Page 27 of The Evernight Court

The cougar.

The cougar with the horns and the long fur was sitting in there, jaws against her folded paws, watching me.

“Good morning, Miss Hayes.”

I jumped, and it was a miracle I didn’t scream.

Ahead of me, half hidden by the trees was a faerie—agreenfaerie, his wings and short hair and vest the same identical color as the leaves surrounding him.

“Oh!” I said, hands to my chest as my heart still galloped. “I didn’t see you there.” And even if I had, I wouldn’t have noticed that the pieces of his wings weren’t actually leaves—the green of them was truly the same.

“So sorry—I was busy with the wild rabbits,” he said, then stepped to the side. “My name is Zane and I tend to the animals with Master Grey.” A pause, his eyes moving to the floor. “Well, I used to. Now I do it myself. If that’s okay with you, I mean,” he quickly added.

I blinked. “Uh…yeah. Yes, yes, sure.” Of course, it was okay with me—what the hell did I know about animals? “What do?—”

Something moved from behind that same large tree he was standing next to. It moved and it jumped, and it flew for a couple feet before it landed behind a large bush and disappeared from my sight.

A rabbit with feathery white wings.

“We let the wild rabbits free during the day. They’re harmless but they do like to run and jump and make a mess—that one was stuck on the branch here,” Zane said, pointing at the tree. “But they’re almost good to be off on their own. Another few weeks should do it.”

My mouth opened and closed and opened and closed, but before I could bring myself to say a word, the cougar to my left growled as if to get my attention.

I had no choice but to turn.

She was looking right at me still, on her feet now, her nosesticking out between the thick bars of her cage. My God, it was the same cougar that had nearly torn Grey’s leg off him that night I found him in the kitchen.

She was still here.

“She’s almost recovered, too. Difficult to get her to take the rinch seeds.” Zane was right beside me now, and he was taller than he’d looked from farther away. He was taller, and his hair was just as green as the pieces of his wings and just as green as his small eyes.

“What’s that?” I whispered, too stunned to even move at this point.

“Rinch—it’s a natural antibiotic. Her wound was a bit infected so that’s why it took so long to heal. But she hates rinch, so it hasn’t been easy hiding it in her meat.”

“I see.” I did not see shit and I had no clue whatrincheven looked like, but I nodded anyway.

“Are you…are you alone?” Because I wasn’t exactly attentive right now—someone else could be here and I wouldn’t have noticed.

“Yep. Like I said, it was just me and Master Grey tending to them. I’ve worked for him for the past three years since I moved to the Whispering Woods.” He grabbed his hips in his hands and attempted another smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m sorry about, uh…what happened.”

He was one of the very few people so far to have said sorry and actually mean it.

“Thank you, Zane. I appreciate it. I’m Fall.”

He nodded. “Yes, I know. And I’m sorry I didn’t ask before coming back here. I haven’t really found another job yet and tending to these animals is all I know.”

“Don’t be,” I said. “You don’t need another job, do you? These animals still need help.” Not only did I not know shit about tending to animals, but if Grey hired him, he was staying right here.

“I’d be honored to continue to work here. I just thought that since Master Grey is gone…” His voice trailed off.

My heart jumped. “Well, I’m still here. I’ve never done this before so I would have no clue how to go about any of it.”

“And you’re not going to shut down the greenhouse?”

“Of course not,” I said without missing a beat. It was Grey’s—this place was a part of him, and it would remain here in his tower as long as I did.

This time Zane’s smile was genuine. “Then it is set.”

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