Page 65 of Crown of the Fae King

I shook my head. “Not that I could tell.”

“No hissing?”

I shook my head. “That’s only happened when he thought I’d abandoned him.”

“Let’s give it the day, then.”

We did a lot of pacing that afternoon, like we were waiting for Urban to get out of surgery. We drew a little too much suspicion from Persi and Kitch and finally had to confess what we’d done so they could stop imagining there was something going on between us.

At least, when there were four of us pacing and distracted, it looked more like cabin fever.

I knocked on Everly’s door again, asked her if she needed a break before I went off to bed.

“I’m good,” she said, then closed her door.

My three conspirators were waiting down the hall. “Well?”

“Says she’s good.”

Persi huffed. “Then I’ll go—”

“We’ll just have to get it in the morning.”

“Um, McAvoy’s coming in the morning.”

The four ofus scarfed down our breakfast and headed back to the MacKenzie’s bedroom. I raised my hand to knock just as the door opened. A smiling doctor McAvoy pulled the door wide so we could see the alert patient and his very happy wife.

“Mornin’,” he said. “Seems our patient has passed a…miraculous night.” He glanced at Wickham, then winked at me before stepping out and pulling the door shut. “We’ll just give them a moment alone, shall we?” He reached into the pocket of his lab coat and pulled out a wad of gauze. “Is one of ye missing…a rock?”

I grabbed the gauze with both hands, relieved to find it the exact weight of Hank. “Thank you,” I said quietly. “In case it didn’t work, we didn’t tell Everly.”

“She didn’t see it.” He chewed his lip for a second. “And I rather wish I hadnae either. A miracle for any ailment? I don’t suppose ye’d part with this one?”

“Afraid not,” Wickham said for me. “It cannae be parted from the owner for long. Painful consequences, I’m told.”

McAvoy looked at all of us in turn, then shook his head. “It’s best I dinnae ken.”

That day,Wickham sent me off to campus with Brian and Flann. Kitch came along for protection. Since I already had my library pass, I left the three of them doing paperwork and told them where they’d find me in the Bod. I planned to collect a pile of Fae books for Brian and Flann, who could then spend their time scanning as Wickham usually did. Then I could start searching for books on healing stones.

The last time we’d been on campus, I’d found a dozen books in the same section, but we’d had no time for a good look. I went immediately to that shelf and found them all waiting for me. One look at their faded, beaten corners and I wished I could protect them in little fiberglass boxes. And I wished, for the dozenth time, that I had a box of magical bookmarks waiting to help me in exchange for a gentle stroke of my hand…

“Hello again,” I said softly, and ran my hand along the spines.

“Hello,” said a deep voice, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. Chills pinged up and down my spine like a pinball.

In the aisle just behind me, a handsome man sat at a desk that butted up against an overstuffed leather chair with a wool sportscoat draped over one arm. He wore a plaid collared shirt and rich brown sweater, looking just as preppy as a body could. A large book lay open on the desk, but he had turned to face me with his brows pinched together, expectant.

I laughed. “Sorry. Wasn’t talking to you.” I grimaced. “Sorry to disturb.” He smiled and closed his book and I thought,Oh, crap. Sending wrong signals. Stop talking!I turned my back to him, hoping I could just get my books and go without further conversation. I started tipping them off the shelves to stack on my left arm.

“Let me help you with that.” That same deep voice spoke at my shoulder, and when I took a step back, he stepped into the void to pull the rest of the books down. Instead of adding them to my stack, he piled them on the lower shelf, then took what I had and added them to the others. “Is this all of them?”

“Yes, but—”

“Lead the way.”

Since I no longer wore a bandage, I had no idea what had brought this knight in shining armor to attention. “I can take them from here—”

“You shan’t rob me of the pleasure. Now, where are you working?”

---