Page 116 of The Cursed Fae

I offered to help him, since I’d promised I would.

“You’ve used enough magic today.” He gave me a quick kiss outside my door. “I’ll come by later, okay?”

I forced a smile. “Yeah. Sure.”

Alone in my room, I shed all my layers, leaving them in a messy pile on the floor, and took a long, hot shower. My muscles were stiff and achy, but in a good way. In the grand scheme of it all, my portal progress was minimal. For now, I would bask in my accomplishment.

I’d taken my phone to the cove but hadn’t looked at it in hours. Eek. Between Mom and Nana, I had fifteen missed calls and ten text messages. Astrid had also reached out, to make sure I was okay with all the Sable hate flying around lately. I assured her I was fine, before dialing my great-grandmother.

“Did you leave campus today?” she demanded instead of an actual greeting.

Already on the defensive, I snapped back before I could stop myself. “I’m not sure you have the right to ask me that.”

An apology was already on my lips when Nana replied. “You’re right, dear. But there is a magic thief on the loose. Leaving the safety of the Arcane University grounds isn’t wise.”

“The cove is practically on campus,” I reminded her, though I refrained from adding that I’d tried to tell her about the person they were now hunting.

She sighed. “I don’t want to fight with you, Winter.”

Tears stung my eyes. I didn’t want to fight with her either, but I needed to know why she and my mother had lied to me all these years.

“How’s Ewan?” I asked, wiping my nose with the back of my hand.

“Better. He should wake in a day or so,” she replied, sounding exhausted.

Relief washed over me. “So he’s going to be okay?”

“Ewan is very strong, dear. You don’t need to worry about him.”

“What about the Taurus pack? Should I be worried about them?” I asked, trying to keep the edge out of my voice.

“Your mother is handling the situation,” Nana said, as if that should reassure me.

Why had she sent Mom instead of going herself? Wouldn’t the alpha think it a slight?

“I wish you’d come home, Winter.”

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, unshed tears finally falling. Returning to the safety of Nana’s house, letting her cook for me and do my laundry—it would’ve been nice. And easy. I’d be constantly under her eye, which was just how my family liked me.

Was it really about my protection? Or was it because they feared my true identity? Nana had admitted the fae preferred to kill eternals before they could rise, yet she and my mother had let me live knowing what I was—why?

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Has something happened?” She sounded so worried.

I wanted to tell her about Lena so badly. Nana would figure out a solution. Family squabbles aside, this was my best friend’s humanity on the line. My bigger concern was that Mat always knew when I deviated from magic lessons. He’d told me to keep it between us. Even alone in my dark bedroom, I couldn’t risk word getting back to the eternal.

“All this stuff with Ewan is just a lot,” I said after too long. “I mean, don’t shifters have, like, tons of power?”

“They do,” she agreed. “That’s why Ewan’s alive. He’s going to be fine, Winter. I only wish he’d seen his attacker.”

I felt the same way about Missy. If she’d seen who drained her, Ewan would’ve never gotten hurt. The assailant had to be stealthy.

“It’s the same person who killed Missy, right?”

She hesitated. “I can’t be certain until we catch them. My gut says yes.”

So did mine.

“Are you wearing the necklace?”

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