than few drops of fae was a game changer for him. “Thanks for everything.”

“Don’t thank me.” He rose to his feet. “It’s my fault you got dragged into this.” They stared at each other across the coffee table, and then he said, “Have a good sleep.”

Her heart sank. So he wasn’t coming. “You, too.” She turned blindly toward the bedrooms.

Jace sat on the living room couch as Evie and Kyler got ready for the night and then retired to their separate bedrooms.

Adric called to check on him and to report that they were still looking for Corban. “According to Zuri,” he said, “the bastard never got on the plane. It was to Costa Rica, by the way.”

“Who the fuck does he know in Costa Rica?”

“Hell if I know. But he’s been gone for over a year.

Maybe he met someone, or maybe it’s someone he knew from the Darktime—one of my uncle’s contacts.

Leron used to send him on secret missions.

But then again, maybe he just wanted to hide in the fucking rain forest. Anyway, I’ve got every tracker in the clan out looking for him.

If he’s still in Baltimore, we’ll find him. ”

“Good. And Ric? When you question him, I want to be there.”

“You got it. But meanwhile, you’re the best protection Evie’s got.”

“That’s the only reason I’m not out there with you right now.”

Adric ended the call and Jace glanced toward his bedroom. Evie was probably in bed now—his bed. Jace’s cat was awake and swishing its tail.

The woman. She waits. Go to her.

Jace remained stubbornly on the couch.

Why had he let Evie see him tonight? As he’d crossed the alley, he told himself that all he wanted was to make sure she was okay.

His clan wasn’t rich. Hell, they were hanging on by their fingernails, with every spare penny going toward rebuilding the homes and businesses that had been destroyed during the Darktime.

Anything left over was invested in this new venture with the smartphones.

But Jace had some cash set aside. He could help Evie if she wasn’t so stubborn about not taking his money.

He sure as hell hadn’t planned to kiss her.

But she’d looked so damn brave, clutching her keys like she had a prayer of chance against a man who had six inches and sixty pounds on her.

And holy singing crystals, that had been some hot kiss.

He’d been seconds away from stripping off her clothes and taking her right there in the kitchen.

But what the fuck was he thinking? She was a human and a fae, and he had a policy about not mixing with other races. Look where it had gotten Takira.

The wall sconces sensed the lack of motion and dimmed, but Jace barely noticed. He was recalling how happy his sister had been with Silver.

“So he’s part night fae,” she’d said. “He’s not his genetics any more than we are. Who knows how much fae we have in us? You have a powerful Gift yourself. Does that mean you have more fae than me?”

“But a night fae,” he’d growled. “Mate with anyone but one of them.”

“Oh, Jace.” His sister’s dark eyes were knowing and a little sad. “You don’t choose your mate—you just know . He’s the one. And he’s a good man. If you’d just meet him, you’d see.”

“Is this what we’ve been fighting for all these years? For the right to mate with a fucking fae?”

“He’s half fae.” She’d lifted her chin. “And I thought we were fighting for the right to live our lives however we choose—instead of as Leron’s pawns.”

“You’re right.” Shame had tightened Jace’s stomach. “Forget I said that. Go with your Silver.”

“You’ll come to our mating ceremony?”

He’d crossed the room in two strides and wrapped her in a hard hug. “Try and keep me away.”

His sister was thin. Food had been scarce for a long time. Her stomach shouldn’t have bumped against his.

He’d stepped back and ran a hand down her tunic. “You’re—”

“A baby.” A smile split her face. “We’re having a baby. Can you believe it?” There hadn’t been a cub born to the clan for three years.

Now grief swamped him. He dropped his head into his hands. If only he could go back and unsay those words to Takira. Because what had happened hadn’t been either her fault or Silver’s. All she’d tried to do was make a family with her mate and daughter.

It had been Leron and Tyrus who’d smashed his sister’s happiness like a fragile glass.

Jace heaved himself off the couch. Fuck this. Takira wouldn’t say he was honoring her by staying away from Evie.

She’d say Jace was being an ass.