Page 23 of Above Cursed Winds

“I’m so glad, baby.”

“And guess what?” Myko’s eyes rounded, those beautiful indigo eyes locked on hers, her son bouncing on his heels in his excitement.

“What, Boo?”

“I accidentally showed him his vision and he didn’t get scared away!”

Startled, Zia’s hand tensed slightly against Myko’s cheek, but he didn’t notice. While he launched into his narration about dinosaurs and soccer, Zia straightened and found Jeremiah’s gaze.

In one look, she tried to convey the gratitude she suddenly felt for the Elemental, the appreciation she had for the fact that he’d taken the day to listen to Myko’s ramblings. But she couldn’t voice it—not until she knew Jeremiah better.

While she’d never coveted frivolous companionship, certainly wouldn’t settle on a mate, she couldn’t deny the same thing for Myko.

“Eat dinner with us, Jeremiah.”

For a beat, he didn’t respond, searching her eyes for any hint of artifice. Finding none, he merely said, “I can go if you want. I didn’t realize he was your son.”

By now, Myko had already trotted into the kitchen, grabbing cups and utensils to finish setting the table. Keeping her voice low, Zia shook her head.

“Please. If you did what he said you did, I owe you. He’s—he doesn’t have many friends.”

Something softened in Jeremiah’s gaze, and Zia found herself looking at him anew. For a man who’d recklessly broken Nero’s nose not twenty-four hours before, she hadn’t expected any form of empathy from him. Had she misjudged him?

“Mom! The spaghetti!”

Wincing, Zia swiveled on her heel and jogged back into the kitchen just as the water boiled over. Muttering a curse, she grabbed the pot’s handles and shifted it off the burner, shooting an apologetic smile to both her son and the Elemental who’d wandered into the room after her.

Without asking, Jeremiah grabbed a colander from the hanging pans above the island and set it in the sink, then grabbed the plates from a box near the unfinished cabinets while Zia drained the pasta.

It felt so surreal, this. Not uncomfortable, per se, but not casual either.

Ten minutes later, all three of them were seated around the table, listening to Myko’s portrayal of the ‘epic soccer game’ he’d had with Jeremiah only hours before. Zia listened, enraptured, as her son gushed about how the Elemental had given him tips on his form and even helped him position his feet better when hitting the ball.

By the time dinner was over, Jeremiah had happily promised another afternoon of soccer practice and a trip to the local museum to look at their dinosaur skeletons.

Zia did her best to stay composed.

It’d been too long since anyone but Nero had taken real interest in her son, and too long since another person freely remained in Myko’s presence. Though it was completely unintentional, the nature of his gift made people avoid him, and the worst thing was that Myko was fully aware of it.

The devastating gift made for an isolated—and lonely—childhood.

“Go up and get dressed for bed, Boo,” Zia instructed after dinner. “You know you’re extra sleepy when your power is active.”

Myko grumbled an agreement, stomping up the stairs that were only partly finished, with random carpet hairs that shot out from the sides.

“I’ll be up in a few minutes, Boo.” Turning back to Jeremiah, she gauged his mood. “Let me walk you back to your condo.”

They strolled outside into the warm night air. Jeremiah’s hands slipped into his pockets, eyes gazing upward, toward the starlit heavens.

The silence between them stretched, somehow comfortable despite everything. It was as if they’d called a temporary truce, a white flag thrown into the ring, on Myko’s behalf. They still maintained an impersonal distance between them and seemed to hold on to things they both wanted to say. Well, she hadn’t expected miracles.

“Myko’s a good kid.”

“The best,” Zia admitted. “I have no idea what I did to deserve him.”

“He’s brilliant. I swear I’ve learned more about dinosaurs in the last eight hours than my entire life up until this point,” Jeremiah chuckled.

“He’s very fond of them,” Zia hummed. “Fair warning, though: don’t get him started about the Jurassic Park movies. Once you do, you’re in for a three-hour lecture.”

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