Page 105 of Winterfall Destiny

If she got any sleep. Bloody hell. At least our rooms are further apart at the Winterfall house. When she walks in, Maeve's energy's definitely lighter this morning, eyes bright and face less strained—until she notices somebody's missing.

"Where's Tobias?" Maeve asks and pauses.

"I haven't seen him since last night," I say. "Maybe he went out?"

"Alone?" she asks sharply. "Isn't that against our agreement?"

"I don't think Tobias left, Maeve," says Ash as he scoops cereal from his bowl.

"Left? Why would he leave?" I ask. What's happening here?

"Because he's Tobias," Ash replies. "Y'know, leaves when he has to deal with things."

"Tobias sent me a message last night," says Andrei from where he's sitting in the corner—not eating. "He decided to follow up on something."

Maeve's surge of emotion smacks me in the chest too, and I frown at how pale she's turned as she sits at the table. "Follow up on what?"

Ash glances at her, face drawn into concern.

"The kids from the club," says Andrei. "Tobias wanted to watch where they went afterwards."

"What?" I retort. "Why didn't you stop him from going alone?"

"I didn't know!" snaps Andrei. "The message came late last night—he'd headed out and met Dorian but didn't say where. Heard from him again this morning. He'll be back in a couple of hours."

My suspicion grows. Why would Tobias message Andrei and not Maeve?

Maeve mutters something to herself, pouring tea from a pot into a mug.

"Is Tobias avoiding you?" I narrow my eyes and point at her. "Your hands are shaking. What the hell happened, Maeve?"

Ash and Maeve exchange a look and I slam a hand on the table. "What did he do?"

"There's no need to behave like that, Jamie," Maeve retorts.

"Sorry, but I'm stressed, and now we've more Tobias bullshit to deal with."

Another glance between Ash and Maeve. Andrei goes deadly still.

"At the club, we met one of his old friends and I saw some things I didn't like in the guy's memories." Maeve sips her tea. "I didn't deal well with the shock, but I'm better today."

"Huh." Andrei untenses and moves to sit at the table. "Reckon that's who Tobias visited? His friend?"

Maeve gawks, and Ash smacks him around the back of the head. "Don't be bloody stupid. Tobias left all that shit behind."

Maybe, but Maeve isn't telling us everything.

"And he's definitely coming back?" Maeve asks Andrei.

"Yeah. Tobias wouldn't bother contacting us if he planned to stay away. He never messages anybody if he's walked off to sulk." Andrei chews his lip. "Was it bad, Maeve?"

"What? The club?"

"No. The things you saw in that guy's head."

"Someone's lost their sensitivity today," says Ash to Andrei pointedly. "Ever think Maeve might not want to talk about that?"

"Sorry," he mutters.

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