Page 66 of Wild Fires

I shook my head. “I'm not sure I'll ever understand a sibling bond.”

“Maybe, but I promise you're gonna learn to get used to it. We just need a plan.”

Ryan

Chapter 19

Working alongside Gracie had proven harder than I thought, but I didn't know how to get out of it. There was a small part of me that didn't want to get out of it.

I was beginning to despise my apartment. I'd even left dirty dishes in the sink this morning as I rushed to leave the house.

She was everywhere. Somehow Gracie Montgomery had managed to infiltrate every inch of my apartment and my raven was perfectly clear on his stance as he peppered me with images and reminders of the time we'd spent together here. He wanted her. I wanted and missed her so much it hurt. But then I would remember the sight of her dying in that fire and it would make me physically ill. I just couldn't put myself through that again.

Everywhere I went people were talking about it like it was perfectly normal. I wasn't sure why I hadn't already known she was a phoenix because it was painfully clear that it was common knowledge around Ravenden. Some people were just as mortified as me about her power, but others seemed to be in awe of what she could do and how she'd saved Guffy. I wasn't ready to really consider that side of it.

Before last week, Gracie had been just a vague memory of someone I went to school with. She hadn't really been anything to me back then, and even though I'd seen her around town since graduation, I had never really noticed. So why was she suddenly everywhere I looked now?

Mate, my raven whined. I'd lost count of how many times that had happened today.

He'd been content while she was with us, but the second I'd walked out of my office it had started up again.

Unable to bear it, I retreated to Mom and Dad's house, the one place I knew I wouldn't be haunted by memories of her.

“Hey sweetie, what are you doing here? Twice in one week. Should I be concerned?”

“I'm fine,” I snapped.

“I can see that. Is this about Gracie?”

I sighed. “I can't get away from her. It's like she's everywhere now.”

“She was probably always there. You're just more aware of her now. And I imagine your bird must be driving you crazy. Have you spoken to her yet?”

“Why do I get the feeling you already know I spent most of the day with her?”

She grinned and shrugged. “I might have heard a peep about that.”

I groaned. My mother had eyes all over town. Very few things got past her.

“We were working, Mom.”

“Work? Is that what we were calling it these days?”

“Actual work. Clarence asked me to help out with a case and assigned Gracie to me. It's why we've been spending so much time together.”

She nodded. “Yes. Late nights, or is it overnights? Lots and lots of work.”

“Mom! You weren't even here.”

“True, but Felicity mentioned it to her mother or told your Aunt Ginny who then told me. I was kept apprised of your little tryst the entire time I was away.”

“My little tryst? That's not what it was, and we really were working.”

“All night long, for three nights straight?”

I groaned. “Stop trying to interfere with my personal life.”

“No interference, dear.”

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